§ Mr. Barnesasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will state the amounts and form of financial assistance given to civil aviation, and to British air companies operating overseas, between the years 1931–32 and 1938–39?
Captain BalfourI have been asked to reply. Assistance is given by the Air Ministry to civil aviation by the provision of State-owned civil airports; by the organisation of Empire and internal air routes; by surveys and experimental flights for the development of new air routes; and by the development of new types of civil aircraft and research and technical development generally in connection with civil aviation. In addition subsidies are paid to air transport companies and grants made to light aeroplane clubs and the gliding movement. The annual cost of the above services during the period in question has been as follows:
£ 1931–32 509,627 1932–33 502,783 1933–34 477,448 1934–35 524,393 1935–36 427,699 1936–37 658,976 1937–38 1,724,286 1938–39 2,784,000 (Estimated) Of these totals the following sums represent subsidies paid to British air companies operating overseas air routes:
£ 1931–32 394,882 1932–33 398,343 1933–34 399,959 1934–35 442,110 1935–36 325,228 1936–37 312,044 1937–38 614,072 1938–39 1,047,967