46

119. The agenda and supporting papers should be circulated sufficiently in advance of each meeting to give committee members time to consult with those whom they represent. Draft regulations should be put to the committee at an early stage, before they go to the Crown Law Office. To ensure that this is done, and officer of the Civil Aviation Directorate (Regulations and Information Branch) should be appointed as secretary of the committee. In this capacity he should be servant of the committee and responsible to it. If the committee is to serve the purpose intended, if it is to help and not hinder the business of the Directorate, its members must not interpret their function as being to defend the interests they represent. They must bring to the conference table their professional and technical knowledge and that of the bodies they represent, and must strive to make their full contributions to the common goal of aeronautical progress and air safety. 120. In the succeeding pages, we deal in some detail with certain specific aspects of the regulation of aviation which have been called in question by previous inquiries or which otherwise have assumed prominence. It will be readily understood that we have not been able to review in so much detail all parts of the regulations and practices, and our report cannot therefore pretend to be comprehensive. CHAPTER 9—AIR SERVICE CERTIFICATE AND AIR SERVICE CERTIFICATE RATING Air Service Certificate 121. The introduction in New Zealand of the Air Service Certificate dates from 1940 when Regulation No. 7a was made. This provides that " no person shall use any aircraft or permit any aircraft to be used in the operation of a public air transport service except under the authority of and in accordance with a certificate to be known as an Air Service Certificate, issued as hereinafter provided." At the time the intention and practice were to license selected commercial operators of air transport. Before discussing whether the concept of an Air Service Certificate is appropriate to nationalised airline operation, we wish to draw attention to some unsatisfactory features of the Regulation and of the way in which it has been interpreted. 122. One of the provisions of Regulation No. 7a states that the " applicant for an Air Service Certificate shall furnish such information in relation to the service for which the certificate is required as the Minister may direct." This must be construed in conjunction with Regulation No. 33 empowering the Minister to issue directions for the purpose of supplementing or giving full effect to the provisions of the Regulations. No direction pursuant to Regulation No. 7a appears to have been issued. Instead, an application form has been prepared by the Director of Civil Aviation, who requires applicants for an Air