§ Mr. Steenasked the Prime Minister what rules apply to the use by Ministers of military or other aircraft in the course of their duties; what rules for repayment are applied in cases when such planes are used for unofficial purposes; and if he will list each case in the last 12 months when military and other aircraft have been used by Ministers for unofficial purposes.
§ The Prime MinisterWhenever possible Ministers use civil scheduled services. Official transport by air is only provided free in special circumstances in connection with official business, and there is no provision for its use for unofficial purposes at public expense. Where civil scheduled flights are not available, or consideration of urgency or security make their use inappropriate, members of the Cabinet and certain other senior Ministers 193W may use aircraft of the Civil Aviation Flying unit or Ministry of Defence aircraft. If aircraft are not available from either of these sources private chartering may be used. Ministers, other than those travelling on defence business, who are not covered by these arrangements must obtain the prior approval of the Prime Minister. Those Ministers for whom the appropriate authorities consider it essential for security reasons are able to use official transcport on a repayment basis for journeys of a private or party political nature. All these arrangements have applied under successive Governments.
Within the last 12 months, I have made 11 flights on a repayment basis on the equivalent first-class scheduled air fare.