HC Deb 30 June 1980 vol 987 cc1258-61

'(1) Section 4 of the Civil Aviation (Eurocontrol) Act 1962 (charges for air navigation services) shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions of this section.

(2) In subsection (1) (power to impose charges for air navigation services) for the words "regulations under this section" there shall be substituted the words "regulations under this subsection".

(3) The following subsections shall be inserted after subsection (1A): (1B) The Secretary of State may by statutory instrument make regulations:

  1. (a) providing for the payment of an annual charge, of such amount as may be prescribed by the regulations, to the Authority in respect of any aircraft for which there is in force at the time the charge becomes payable a certificate of airworthiness; and
  2. (b) requiring the Authority to refund so much of any such payment made in respect of an aircraft by any person as is equal to the amount which that person becomes liable (whether by virtue of regulations under this section or otherwise) to pay to the Organisation in respect of so much of any flight made by that aircraft as is made over the United Kingdom during the period of twelve months commencing with the date on which the payment to the Authority became due.
(1C) Regulations under subsection (1B) of this section may—
  1. (a) impose liability for any charges payable by virtue of the regulations upon the operators or owners of the aircraft in respect of which the charge is payable; and
  2. (b) impose that liability whether or not the aircraft is registered in the United Kingdom and whether or not it is in the United Kingdom during the year in respect of which the charge is payable; and
  3. (c) include such incidental and supplementary provisions as the Secretary of State considers appropriate for the purposes of the regulations.".
 (4) In Subsection (2) liability for air navigation charges):
  1. (a) for the words "under this section" there shall be substituted the words "under subsection (1) of this section"; and
  2. (b) for the words "those services" there shall be substituted the words "the navigation services".
 (5) In subsection (3) (determination of charges):
  1. (a) for the words "any such regulations as aforesaid" there shall be substituted the words "any regulations under this section"; and
  2. (b) in paragraph (b), after the words "at such rates" there shall be inserted the word "or of such amounts".'.—[Mr. Tebbit.]

Brought up, and read the First time.

Mr. Tebbit

I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

This new clause need not detain the House long. It is hardly of the same real and emotional content as the one with which we have just dealt.

The new clause will enable the CAA to establish a simplified scheme for charging for air navigation services which are provided to small general aviation aircraft in United Kingdom airspace. The scheme will apply to aircraft over 1.3 tonnes and under 5.7 tonnes all-up weight. Aircraft under the lower limit will as at present be exempt from any charges and aircraft over the upper limit will continue to pay the normal Eurocontrol rates. Aircraft within the designated band will pay an annual flat rate charge which will entitle them to unlimited use of air traffic services during flights outside regulated air space.

This scheme has several substantial advantages. First, it will reduce the heavy administrative burden arising from the present system of charging each aircraft according to the number of occasions on which it uses air traffic services. Secondly, in many cases the annual flat rate charge will be significantly less than the total bill incurred by aircraft over the year under the current charging system. But, most important, the new scheme will promote increased safety of navigation. Under the existing regulations flights made under the visual flight rules are exempt from any charges and pilots are consequently subject to the temptation not to use navigational aids in conditions where they should do so, since they would thereby incur a charge. Under the new scheme this temptation will be removed. When I say "should do so", I imply that it is not a legal burden, but good airmanship suggests that they should do so.

When aircraft in the designated weight band enter regulated air space they will continue to be liable for the usual Eurocontrol charge, but the flat rate charge which they will have paid already will be rebated accordingly. Foreign aircraft entering United Kingdom space will be able to opt for the new scheme as an alternative to paying the Eurocontrol charge.

This proposal has the support of organisations representing aircraft operators, and I therefore commend it to the House.

Question put and agreed to.

Clause read a Second time, and added to the Bill.

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