HC Deb 09 July 1984 vol 63 cc689-90
13. Mr. Adley

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is now able to announce any conclusion on the study by the Civil Aviation Authority of route licensing.

16. Mr. Cartwright

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he has now received the report of the Civil Aviation Authority on its review of civil aviation policy.

Mr. Ridley

No, Sir, but I expect the Civil Aviation Authority's conclusions within a week or two.

Mr. Adley

As my right hon. Friend presumably referred the matter to the CAA in the first place to obtain an impartial and non-partisan view, does he agree that the understandable pressure from both British Airways and the independents is likely to make the decision much more difficult if it reverts to the political arena? In view of that, will he be sensible and give a categorical assurance now that he will accept and seek to implement the CAA report, when it is produced, regardless of its conclusions, and thereby avoid the differing pressures that he will receive from people as diverse as, for example, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and former BOAC pilots now in the Cabinet?

Mr. Ridley

We had better wait to see what the report says. He would be a brave man who bound himself to accept a report without knowledge of its contents. However, let me make it clear that I have remained entirely neutral throughout and said nothing about my views hitherto.

Mr. Cartwright

In considering the recommendations of the CAA, will the Secretary of State seek to ensure that the privatisation of British Airways does not endanger the ability of the independent airlines to compete, to survive and to go on providing the services which the consumers clearly want?

Mr. Ridley

Yes, but I believe that the proponents of more routes for the independents and those who believe that BA should be left entirely as it is will acknowledge that the present dispute does not arise because of the privatisation of British Airways and that, even if British Airways were not be be privatised, the same arguments would be going on.