§ 98. Mr. Austinasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Admiralty if he will make a statement outlining the effective technical and administrative liaison between the Naval Air Inspection and Aeronautical Inspection Directorate; if he will report on the progress achieved by the Naval Air Inspection since its inception; the date of 74W such inception; its functions in the service; and whether it is now proposed to retain and further develop this branch.
§ Mr. J. DugdaleThe Aeronautical Inspection Directorate of the Ministry of Supply is concerned with the inspection of new material under production. The Naval Aircraft Inspectorate on the other hand is concerned with Naval material before and after repair by the Navy and periodical examination during storage. During the war it was found necessary to introduce a Naval Aircraft Inspectorate to deal with the inspection of repairs carried out by the R. N. aircraft repair yards. The Naval Aircraft Inspectorate assumed full responsibility for this inspection in August, 1944, and for inspection at Aircraft workshops attached to air store depots in June, 1945, and at air store depots themselves in January, 1947.
Although the functions of the two bodies are quite distinct, effective technical and administrative liaison is maintained both at headquarters level on the preparation of inspection instructions and between the Aeronautical Inspection Directorate inspectors at aircraft firms and the headquarters of the Naval Aircraft Inspectorate at the Admiralty to ensure that special Naval requirements are taken care of both in production and in such overhauls as are carried out by the industry. The Admiralty are satisfied that there will be a continuing need for inspection work of this character, but no final decisions have yet been taken on the permanent lines of this organization.