§ Commander Courtneyasked the Minister of Aviation what steps are being taken by his Department to keep the regulations affecting private flying and gliding to a minimum compatible with safety.
§ Mr. MartenThere is close day to day consultation between officials of my Department and representatives of the private flying and gliding organisations, and this consultation finds a focal point in the regular meetings of the Standing Joint Committee on Private and Club Flying and Gliding over which I preside. One purpose of this consultation is to achieve the greatest degree of safety with the least degree of restriction.
§ Commander Courtneyasked the Minister of Aviation how many air centres have been established since 1947 in accordance with Recommendation XXVII of the Special Advisory Committee on Private Flying; and how many of these have been built by municipalities.
§ Mr. MartenAbout a dozen air centres, some of which approach the pattern outlined in the Report, have been opened since 1947; it is not possible to say whether the Committee's recommendation is responsible for any of these and I am not aware that any have been built by municipalities.
§ Commander Courtneyasked the Minister of Aviation how many Government-owned aerodromes which 94W have reverted to agricultural use since the end of the war have since 1947 been made available for private flying and gliding.
§ Mr. MartenThis information is not available. There are 156 aerodromes notified in the United Kingdom Air Pilot as available for use by private fliers and most of these were at one time military airfields. A number of other military and ex-military airfields are also used by private fliers although not notified in the United Kingdom Air Pilot.
§ Commander Courtneyasked the Minister of Aviation what was the cost of Government support to private flying clubs during 1963; how this compares with the subsidy recommended by the Special Advisory Committee on Private Flying in 1947; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MartenIn addition to other forms of financial assistance the Committee recommended that a direct subsidy rising to a maximum of £900,000 per annum after three years should be made available to approved flying clubs, and that a subvention of £490,000 should be paid to gliding clubs over a period of five years. These proposals were not accepted by the Government of the day.
At present flying and gliding clubs are helped by rebate of part of the duty on the petrol which they use within an annual ceiling of £75,000, and by a number of concessions such as special facilities at State aerodromes. In addition the clubs benefit from Government contracts for the training of A.T.C. cadets under the Flying Scholarship scheme, and from the recently inaugurated "Junior Wings" scheme.