22

co-ordination can be achieved by the normal process of departmental consultation and ad hoc meetings to consider specific subjects. We do not recommend the establishment of a civil aviation board. 50. Air Safety Board.—Following a practice which has been developed in the Air Forces, the establishment of an air safety board for civil aviation has been advocated. We believe that this is based on a misconception of the true nature of the problem, and the establishment of such a board is liable to lead to confusion of responsibility. The whole of the administration of civil aviation is concerned with air safety and the bulk of the time and work of each branch of any civil aviation department is devoted to this end. A proper organisation of the departmental structure and a clearly established chain of responsibility for co-ordination at different levels is more effective than any air safety board, which at the best can only concentrate on a small selection of the problems. The institution of measures to eliminate defects which have been revealed by accident investigation which is sometimes undertaken by such boards is the responsibility of the branches •concerned, and can equally be achieved by proper co-ordination of their work. 51. Air Registration Board. —The establishment of an air registration board in New Zealand has been advocated as a panacea for certain ills in the administration which have been pointed out. The recommendation has been based on the parallel of the Air Registration Board in the United Kingdom. In the first place, it is necessary to note that the United Kingdom Air Registration Board is concerned in only a limited part of the field of regulation of civil aviation. It is concerned only with recommendations to the Minister for the grant of certificates of airworthiness to prototype and subsequent aircraft manufactured in the United Kingdom, validation of the certificates of airworthiness of imported aircraft, supervision of the airworthiness of United Kingdom aircraft in operation, renewal of certificates of airworthiness, and the examination and supervision of engineering personnel who are required to be licensed. A very large part of the field of regulation is still the direct responsibility of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The Air Registration Board is composed of representatives of aircraft manufacturers, aircraft operators, and aircraft insurers. The aircraft manufacturing industry does not exist in New Zealand, while there are virtually only two substantial operators •of aircraft, both State organisations. The supervision of airworthiness of aircraft and of engineering personnel can with greater ease be carried out by the staff of the Civil Aviation Directorate in New Zealand. We do not think there is a case for the establishment of an air registration board.