HC Deb 03 November 1937 vol 328 cc957-8W
Mr. R. Robinson

asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air what steps are being taken by his Department to carry into effect the recommendations of the Maybury Report?

Lieut.-Colonel Muirhead

Following is the answer:

  1. 1. Parliamentary action is being taken for the establishment of a licensing authority for the operation of the Junction Airport Scheme and the necessary Order in Council will be submitted to Parliament in due course.
  2. 2. With a view to the provision of a comprehensive air traffic control organisation by the Government a school has been established for the training of air traffic control officers. A number of recruits have already been trained and this has enabled the Air Ministry to assume responsibility with its own staff for the control services at Manchester and Portsmouth. A full air traffic control organisation is now in existence at these places as well as at Croydon, Heston and Lympne.
  3. 3. Recruitment and training of further personnel is proceeding and it is hoped to provide Air Ministry control staff at Renfrew early next year and at other aerodromes as trained officers become available.
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  4. 4. Additional wireless stations have been opened at Manchester and in the Isle of Man, and another will be opened very shortly at Inverness. Certain other aerodromes have been inspected with a view to the opening of negotiations shortly for the provision of further wireless stations.
  5. 5. Steps have been taken to relieve aerodrome owners as from the 1st April, 1937, of the financial contributions they have hitherto been called upon to pay towards the cost of wireless and communication services provided by the Air Ministry at their aerodromes and arrangements are in hand as an interim measure for relieving aerodrome owners from the same date of liability for expenditure on certain services which the Maybury Committee recommended should be provided by the Government.
  6. 6. The question of standard scales of charges at all aerodromes is under active discussion. Proposals have been worked out in complete detail and good progress is being made with the examination of these details.