HL Deb 24 November 1971 vol 325 cc1140-2WA
BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action they are taking, in view of the increasing abuse of the regulations governing affinity group charter flights.

EARL FERRERS

This country has not been alone in finding it difficult to police these rules by traditional methods. None the less, the widespread abuse that has taken place this year cannot be allowed to continue and the Government are determined to bring the situation under control. To this end provision has been made in Section 26 of the Civil Aviation Act 1971 for the licensing of air travel organisers, and arrangements for this will be introduced as soon as possible after the Civil Aviation Authority comes into operation next spring.

A major obstacle to effective control is the fact that the class of air service licence, known as an E licence, under which affinity groups are usually carried, is of a general character and does not provide for the prior scrutiny of the groups. The Air Transport Licensing Board have now decided to add a condition to these licences to be issued for 1972 under which the airlines will be required to submit, three months in advance, particulars of all the groups they propose to carry between points more than 2,250 miles apart. The Air Transport Licensing Board will then ask the airlines to apply for specific licences in respect of any groups about whose qualification the Board are in doubt, so that any such case may be fully examined. The carriage of such a group under an E licence would be regarded by the Board as grounds for considering revocation of that licence.

The Department of Trade and Industry will assist the Air Transport Licensing Board in the scrutiny of groups. They are also increasing the number of investigating officers available to conduct spot checks. An airline which breaches the rules will risk prosecution as well as the loss of its E licence.

In parallel with these measures the Department have been reviewing the regulations to see whether a new type of charter travel might be introduced that could be made available to the public at large without those features of the affinity group rules which are objectionable in themselves or have been difficult to enforce. One possibility might be to adopt for charter flights the advance booking concept which has already been made familiar by B. O. A. C. 's "Early Bird" fares. On this basis, anybody would be able to obtain low-cost flights who booked a certain period in advance, without needing to join a group of any kind.

These proposals and other ideas are still under discussion with other countries and it will not be possible to give precise details until the talks have been completed. I cannot say whether it will be possible to introduce new arrangements during 1972, although the Department would like to. It is hoped, however, to make a further statement in the New Year.

House adjourned at twenty-eight minutes before ten o'clock.