§ Mr. P. Williamsasked the Secretary of State for Air whether he will make a statement on the construction of a suitable airfield at Gan.
Mr. WardThe renovation of the wartime natural surface runway on Gan Island was completed last August. Work on clearing the site for the permanent runway began in October. As my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations explained in answer to a Question from the hon. Member for Lincoln (Mr. de Freitas) on 16th April, certain work has been held up as a result of a request from the new Maldivian Government that the movement of the islanders not so far resettled should be suspended while the arrangements for resettlement and the detailed agreement relating to the air staging post were reviewed. With the agreement of the Maldivian Government, progress is being made on work which does not involve the movement of further islanders.