HL Deb 28 July 1972 vol 333 cc1662-4
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 information concerning the possible overcrowding of the check-in facilities at Heathrow Airport following their withdrawal at West London Air Terminal.

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, I regret that I am at present unable to add to the reply which I gave the noble Baroness on July 26 when I advised her that no action will be taken on withdrawing passenger check-in facilities at West London Air Terminal until any proposals which are contributed by September 8 by the joint study have been fully considered.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl whether he recalls that on the Second Reading of the Civil Aviation Bill in July of last year the Secretary of State for Defence told the House that consumer interests would be of the highest importance to the Civil Aviation Authority in all its work and would be taken care of by the Authority? May I further ask the Minister whether we were wrong to conclude that included in this assurance were the consumer interests of B.E.A. and the British Airports Authority?

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, I think that the reference which the noble Baroness makes is to the Civil Aviation Authority which, of course, is a different Authority from the British Airways Board. It was in regard to the Civil Aviation Authority that my noble friend gave the undertaking. The British Airways Board and B.E.A. are commercial undertakings and, of course, they have consumer interests to take into account.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, that is really rather an unfortunate answer from the point of view of the Minister. Is it not the fact that the withdrawal of check-in facilities and the decisison taken by B.E.A. would seem to have been a unilateral decision? Is the noble Earl aware that I have in writing, from what I would deem to be an unimpeachable source, a statement that the British Airports Authority, which will be at the receiving end of all this trouble at Heathrow, knew nothing of the proposed withdrawal of these facilities and was not even consulted about it? Furthermore, may I ask the Minister whether it is correct that the unions were not consulted ; that the customers, as we know, were not consulted and do the Government approve of such unilateral action on the part of B.E.A. in a matter of this nature?

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, the question of the air terminal, as the noble Baroness will know, is a matter for British European Airways and it was their decision to close the check-in facilities. As the noble Baroness knows, they have had representations from the unions, and as a result they have shelved their plan until a joint study has been provided by the unions to see what alternative method they can suggest of saving £600,000 a year.

BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRY

My Lords, while appreciating what the Minister has said, and appreciating also that I did not give him notice of this matter, may I ask him whether he is aware—I will show him the letter—that I have had information that the British Airports Authority were not consulted in any way whatsoever? When I have shown the noble Earl the letter, will he be kind enough to look into the matter to see whether that statement is correct?

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, I should be delighted to see the letter to which the noble Baroness refers, and I will take such action as may be appropriate if I see it.

LORD DONALDSON OF KINGS-BRIDGE

My Lords, is the noble Earl aware that we are all happy to see the noble Baroness, Lady Burton of Coventry, as the spearhead against the noble Earl's "stonewalling " ; that this is really a monstrous deprivation of public convenience and that many noble Lords on both sides of the House fully support the noble Baroness?

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, I was aware that the noble Baroness was not without support in this matter, but it is being given the consideration which I think the noble Baroness herself desires.

LORD TREFGARNE

My Lords, in view of the widespread concern over this matter would it not be possible for the Government to issue a direction to the British Airways Board in accordance with the 1971 Civil Aviation Act, at least for a limited period?

EARL FERRERS

My Lords, my right honourable friend has no power to give a direction to the British Airways Board over this matter because Section 40(1)(a) of the Civil Aviation Act refers to a direction being given to the Board only if it is in the national interest. My advice is that this problem does not come within that purview.