asked the Under-Secretary of State for Air the number of British representatives on the Comité International Technique d'Experts Juridiques Aériens; the total annual amount of their salaries and allowances; and the average number of meetings of the Comité held annually?

There is one British representative, a distinguished jurist, specially engaged for the work of this international committee. He receives a salary and allowances normally amounting to £500 a year, plus a daily rate of subsistence allowance while attending meetings abroad. There are normally two meetings of the committee and its commissions held abroad each year, each lasting for some days. In addition to these meetings the British representative has virtually continuous duties on the problems of private aerial law, both in correspondence with his foreign colleagues and in consultation with the Air Ministry and the Department of the Treasury Solicitor. A member of the Treasury Solicitor's Department also attends meetings of the committee, as occasion may require, as part of his official duties.

May I ask whether the results achieved by this body justifies the expenditure by this country?

I presume so.

In that case, may I ask why we do not ratify its decisions?

Our representation is the smallest on the committee.