HC Deb 25 March 1970 vol 798 cc1421-2
27. Mr. Allason

asked the President of the Board of Trade what insurance cover against damage to the public is required of foreign aircraft operating into Great Britain.

Mr. Goronwy Roberts

None by United Kingdom legislation, but apart from any requirement which the laws of his own country may place upon him the responsible foreign operator will of course make provision against the absolute and unlimited liability imposed by Section 40(2) of the Civil Aviation Act, 1949.

Mr. Allason

If a foreign operator prefers to take a risk and go bust if he does have a serious crash, surely that Act will not bite on him.

Mr. Roberts

Responsible operators, I am glad to say, are very greatly in the majority. I know of no case where action has been taken under Section 40 of the 1949 Act in which there has not been full satisfaction for the people in this country. However, I agree that the situation is not entirely satisfactory. It turns on our success and the success of others in obtaining international agreement on how to effect improvements.

Mr. Brooks

My right hon. Friend has twice qualified his answer by the use of the term "responsible private operators". Does he not agree that there is also the problem of the increasing use of light aircraft, not necessarily foreign, which have in recent months appeared to have been involved in near-misses?

Mr. Roberts

My hon. Friend refers to privately-owned light aircraft in this country. That is another matter. Perhaps he would care to put down a Question.

Mr. Corfield

The right hon. Gentleman implied that there was some difficulty in enforcement. Surely it is perfectly easy to enforce regulations of this sort by simply impounding an aircraft not covered by insurance that lands in this country.

Mr. Roberts

That could be done, but I wonder whether the hon. Gentleman and I would agree when assessing the repercussions of so acting. My reaction is that it might lead to a good deal of difficulty—even more difficulty than is implied in the not entirely satisfactory present situation.