§ Lieut. - Commander KENWORTHYasked the Secretary of State for Air whether the flight of the four Royal Air Fai ee machines from Cairo to Cape Town, due to start from Egypt on or about 1st March, is a preliminary to the establishment of an air-mail service to South Africa by air; and what preparatiots are being made to establish and develop such air-mail service?
§ Sir S. HOAREThe flight is being undertaken in accordance with the policy of the Air Force to make visits by air to distant parts of the Empire and to gain experience in long distance flying. At the present moment there is no intention of establishing a Royal Air Force mail service to the Cape, but I hope that the experience gained on this and other occasions may help in deciding the practicability of the operations of civil air services on these routes and linking up communications with distant parts of the Empire by air.