HL Deb 23 May 1960 vol 223 cc1103-5

2.35 p.m.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper:

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they propose to enlarge Cardiff (Rhoose) Airport so as to enable Viscount and other similar aircraft to use this, the only international civil airport in Wales, and why there has been such a delay on their part in the introduction of this long overdue requirement.]

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I cannot agree that there is a long-overdue requirement to enlarge Cardiff (Rhoose) Airport. The Airport has already been developed well beyond the requirements of aircraft currently using it on regular services. The facilities available are fully adequate for the unrestricted operation of the Viscount 700 series on all but rare occasions. A review is being carried out, however, to ascertain what would be involved in further extension of the existing runways, if and when this proves necessary.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, is it not the opinion of the Welsh Advisory Air Council that this improvement is long overdue? Have they not pressed for it time after time? What would be the cost of this improvement to the runways?

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, the cost would be something in the region of £500,000. There are two alternatives that could be carried out; but so far from all the figures that my right honourable friend has at his disposal, the trade just does not seem to be there. It is most disappointing, as I am sure the noble Lord is aware, that in the last year there were 5,000 fewer passengers using the services which are available.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, would the noble Earl kindly answer my point with regard to the repeated plans which the Advisory Council have made?

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, there are plans of what could be done, but, as I have already explained to the noble Lord, it would cost something in the region of £500,000, and it is not believed that there is the trade or the service to come to this airport should such improvement be carried out.

LORD DYNEVOR

My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl whether he is aware (and I would disclose the fact that I am a member of the Welsh Advisory Air Council, referred to by the noble Lord, Lord Ogmore) that, were this improvement carried out, it would increase trade enormously; secondly, that the figures for this year are going ahead by leaps and bounds; and thirdly, that if this improvement was made it would, in fact, create the traffic and make a link with international traffic, rather than purely Welsh traffic?

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, I am pleased to hear from the noble Lord that the situation is improving. As noble Lords know, the reason for this lack of traffic was the difficulty that a certain airline encountered, and it is encouraging to hear that this difficulty has been got over. Nevertheless, it would be impossible for that particular company, or any other company, to obtain these Viscount 800 aeroplanes to operate at Rhoose, although they could be operated with a load penalty, which would not be very attractive to the operator. Meanwhile, there is no reason why the Viscount 700 should not be operated in and out, and if that should prove successful it would be a factor that my right honourable friend would take into consideration. It would seem wise, however, first to get the Viscount 700 operating to see whether the traffic is there for the bigger aeroplane, the 800, in the future.

LORD OGMORE

My Lords, if these bigger aircraft—and, after all, they are the ones the aircraft operators want to use—cannot come into the place, what is the good of the noble Earl saying that there is no traffic there for them? Until the bigger aircraft can go there he does not know whether the traffic is there or not. As the noble Lord, Lord Dynevor, said, it is the opinion of the Welsh Air Advisory Council that the traffic is there and ought to be developed in the way they have suggested.

EARL BATHURST

My Lords, my right honourable friend has had no indication so far that any of the operators wishes to operate this larger aeroplane.

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