§ 3.13 p.m.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organisation they are making with reference to the recommendation of the Committee of the Organisation that there shall be a surcharge on passages in jet aircraft.]
THE EARL OF GOSFORDMy Lords, I assume that the noble Lord, Lord Ogmore, is referring to the recent recommendation of the International Air Transport Association that there should be a small surcharge on pure jet aircraft on the North Atlantic route and on routes between North and South America. Her Majesty's Government would prefer to avoid increases in air fares at the present time, but there are the following special considerations in this case.
This was a compromise agreement, accepted by all the member airlines of the International Air Transport Association, which was reached only after months of hard negotiation. The proposed surcharge is small, between 4 and 6 per cent. So far as B.O.A.C. is concerned, this surcharge will apply only to their pure jet aircraft operating on the North Atlantic route; and it will not affect their passengers travelling by tourist or economy class, since they will not be carried on B.O.A.C.'s pure jet aircraft, anyhow during this coming year. In any event, the whole matter of surcharges will be reconsidered for next year.
For these reasons Her Majesty's Government intend to inform the International Air Transport Association that it will approve the recommendation.
§ LORD OGMOREMy Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his Answer. Does this also mean that when B.O.A.C. put jets on the African and Far Eastern routes they also will have to pay a surcharge?
THE EARL OF GOSFORDMy Lords, I said in my reply that this applied only to the North Atlantic routes and to routes between North and South America. It does not, therefore, apply elsewhere.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, do we understand that there is no fear that the action taken so far as the North Atlantic routes are concerned will be used as a precedent for introducing the surcharge on the Far Eastern and Australian and South African services?
THE EARL OF GOSFORDMy Lords, so far as I know, there is no question of its being used as a precedent at all.