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Aviation History
1917
1917 - 0771.PDF
Jcxy 26, 1917.] engineering experience is'carefully recorded in every case, he will now statebow many in each class had previous experience in engineering work ? Sir W. Evans : In view of the answer my right hou. friend gave to the hon.member's question on Monday, I am afraid that it would not be in the public interest now to give the cost of this inspection in terms of money, since asimple sum in arithmetic would give the cost of the material supplied. The Directorate of Inspection at present employs 182 chief examiners and 1,484examiners. There is at present no grade of assistant examiner. The Director of Inspection satisfies himself as to the qualifications and experience of everycandidate for the post of chief examiner or examiner. The records are not kept in such a form as to enable me to give a detailed reply to the last partof the question at such short notice. Police Pensions.ME. BILLING, on July 19th, asked the Prime Minister whether the Ministry of Pensions accepts liability for compensation to, or pensions allotted to thedependants of, police officers who may be injured or killed while exposing themselves to military risks in carrying out the instructions of the Home Officewith regard to warning the public of approaching hostile aircraft ? The Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr. Bonar Law): In such cases constableswho are injured and the widows and children of constables who are killed will receive the pensions granted under the Police Acts, when police officers areinjured or killed in the execution of their duty. The statutory liability for the pension, &c, rests upon the police authority, and, without legislation,could not be transferred to the Pensions Ministry. London Defences.SIR H. DALZIEL asked the Prime Minister whether he will give the com- plete list of the Committee it has been stated is enquiring into the air defencesof London, particularly in relation to the recent raid; and will the House be informed of the results of the enquiry ?Mr. Bonar Law : The Committee, as has already been announced, consists of the Prime Minister and General Smuts. They have been in close consultationwith the representatives of the various departments concerned. The report, which must necessarily be confidential, has been considered by the Cabinet,and the recommendations made are being carried into effect. Mr. Billing asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether certainair squadrons were recently withdrawn from the London defences ; whether any protest was mad©- by Lord French ; whether such protest was in writing ;and, if so, whether he will lay the same upon the Table of the House ? Mr. Macpherson: I have nothing to add to what was said by my right hon.friend the Prime Minister in the Secret Session. Mr. Billing : Is the bon. gentleman aware that a newspaper with a bigcirculation makes this definite statement and challenges the Government to suppress it, and is any action going to be taken ?Mr. Speaker: The hon. member must not mind what the newspapers say. Mr. Hogge : Can we definitely know, in view of the position held by LordFrench, whether this is true or not ? Mr. Billing: May I ask whether Lord French's reputation is to be sacrifiedor not ? American Wood for Aircraft.SIR H. DALZIEL asked the Minister of Munitions whether any complaints have been received from aeroplane manufacturers concerning the quality ofrecent Government purchases in Seattle, United States of America, of silver spruce used in the construction of aeroplanes; and whether he is aware thatthere were no complaints of this kind when purchases were made through private traders ?Sir W. Evans: No, Sir. The timber which is now being supplied to contractors is the best available. Aircraft Engines (Output).MR. PBTO asked the Minister of Munitions whether he is satisfied that no increase of output of aircraft engines would be possible if the fundamentalprinciple of rivalry in quality and quantity of the finished product were applied wherever companies could be equipped to turn out the completed engine;and, if so, whether he will take steps to apply this principle at once ? Sir W. Evans : The principle of rivalry is adopted in respect to design only.Once a design has been adopted, quality is adequately ensured by the present method of inspection. The manufacture of the same engine by various firmswould not necessarily increase output, and in the case of most engines the total possible output would be diminished, as compared with concentrationon one firm, especially where it involved providing special facilities, organisation and tools.Mr. Billing : Are not the reasons for delaying the output of engines because approved designs are altered by the official experts ? Sir W. Evans : No; I do not agree.Mr. Peto asked the Minister of Munitions whether, in the placing of orders for the construction of aircraft engines, orders have been divided into com-ponent parts on account of patent rights held by companies for the construction of some essential parts; and whether his department will enquire whether theoutput could be accelerated if in any case where orders for parts only are at present placed with any company orders were placed for complete engines ?Sir W. Evans : The placing of orders for parts of aircraft engines is arranged with a view to expedition in delivery, and the existence of patent rights is nottaken into consideration in the placing of such orders. Whether orders are placed for complete engines or for parts depends entirely on the existing orpotential capabilities of the plant of the manufacturing firm. Mr. Billing: Would the hon. gentleman consider the advisability of can-celling all those orders for parts which have been given for engines which themselves are already cancelled ?Sir W. Evans : I do not think my hon. friend can point to any such instance ; if he can, I shall be obliged if he will let me know. Mr. Billing : I shall do so.Mr. Peto asked the Minister of Munitions whether all patent rights over the manufacture of aircraft engines or any other essentials of war have beenwithout restriction placed at the service of the Government; and, if not, whether he will see that immediate steps are taken to place the Governmentin complete and unfettered control of all these rights for the prosecution of the war? Sir W. Evans : The Government has full powers over all patent rights underSection 29 of the Patents and Designs Act, 1907, and full power under Regulation 8 (cc) of the Defence of the Realm Regulations to enforce thedisclosure of secret processes and designs. Mr. Peto: Is not the action of the Government, in fact, limited in placingorders for parts which are covered by any patent to the firm which holds those patents ?Sir W. Evans: No; that is not so. The Government have full power to place any orders for any parts, whether or not they are covered by patents,wherever they think they can get the best production. Losses (Official Reports). MR. BILLING asked, in view of .the fact that our official reports of air lossesat the front refer only to machines that are missing, whether any official record is kept of the number of our machines lost by crashing or being shot downbehind our own lines; and whether the figures are published ? Mr. Macpherson: Yes, Sir; official records are kept, but they are not published. Mr. Billing: Will my hon. friend say whether papers will still be allowedto suggest by headlines that there has been a considerable success owing to only a portion of our losses being published ?Mr. Macpherson: I am not responsible for what appears in the papers. They are, like human beings, liable to be wrong.Mr. Billing: Can my hon. friend edit the Commander-in-Chief's report, which suggests this to the papers ?Aeroplane Output. SIR H. DALZIEL asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether heis satisfied with the number of aeroplanes now being turned out by our aircraft factories ; and whether he is prepared to consider the question of placingincreased orders with firms who are in a position to execute them ? The Parliamentary Secretary to the Air Board (Major Baird) : More air-craft could, no doubt, he used if they could be produced; the fullest use is being made of manufacturing facilities, and increased orders have been place 'with those firms which are in a position to execute them. Mr. Watt: Is it not the case that some aeroplane factories are being closeddown for want of orders ? Major Baird : It is not possible for me to judge of questions on those linesbecause two things have to be balanced—aeroplanes and engines—and very often some shops have to go short because other parts are not coming forwardin time. Damaged Machines. MR. BILLING, on July 20th, asked the Under-Secretary of State for Warwhether it is the practice in the R.F.C., when a machine is wrecked or badly damaged, immediately to destroy by fire those parts which are combustibleand to bury non-combustible parts; and, in view of the present shortage o f metal, if he will see that this procedure is discontinued ?Mr. Macpherson : No, Sir; this is not the practice. Mr. Billing: Surely my hon. friend is aware that this has been donerepeatedly and is being done, and under those circumstances will he issue an order to see that it is restrained ?Mr. Macpherson: I cannot add anything to the very definite answer I have given, in which I said it was not being done.Defence of London. MR. BILLING asked the Under-Secretary of State for War whether, inviewof our shortage of piloMfcr the defence of London, he will see his way clear to recall all pilots who^lve been dismissed from the R.F.C., or are inprocess of being dismissed, or who have been or are being called upon to resign their commissions from the same on account of their refusing to fly the R.E.8machine or criticising other aeroplanes of official design and provide them with a suitable fighting machine, and arrange that they shall be formed intoa special squadron for the defence of London ? Mr. Macpherson : The answer is in the negative.Mr. Billing: May I ask whether it is not the fact that there are h undreds of pilots, first-class, skilled pilots, who for social and service reasons have beendismissed or requested to send in their resignations to the Flying Corps, and will these men be put to some useful purpose in view of the shortage of pilots ?Mr. Macpherson : My hon. friend's supplementary question has no relation to the question on the Paper. I have already denied that any man has beendismissed from the Air Services on account of social reasons. The question my hon. friend asks me here is whether the authorities are prepared to takeback to the Flying Corps men that he himself states refused to obey orders. Mr. Billing : Is the hon. member aware that many of the pilots who refusedto fly in the air raid are skilled competent pilots, and only refused to fly because they did not believe the machines were safe ? Will they be givenan opportunity to try something else ? Aerodromes (Employment of German Prisoners).Ms. BILLING asked whether a number of German prisoners are being employed at an aerodrome as mechanics or in any other capacity ?Mr. Macpherson: German prisoners are being employed on the construction of aerodromes, &c, and not otherwise. Their employment has been foundnecessary in cases where free labour is scarce or difficult to procure, in order that the completion of these urgent works may not be delayed.Mr. Billing : Is the hon. gentleman aware that in aerodromes throughout the country—I put several names in the question which do not appear—theseGerman prisoners are employed, and in aerodromes which are actually engaged in the defence of this country, and will the machines have to be used The Speaker: The hon. member is now making a statement.Mr. Billing: May I ask whether the hon. gentleman is prepared to issue an immediate order to remove all German prisoners, and all Germans, fromthe precincts of aerodromes in which Home Service Defence machines are stationed ?Mr. Macpherson : _ I will have that matter very carefully considered, and will place my hon. friend's representations before the military authorities.But I should like to say that my information is quite definite that no German prisoners are employed in existing aerodromes. They are employed onconstruction work. Mr. Sherwell: Will the hon. gentleman make special enquiry as to whether,as a matter of fact, German prisoners were not employed in the grounds of a special aerodrome near London last Saturday ?Mr. Macpherson: I shall certainly do so. Public Warnings of Air Raids. MR. BILLING (by Private Notice), on July 23rd, asked the Prime Ministerwhether his attention has been called to the distress and confusion occasioned in London yesterday morning by the erratic explosion of 233 bombs as a warningof air-raid danger, and whether, in these circumstances, he will have this method discontinued and an intelligent system of air-raid warnings introduced withoutdelay? Sir G. Cave: My right hon. Friend has asked me to reply to this question.I have no doubt that the warning given yesterday caused inconvenience, but my information is that the inconvenience was cheerfully borne and that therewas nothing which could be called confusion. I think that in future the warning should certainly be delayed until the enemy aircraft come nearer to Londonthan they came yesterday, and that the number of signals to be given might well be reduced; but, subject to these two points, which will be considered atonce, I believe that the system of warning by sound-bombs has proved effective, and should be continued. Mr. Billing : Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the noise made by thesesound bombs is absolutely identical with that of an ordinary air raid, and that many old ladies and nervous people who suffered from shock [Laughter.]Loud laughter! There are thousands of people in London who suffered great nervous shock through this method. There are much simpler and more effectivemethods, and will not the right hon. Gentleman consider them ? Mr. Speaker: That is a statement. Making Good Losses through Air Raids.MR. LOUGH asked whether his announcement to the deputation of mayors with regard to the Government accepting the principle of making good anylosses sustained by enemy air raids or bombardments takes the place of the schemes of insurance which have been in operation; and, if so, whether premiumson policies which have been taken out in advance will be repaid as from this date? Mr. Bonar Law: T can for the moment add nothing to the reply I gave onthe 18th instant to the hon. Member for East Finsbury. - • 7 771
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