HL Deb 19 July 1972 vol 333 cc757-9

2.40 p.m.

LORD MERIVALE

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, bearing in mind Cmnd. 5004 further amending the Agreement for air services between and beyond the United Kingdom and Morocco, they will use their best endeavours so that on Route No. 1 to be operated by the airline or airlines designated by the Kingdom of Morocco, the airline or airlines shall not omit calling at Gibraltar and either or both Bordeaux and Paris.

THE MINISTER OF STATE, FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE (BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE)

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government would welcome air services by the designated airlines of Morocco on the routes indicated by the noble Lord. But it is entirely a matter for the commercial judgment of the airlines of other countries whether to exercise the traffic rights available to them.

LORD MERRIVALE

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for that encouraging reply. Would she not agree that if one compares the 1965 Agreement and the 1972 Exchange of Notes to Route No. 1 Gibraltar and Paris have been added as two possible points of call? Could the noble Baroness explain why those were added to Route No. 1 of the 1965 Agreement if in effect it was not intended to operate via Gibraltar and Paris? Could the noble Baroness give any idea when it is expected that an airline could be designated and authorised to operate on Route No. 1?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, I am sure that my noble friend will have noted from the Command Paper 5004 that it says, under Note A, that airline or airlines designated by the Kingdom of Morocco may omit calling at one or more of the points mentioned in the schedule, provided that the agreed services on these routes begin or end at a point in the territory of the Kingdom of Morocco.

LORD MERRIVALE

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for reminding me of that possible omission. That is why I put the Question down. But would my noble friend the Minister bear in mind Article 12 of the 1965 Agreement, which says: In a spirit of close co-operation, the aeronautical authorities of the contracting parties shall consult each other from time to with a view to ensuring the implementation of, and satisfactory compliance with, the provisions of the present Agreement and the schedule annexed thereto "? So is not there something Her Majesty's Government could do to see that this possible route was implemented by the Moroccan authorities?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government are not in a position to encourage airlines to offer services which are not commercially justified. But I am happy to say that commercial considerations have been able to sustain a growing level of services through Gibraltar.

LORD TREFGARNE

My Lords, can the Government give an assurance that they will not, when they are negotiating these bilateral agreements, press for the inclusion or exclusion of any particular point, thus encroaching upon the commercial judgment of the airlines in question? Would the Government not agree that if they did this it might be the beginning of a very steep and slippery slope so far as bilateral agreements in general are concerned?

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

My Lords, so far as the first part of my noble friend's question is concerned, I can certainly give him that assurance. So far as the second part is concerned, naturally the Government would not like to be on any slippery slope.

LORD MERRIVALE

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether she is aware that her noble friend Lord Lothian, who was then Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, wrote to me on January 27, 1971, assuring me that Her Majesty's Government are fully alive to Gibraltar's special problems and that they will continue to do their best to assist developments in civil aviation which would improve Gibraltar's links with the U.K. and with other countries. I would emphasise Lord Lothian's words, "and with other countries".

BARONESS TWEEDSMUIR OF BELHELVIE

Yes, my Lords; I entirely agree with my noble friend's letter.