Scheduled Services (Applications)

HC Deb 17 June 1953 vol 516 cc947-8

6. Mr. Shackleton

asked the Minister of Civil Aviation how many applications to operate scheduled services he has received from independent operators; on which routes these applications have been opposed by one or other of the British air corporations; and which of these opposed applications he has granted.

Mr. Profumo

I am informed that the Air Transport Advisory Council have received 178 applications from independent operators and that one or both of the Corporations opposed 28 of these applications without qualification, and eight of these, mostly all-freight services, were approved: in addition, one or both Corporations made qualified objections to a further 10 applications, of which five have been approved. I will include details of these routes in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Shackleton

Can the Minister say how far the refusal to allow one of the Corporations to take over one of these eight freight services, which I gather have been granted to independent operators, is going to damage the financial position of one or other of the British Air Corporations?

Mr. Profumo

I think that when the hon. Gentleman reads what I shall circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT he will see that it is not a question of an independent operator taking over an all-freight service or of an independent operator having been granted or recommended an air service where the Corporation already have a right. As regards the second part of the hon. Gentleman's supplementary, my right hon. Friend has every confidence in the ability of the Air Transport Advisory Council to judge whether any new applications would undermine the existing services of the Corporations.

Sir H. Williams

Is the Minister aware that anybody can take a ship to sea without anybody's permission under the Merchant Shipping Act? Having regard to the great success of our mercantile marine, would it not be a good idea to have the same freedom in the air?

Following are the details:

ROUTES ON WHICH APPLICATIONS HAVE BEEN OPPOSED WITHOUT QUALIFICATION BY ONE OR BOTH CORPORATIONS

(a) Routes Approved

• London—Aden (NSS).
• London—Salisbury (CC).
• London—Frankfurt (AF).
• London—Zurich (AF).
• London—Hamburg (AF).
• London—Cologne—Munich (AF).
• London—Milan—Rome (AF).
• London—Marseilles—Rome (AF).

(b) Routes Rejected

• London—Malta (CC).
• London—Naples (NSS).
• London—Paris (AF).
• London—Tripoli (NSS).
• London—Mombasa (CC).
• Birmingham—Nice (NSS).
• London—Cyprus (CC).
• Birmingham—Amsterdam (NSS).
• Coventry—Channel Islands (I).
• Reading—Channel Islands (I).
• Guernsey—Dinard (NSS).
• London—Cannes (NSS).
• London—Marseilles—Milan (AF).
• London—Pau (NSS).
• London—Cyprus—Kuwait (CC).
• Southampton—Tangier (NSS).

(c)Routes on which no decision has yet been taken

• London—Accra (CC).
• London—Kano (CC).
• London—various points in North Europe (AF).
• London—Khartoum (NSS).

ROUTES ON WHICH ONE OR BOTH CORPORA-TIONS HAVE MADE QUALIFIED OBJECTIONS

(a) Routes Approved

• Newcastle—Glasgow (I).
• Newcastle—Manchester (I).
• Portsmouth—Paris (NSS).
• Liverpool—Channel Islands (I).
• London—Bulawayo (temporary)

(b) Routes Rejected

• London—Jersey (I).
• Birmingham—Jersey (I).
• Southampton—Channel Islands (vehicle ferry).

(c) Routes on which no decision has yet been taken

• Southampton—Lisbon (NSS).
• Portsmouth—Channel Islands (I).
• NSS = Normal Scheduled Service.
• CC = Colonial Coach Service.
• AF = All-freight Service.
• I = Internal Service.