Mr. MALONEasked the Secretary of State for Air whether the flights from Egypt to Mesopotamia are the only routine flights carrying mails, etc., undertaken by the Air Ministry; whether this work was organised by the department of the Chief of the Air Staff or of the Controller-General of Civil Aviation; and which Department now controls this service, and why?
Captain GUESTThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative; as regards the rest of the question, the carrying of mails is, at present, incidental to flights by service machines undertaken for training or for passing machines to Iraq by air in pre-1794W ference to the more expensive sea route. The responsibility accordingly rests with the service branch of the Air Ministry. I look forward to the future organisation of regular air mail services on this route by commercial air enterprise.