Mr Oliver Simmonds: Will the right hon. Gentleman see that his officers at these various aerodromes discuss this matter with individual farmers, so that in cases where the complete aerodrome cannot be passed back, yet those parts which could be released can be handed back for agricultural purposes?
Mr Oliver Simmonds: asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether there is now agreement between the Allies on the essential arrangements for the trial of the principal war criminals.
Mr Oliver Simmonds: Have we definitely accepted the American proposition that this should be a military tribunal, and can my right hon. Friend say what is to be the location of the court?
Mr Oliver Simmonds: Is my right hon. and gallant Friend aware that the position is also very disappointing in the Midlands, and will he exercise some pressure over the personnel in the Admiralty to obtain more trawlers, as soon as they can possibly be spared from naval service?
Mr Oliver Simmonds: Does not my right hon. Friend think that there would be great advantage, in view of the criticisms which have been made in the House, if he were to publish this report?
Mr Oliver Simmonds: Could the right hon. and learned Gentleman say whether this new Council is a Departmental Council, or an extra-Departmental Committee, as recommended by Sir Henry Tizard?
Mr Oliver Simmonds: The issue before the House falls into two parts, first whether civil aviation should be removed from the control of the Secretary of State for Air, and secondly, whether the Ministry of Civil Aviation should be established. As my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Aircraft Production has told the House that civil aviation has been the responsibility of the Air Ministry, or the Air...
Mr Oliver Simmonds: Of course, I know that the Air Ministry went on talking about this, week in and week out; what we complain of is that the Air Ministry never did anything. I am surprised that my hon. Friend, of all people, should claim some righteousness for what he did at the Air Ministry. We wanted results at the Air Ministry. I am amazed that he has the audacity to make that claim. So much for the...
Mr Oliver Simmonds: No; they were speaking broadly about the White Paper. But not one of them indicated that he would support this as a middle course, which would take civil air transport out of party politics—which I believe is the most vital step that needs to be taken. I have reconsidered my point of view in the light of what hon. Gentlemen opposite said. When I took the view that it was a middle course, I...
Mr Oliver Simmonds: If my hon. Friend will listen a little longer he will see exactly where I place the course that is recommended by the Government. The first question that any hon. Member would review is, To what extent are the Corporation suggested by the Government going to be privately-owned or State-owned? Any hon. Member who examines this question fairly will see that B.O.A.C., 100 per cent. State-owned,...
Mr Oliver Simmonds: May I suggest that this is not solely for that purpose? It is a question of whether civil aviation should be taken out of the hands of one Ministry and put into the hands of another Ministry, when the policy which the second Ministry will adopt has been precisely stated by His Majesty's Government in the White Paper. It is not correct to regard this as being purely a transfer from one...
Mr Oliver Simmonds: Is it your intention to call the Amendment? If so that will help us considerably.
Mr Oliver Simmonds: If it is the intention to call the Amendment, and if it is your view that these matters can be better raised on the Amendment, I certainly will be very happy to follow that course.
Mr Oliver Simmonds: If we are to be able to deal with some of these essential matters when my hon. Friend moves his Amendment, I am quite content to leave the points that I wished to make. But I would like to emphasise that sometimes when we set up a new Ministry we have to vote on a blank cheque. That, fortunately, is not the case to-day. We know fairly well what the Ministry proposes to do. Although I have...
Mr Oliver Simmonds: Does that mean that the right hon. Gentleman's policy is the elimination of the civil firms who were engaged on air survey before the war?
Mr Oliver Simmonds: Will the right hon. Gentleman look into it again? He seems to be quite misinformed. Is it not a fact that much of the R.A.F. equipment for air survey arose from the stimulant given by these civil firms?
Mr Oliver Simmonds: May I ask whether the crew of the missing aircraft indicated by any means whatever that, in the course of the flight, any abnormal conditions had been met with?
Mr Oliver Simmonds: Could we be quite clear on one point? I am following the hon. Gentleman with interest, but the time has come when we ought to ask whether he is now claiming, notwithstanding the fact that railway companies and, in parts of the Empire the shipping companies, have been running their services now for a decade, that they should henceforth take no part in British air transport whatsoever. Is he...
Mr Oliver Simmonds: Then what is the hon. Gentleman claiming?
Mr Oliver Simmonds: I thought it was rather a human cry of the hon. Member for West Islington (Mr. Montague) when he protested that the Government had selected, of all Ministers, my right hon. and learned Friend the Minister of Aircraft Production to open this Debate to-day, because my right hon. and learned Friend certainly showed, in his own inimitable way, how hollow are some of the professions of hon....
