HL Deb 26 January 1971 vol 314 cc815-7
BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

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 whether they are aware of increasing consumer dissatisfaction at the exclusion of regular travellers from the financial benefits of new air traffic at lower fares and whether, within the International Air Transport Association, they will take steps to ensure that some encouragement is offered to travellers using normal services.]

LORD DENHAM

My Lords, as the noble Barones knows, air fares on scheduled services may vary in accordance with such factors as the season, the time of the flight or the length of stay, and special rates are offered for inclusive tours and other forms of bulk travel where higher passenger load factors can be achieved. While the Edwards Committee of Inquiry into Civil Air Transport recommended that there should be a different approach towards the regulation of inclusive tour prices in relation to public fares on scheduled services, any such approach has to take into account differences in the quality of air travel, including comfort, convenience and any restriction on the choice of flights.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, I have no wish to be offensive, but the noble Lord will realise that that did not add much to my knowledge. I wonder if I might ask him whether he is aware that consumers take the view that airlines are selling lower non-public fares in an attempt to meet charter competition?

LORD DENHAM

My Lords, I would say, in fact, that airlines are selling fares lower in off-peak times, et cetera, in order to make the airlines pay.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord one other question? Is he aware that the London/Paris yields to B.E.A., on average, only 75 per cent. of the published fares, and that if this is so then it must mean that normal fares are pushed up to compensate? Would the noble Lord have a look at that information and see if it is correct?

LORD DENHAM

My Lords, I will certainly have a look at that information.

LORD BALFOUR OF INCHRYE

My Lords, arising out of the Question and Answer, may I ask my noble friend whether Her Majesty's Government do not think that it is about time we had a hard look at this International Air Transport Association—its powers, administration and relationship with Her Majesty's Government—so far as this country is concerned?

LORD DENHAM

My Lords, no doubt my right honourable friend will consider what my noble friend has to say, but I would draw to his attention that there is an Unstarred Question down in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Burton of Coventry, on very much the same point, slightly wider than that which she has raised to-day, and perhaps this is one point which can emerge from that debate.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, should I be in order in asking, through the Minister, whether the noble Lord, Lord Balfour of Inchrye, would do me the great pleasure of being in the House on February 18 and taking part in the debate?

LORD DENHAM

My Lords, I am advised that the noble Baroness would not be in order.

LORD SHACKLETON

My Lords, may I ask the noble Lord whether, since this is a complicated subject—it is in fact a complete jungle, and the dissatisfaction is getting so grave and the bureaucracy that is involved in administering all this is getting so great—he will now go very fully into it himself, so that when he comes to reply he will perhaps be able to give a rather more encouraging answer than he has yet been able to give?

LORD DENHAM

My Lords, if I am to answer the debate I shall certainly go into it very fully indeed. But whether the noble Lord will be encouraged by my answer is a different matter.