taken of the visits to Africa and Australia to examine possible sites for intermediate bases with a view to future development. For the construction of R. 100, the airship which is being designed and built by a private company, £90,000 is provided under Subhead N of Vote 3 as against £30,000 in 1926. Provision has been made (under subhead O) for the training of personnel for crews in the latter part of the financial year with a view to trials in the early part of 1928. Works. Vote 4 (Works, Buildings and Lands) shows a net decrease of £447,000 as compared with 1926. Provision is taken for the continuation of the programme of land purchase and erection of buildings connected with the formation of the Home Defence Air Force, to the extent of £870,000, as compared with £1,130,000 in 1926. This allotment provides for the commencement of works services at two stations recently acquired, one for two regular bombing squadrons and the other for a non-regular squadron. The total provision for major works services at home is £1,140,000. In the interest of economy provision for permanent buildings for the Cadet College at Cranwell is still postponed. As regards Egypt, provision is taken in accordance with the policy of gradual replacement or improvement of war-time accommodation. The total net provision for services in Iraq, Palestine and Trans-Jordan shows a reduction of £82,500 as compared with 1926. In accordance with the recommendations of the Estimates Committee, it is proposed to abandon the practice of grouping under general items provision for a number of similar services at various stations-e.g., married quarters. To this end the provision under such general items as are included this year is confined to the sums necessary for the completion of services already in hand. The development of the Singapore base entails the provision of an aerodrome and of accommodation and repair facilities for aircraft and £83,000 is taken towards that purpose in 1927. At Malta, owing to the increased strength of the Fleet Air Arm consequent on the impending completion of a new carrier, it has been found necessary to provide for the enlargement of the aerodrome and for additional facilities for Fleet Air Arm units to obtain flying practice when disembarked from the carrier. The total cost of the extension will be in the neighbourhood of £190,000, but not more than £30,000 is likely to be spent in 1927. As in previous years, a lump sum deduction has been made from the gross total of the Vote in order to discount unforeseen delays. It has been fixed this year at £200,000. Civil Aviation. Although the total provision for expenditure in connection with civil aviation shown under Vote 8 remains practically the same as last year, its character is materially changed. Whilst on the one hand the provision for aerodromes and buildings shows a marked decrease, the amount to be voted for subsidies for civil air transport is larger by some 40 per cent. £137,000 has once again been provided for the subsidy payment to Imperial Airways, Ltd., under the terms of the Agreements with this Company dated 15th May, 1924, and 18th December, 1925, in respect of their European air services. Moreover the operation of the first Section (Cairo-Basrah) of the Egypt-India air service by Imperial Airways, Ltd., under the Agreement dated 28th October, 1926, commenced in January, 1927, and it is contemplated that the service will be extended to Section II (Basrah-Karachi) in April. A sum of £93,600 has been taken in the Estimates for payment of the maximum annual subsidy which can be earned by the Company on this service. The Agreements providing for financial assistance to approved light aeroplane clubs will terminate as regards five of the six clubs in July next, but an investigation has revealed that notwithstanding the success attained by these clubs in promoting aviation they will require further assistance to enable them to continue in existence after the expiration of the present Agreements. Consideration is still being given to the form which such assistance should take. The work of enlarging and improving the Air Port of London at Croydon is proceeding satisfactorily. A sum of £111,000 for the construction of aerodrome buildings and the completion of the diversion of a public road has been included under this head. The reconstruction of the Air Port should be completed during 1928. The provision includes the erection of a new wireless telegraphy station near Croydon for the purposes of the wireless telegraphy work of the Air Port, and a further £10,800 has been provided for the necessary wireless equipment. 66 The general position in regard to civil aviation and airships is set forth in detail in a non-parliamentary publication entitled An Approach towards a System of Imperial Air Communications," issued in December last, which reproduces a paper I presented to the Imperial Conference. An important report by the Indian Air Board, since published by the Government of India, was also before the Conference. This indicates an intention on the part of India to take a more active part than hitherto in the development of civil aviation in the Empire, a purpose for which she occupies geographically an important and indeed pivotal position. I have been glad by personal discussion during my recent flight to India to do what I can to assist and confirm this intention. Meteorology. As in previous years the provision for meteorology is divided between the Headquarters and the Miscellaneous Vote, and is practically unchanged in the former; but the latter shows an increase of £8,000 on last year's estimate, mainly due to the expansion of the work done by the Meteorological Office for the Royal Air Force and to developments in connection with airships. The need for meteorological stations at aerodromes of the Royal Air Force from which certain types of flights are madeespecially night bombing practice-is very real, and further stations will be required in connection with the extension of the Home Defence Force. There are at present nine meteorological stations on Royal Air Force aerodromes in the British Isles and provision is taken in these Estimates for one more such station at Bircham Newton, the establishment of yet another being postponed until next year. It is not practicable to give Royal Air Force officers the highly specialised training and long experience in meteorology now required for an aviation forecasting service, and the remaining officers and airmen of the Royal Air Force hitherto specially employed on meteorological work overseas are being replaced by civilian members of the Meteorological Office. This accounts for £3,000 of the increase referred to, the service personnel above-mentioned having been borne on other votes. Airships, more than any other form of aircraft, are dependent on meteorological factors, and a considerable amount of research has to be undertaken to investigate the meteorological conditions along any route before flights can safely be made over it; and while the ship is in the air her course and speed are determined by the meteorological conditions existing at the time, of which the navigating personnel require information from a network of meteorological stations. It has, therefore, been found necessary to form an airships division of the Meteorological Office to undertake this work. The staff employed in this division and the supplies of instruments, &c., required at the meteorological stations along the air route will tend to increase in conformity with the development of the airship programme. Air Ministry. Vote 10 (Air Ministry) shows a net decrease of £74,000 on last year's total, notwithstanding provision for annual increments of pay under approved scales which is only partly offset by a reduction of some £6,000 in cost of living bonus. This result has been attained by the closest scrutiny of the provision under each subhead of the vote, supplemented by a variation in the method of showing allowances (to conform with the practice of Army Estimates) and by increased appropriations-in-aid, mainly in respect of the repayment by the Middle East Department of the cost of the audit staff in Iraq and Palestine. Information on Interleaved Sheets. In accordance with a desire expressed by the Public Accounts Committee in their Second Report, 1926, the Air Estimates are presented this year with interleaved sheets, such as are already printed with the Navy and Army Estimates. I hope that the information given in these sheets will be found of assistance in discussion of the Estimates. SAMUEL HOARE. AIR MINISTRY, 25th February 1927. Printed under the authority of His Majesty's Stationery Office AIR SERVICES. APPROPRIATION ACCOUNT, 1925-26, APPROPRIATION ACCOUNT of the SUMS granted by PARLIAMENT for AIR SERVICES for the Year ended 31 March 1926, together with the REPORT of the COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL thereon, and upon the STORE ACCOUNTS of the AIR SERVICES. ALSO STATEMENT of the SURPLUSES and DEFICITS upon the GRANTS for AIR SERVICES for the Year ended 31 March 1926, showing all cases in which the Air Ministry has obtained the sanction of the Treasury to expenditure not provided for in the grants for that year, together with copies of representations made to the Treasury by that Ministry; also a Statement showing the ledger balances on 30 September 1926, the date on which the Account of Receipt and Expenditure for the Year 1925-26 was closed. 25. (Presented pursuant to Acts 29 & 30 Vict. c. 39, and Ordered, by The House of Commons, to be Printed, 23 February 1927. LONDON: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE 15, Donegall Square West, Belfast; or through any Bookseller. 1927. Price 2s. Od. net. |