Oral Answers to Questions — Ministry of Aviation – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 4 December 1961.
Mr Evelyn Strachey
, Dundee West
12:00,
4 December 1961
asked the Minister of Aviation if, when he negotiates with foreign Government in respect of the air traffic rights necessary to implement the licences granted by the Air Transport Licensing Board to independent operators to enable them to fly to foreign destinations, he will ensure that those rights are not granted at the expense of traffic rights at present granted to British European Airways on those routes.
Mr Peter Thorneycroft
, Monmouth
In all my negotiations with foreign Governments my concern is to obtain the best possible deal for all British air transport operations.
Mr Evelyn Strachey
, Dundee West
Unless the Minister is prepared to give an affirmatory answer to my Question, is not it clear that he is contemplating the direct transfer of traffic rights from B.E.A. to another British-owned firm, and what possible gain to the country can there be in that?
Mr Peter Thorneycroft
, Monmouth
I think that a rather narrow interpretation of the Air Transport Licensing legislation.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
