§ 2.57 p.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 the Metra Consulting Group is prepared to accept letters from the public giving information on conditions at Heathrow Airport; and to what address such letters should be sent.
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, Metra would be pleased to receive letters from interested members of the public. Their address is Metra Consulting Group Limited, 23 Lower Belgrave Street, London, S.W.1.W, O.N.S.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy Lords, while thanking the noble Earl for that reply, which gives me much pleasure, may I ask whether there is any chance of publicity being given to this matter? Does he recall that when the noble Lord. Lord Trefgarne, asked him this question on (I think it was) October 19 he did not receive an answer, and people might have been led astray by that? May I also ask what is the latest date by which such letters should be received?
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, I am very glad to have been able to please 440 the noble Baroness. The publicity which this could have would be best served by reference to it in Hansard. I can inform the noble Baroness that, provided the interested members of the public send in their letters to the Metra Consulting Group before the date upon which they are due to report, which is at the end of the year, they will be considered.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, can the noble Earl say how many of the public travelling through Heathrow read Hansard—particularly the House of Lords Hansard? Seriously, would the noble Earl look at the question of having this address prominently displayed at major points at Heathrow, and in particular where, as a passenger, one seeks a taxi?
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, I will certainly consider the point. I am bound to tell the noble Lord that when this inquiry was originally set up the object was to invite consultants to make a survey and a report. This they are doing by the methods which are commonly indulged in on these occasions. We did not specifically intend to invite people to write, but we are entirely happy that they should do so.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy Lords, following upon the question of my noble friend Lord Shepherd, might I ask the Minister, although it might be slightly off the point, whether he is aware that quite obviously the people who write in B.E.A. News certainly do not read the Lords' Hansard; further, whether he is aware that the statement published in B.E.A. News of two weeks ago really gave a totally misleading impression and I think could have been subject to (what shall I say?) an order under the Trade Descriptions Act; and whether anything could be done about correct information being published in B.E.A. News?
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, I wondered whether the noble Baroness was going to be able to get back to B.E.A. News. I can only repeat what I told her before: that it is the responsibility of B.E.A. and that the Government could not interfere with what is published in that particular journal.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, could the noble Earl explain why, 441 if he is prepared to give this information publicity—and that is the principle—he favours only those who read the Lords' Hansard?
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, I think that it is a very good argument for more people reading the Lords' Hansard.
§ BARONESS SUMMERSKILLMy Lords, does the noble Earl realise that that is more damning of the Conservative Party than anything that has ever been said in this House before?
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, this matter should not be taken out of proportion. What I said was that Metra, and indeed the Government, are entirely happy that people should write in with any comments they have to make. But, as I said originally, it was not the intention specifically to invite comment.
§ LORD BROUGHAM AND VAUXMy Lords, would not my noble friends agree that our six friends from the Press behind the clock might find some room in their columns of the daily newspapers to publicise this address?
§ LORD POPPLEWELLMy Lords, as this matter affects Heathrow, would it not be possible to give some publicity at Heathrow itself, because it is there that people are affected? If there were such publicity—not tucked away in a corner—it would be extremely helpful towards achieving the objective of my noble friend.
EARL FERRERSMy Lords, that is one possibility; but I would remind the noble Lord, Lord Popplewell, that in fact already 1,160 people have been interviewed and that these are passengers going in and out of Heathrow.
§ LORD FERRIERMy Lords, would the noble Earl not agree that it is a fact that the House of Lords Hansard commands a larger circulation than the House of Commons Hansard?