§ Mr. Masonasked the Minister of Aviation if, in view of the higher accident rate of private airlines as compared with the State-owned airlines, he is satisfied that safety standards prescribed for private airlines are adequate; and if, with a view to allaying public concern, he will conduct an inquiry into the general safety standards of all the private companies.
§ Mr. ThorneycroftThe safety regulalations for public transport operations apply to private airlines and the Corporations alike.
Since March, operators have been required to hold certificates that they 22W are competent to operate safely and these certificates are enforced by inspection. This is improving standards, and I shall consider whether the regulations generally should be tightened further when information about the causes of the recent accidents becomes available.