§ Mrs. Ewingasked the Secretary of State for Defence whether he will arrange direct flights for Scots troops in Germany from Germany to Scotland to avoid the long journey involved from Gatwick or other Southern England airports.
§ Mr. Merlyn ReesEach year about 100,000 soldiers and airmen (including families) travel each way by air between the United Kingdom and Western Germany. Nearly all this movement is by scheduled flights in aircraft of B.U.A to London (Gatwick) and, to a lesser degree, to Manchester (Ringway). The eventual destinations of personnel cover a very wide area of the United Kingdom and there is no particular pattern in the movements. Consequently, if we are to run an economic air service, the airfields used in both countries must largely be determined by the needs of the majority. When the number of personnel moved to and from Scotland justifies special flights, as in the case of unit moves, such flights between Germany and airfields in Scotland are made.