HL Deb 04 August 1972 vol 334 cc617-9

11.15 a.m.

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 have any proposals for improving the movement of passengers and baggage at Heathrow Airport.

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, my honourable friend the Minister for Aerospace announced yesterday that, at the suggestion of the Chairman of the British Airports Authority, and with the ready support of the Chairman of the British Airways Board and the Air Corporations, he has commissioned the Metra Consulting Group to carry out a study at Heathrow Airport with a view to making recommendations aimed at alleviating congestion throughout the 1970's and avoiding unnecessary delays and other sources of irritation to passengers.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, in thanking the Minister for that reply, may I first of all ask him just to elaborate on three brief points? Could he give us some information about the Metra Consulting Group? Who are they? What period of time is envisaged for this particular study to be completed? And how are passengers to be consulted?

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, the Metra Consulting Group are management consultants. They were unanimously selected after a competitive interview by a Steering Committee which consisted of B.E.A., B.O.A.C., the Department of Trade and Industry and the Civil Service Department. Their terms of reference and their contract call for a full report before the end of this year, and they anticipate taking random samples of interviews from passengers to ensure that passengers' views are taken into account. If the noble Baroness has any particular points she herself would wish to make, if she would care to let me know I will ensure they are passed on to them.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, I am sure the Minister must know the particular point. But might I ask him whether he recalls that in the letter I gave him last Friday it was stated quite clearly that the British Airports Authority had not been consulted in any way about the proposed withdrawal of check-in facilities at Gloucester Road Terminal; and as the Authority would have to deal with the servicing of passengers at Heathrow consequent upon any such withdrawal can he tell the House whether he thinks this study will perhaps prevent such a lack of co-operation in the future?

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, I do not know whether the study will prevent a lack of co-operation in the future, but it will certainly take into account the effects of such a withdrawal.

LORD ORR-EWING

My Lords, might I ask my noble friend (just to show there is support on this side for complaints concerning the operation and inconvenience at London Airport) to draw the Airport Authority's attention to the incredibly long wait that passengers now have to undergo before they get their baggage at London Airport? Have we really to wait until the end of the tourist season, when we have all been inconvenienced and waited endlessly—generally twice as long as one waits at any other international airport in this world?

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, this is one of the typical points which the management consultants will take into account when they are going to make their report.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, is the noble Earl aware that I am most appreciative of support from all sides of the House, because this is important? Might I ask the Minister whether, as this study is to take into account, I think he mentioned, further irritations to the public, and is concerned with Heathrow, it would not have been better if such a study had been set up in the first place before B.E.A. took this arbitrary decision? Secondly, as this study group is to report before the end of the year, would he find out whether it is possible to delay the decision on the proposed withdrawal of check-in facilities until after that report is published?

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, I was aware that the noble Baroness was very grateful for all the support she could get from all sides of the House, which seems to be fairly fulsome. I do not know that it is possible to say that this study would have been a good thing to do before B.E.A. took their decision, because it was a decision they were perfectly justified in taking in view of their commercial responsibilities. But I can give the noble Baroness an assurance that in fact the decision to close the check-in facilities will be delayed until after the report is made.