HC Deb 23 June 1965 vol 714 cc1738-40
16. Mr. Shepherd

asked the Minister of Aviation what was the approximate value of charter work obtained by foreign companies in respect of passengers and cargo originating in the United Kingdom for the latest available year.

Mr. Stonehouse

I have no information about the monetary value of the air charter work obtained by foreign companies, but 291,000 passengers and 5,200 short tons of cargo were carried from the United Kingdom in foreign chartered aircraft during 1964. The figure for passengers includes visiting tourists returning to their own country as well as passengers originating here.

Mr. Shepherd

Is the hon. Gentleman able to say what is the corresponding advantage gained in similar circumstances by British charter firms? If it is very small, will he say what steps he is taking to improve the possibilities for our charterers?

Mr. Stonehouse

British companies are carrying two-thirds of the passenger loads and about half the cargo loads. Therefore, we come out of this fairly well. The advantage is that we obtain rights for our airlines to fly, and if we denied facilities to foreign charter firms we would well find our own firms denied facilities elsewhere.

Mr. Maude

The object of my hon. Friend the Member for Cheadle (Mr. Shepherd) was to try to discover whether, in the hon. Gentleman's view, the rights which we obtain in compensation for the rights which we give to foreign companies provide an adequate return to the British economy. Could the hon. Gentleman tell us whether this is so?

Mr. Stonehouse

We have earned £20 million in each of the last four years in our Civil Aviation Accounts. The statistics therefore show that as a country we come out of this extremely well. We continue, however, to keep the matter under close examination.

Mr. Lubbock

Has the present Government's more liberal attitude to inclusive tour licences had any effect in this matter? Will the hon. Gentleman be obtaining figures to show the relevant proportion of inclusive tour traffic carried by British operators this year for comparison with the figures which he has already given for last year?

Mr. Stonehouse

It is too soon to get a complete assessment but we will, of course, be obtaining all the facts we can.