HC Deb 29 May 1968 vol 765 cc1829-30
25. Mr. Fortescue

asked the President of the Board of Trade why the new Civil Aviation Series of the Board of Trade Business Monitor does not give the financial information about British airlines required by Article 67 of the Chicago Convention to which the United Kingdom is a signatory.

Mr. J. P. W. Mallalieu

Article 67 of the Chicago Convention relates solely to the filing of information with the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, and not to the release of information in Government publications, which is determined primarily by domestic requirements.

Mr. Fortescue

I know, but will not the hon. Gentleman instruct B.O.A.C. and B.E.A. to give a lead in this matter by supplying the information we have pledged ourselves to give to the International Civil Aviation Organisation? If the two Corporations start to supply this information, the independent airlines will be willing to follow their example.

Mr. Mallalieu

B.O.A.C. and B.E.A. do supply this information and it is the independents which do not. We are in consultation with the independents now to secure the information.

Mr. Onslow

Why has the hon. Gentleman in any case allowed the Business Monitor to revise its statistics so that what is published now is less valuable than what was published before?

Mr. Mallalieu

I do not accept that the statistics are less valuable, but we do not want to duplicate publication.