§ Mr. R. Gibsonasked the Secretary of State for Air what were the causes of the delays in the 12 late arrivals out of 22 scheduled services at Singapore from this country by Imperial Airways, Limited, between 1st January and 22nd February, 1939; what steps have been taken to eliminate late arrivals; and whether he has any statement to make on the subject?
Captain BalfourAs I informed my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Chippenham (Captain Cazalet) on 1st March, four of the delays were due to engine trouble, six to bad weather which must be expected at this time of year, and two to missed connections with other aircraft which were carrying mails. In one of the four cases in which delay occurred on account of engine trouble, weather also contributed to some extent to the delay. Experts from the makers' works have been attached to Imperial Airways to assist in investigating and eliminating the causes of engine trouble.