Rochester Airport (Customs Facilities)

HC Deb 24 January 1963 vol 670 c264

17. Mr. Burden

asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will arrange for Customs facilities to be made available at Rochester Airport.

Mr. dn Cann

No, Sir. The estimated foreign traffic at this airport is at present far below the level which would justify such facilities.

Mr. Burden

Is my hon. Friend aware that every effort is being made now— this is a new project—to increase the traffic? Would he be good enough to indicate to the directors of Rochester Airport exactly what sort of traffic density they would have to show before they could hope to get this facility laid on?

Mr. du Cann

I should be very happy indeed to give my hon. Friend, or anyone else, the appropriate information, but in fact no recent application for facilities has been made. Should there be an application for facilities, certainly it will be examined with care and sympathy.