HC Deb 11 June 1958 vol 589 cc190-1
18. Mr. Beswick

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when he expects the agreement with Ghana with regard to the allocation of air traffic rights between the respective countries to be completed; and to what extent this agreement provides for operation into the United Kingdom of a Ghana national airline.

Mr. Watkinson

Provisional agreement has already been reached on the traffic rights to be exchanged between Ghana and the United Kingdom, but some details remain to be settled and I cannot be specific until an air services agreement is signed; I hope that this stage will be reached shortly.

Mr. Beswick

It would be wrong to ask questions about details, but would the Minister answer a question about the principle involved? Is not it obvious that a proportion of the traffic between the United Kingdom and Ghana will have to go to the Ghana airline, which will mean less for British operators? In this case, would not the Minister reconsider his declared policy of sharing this traffic from the United Kingdom to Ghana between B.O.A.C. and independent operators?

Mr. Watkinson

That leads us into technical considerations, because, as I explained the last time we discussed this matter in the House, the independent route to Ghana is quite different from the B.O.A.C. route and does not involve quite the same considerations.

Mr. Beswick

Would the Minister bear in mind that the Ghana Government will now be making agreements with other countries, in particular Holland and Belgium, I should imagine. In these cases, the chosen national instrument of Holland and Belgium will not have to put up with the competition which the Minister is now inflicting upon the British national instrument.

Mr. Watkinson

I think we had better get a little further. I shall tell the House the full facts of the agreement when it is reached, and perhaps the hon. Member will return to the charge.