§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy 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 will make a further Statement concerning check-in facilities in 1974 for travellers at the B.O.A.C. Air Terminal in Buckingham Palace Road and at the B.E.A. West London Air Terminal.
§ LORD DRUMALBYNMy Lords, as previously announced, check-in facilities will continue at B.O.A.C. Air Terminal in Buckingham Palace Road. I under-stand that the Group Managing Director of the British Airways Board has told the noble Baroness that the British Airways Board are making a study of the possibility of amalgamating the two terminals but that it will take some time to complete. In the circumstances I have nothing to add to what my noble friend Lord Ferrers and I have said in reply to the noble Baroness's previous Questions, but I hope to be able to make a further statement about consultation arrangements in reply to the noble Baroness's Question on Wednesday.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy Lords, one always lives in hope! May I ask the Minister whether he is aware that although I did not want them I have had two letters from the Group Managing Director of the British Airways Board since my last Question? Is he further aware that the two pages I received on Saturday referred to only half of my Question and not the half which the Managing Director did not wish to answer? May I amplify that by asking the Minister whether he is aware that the matter dealt with was the part-suggestion that the check-in facilities might be amalgamated at Buckingham Palace Road (where I gather there is not sufficient space), but no mention was made of the suggestion that they should be amalgamated where they are now at the West London Air Terminal, where there is plenty of space? Does the noble 1505 Lord think that the Group Managing Director could let me have an answer before Wednesday so that I can tell the noble Lord about it in the House?
§ LORD DRUMALBYNMy Lords, the Group Managing Director was kind enough to send me a copy of the letter to the noble Baroness and I took the same point that she has done. However, the fact that he has said that a study of the possibility of amalgamating the two terminals is being made indicates—because, as he has made plain, there is not sufficient accommodation at Buckingham Palace Road—that any such amalgamation could take place only at the West London Air Terminal. I hope, therefore, that the noble Baroness will be content to await the further reply that I hope to give her on Wednesday.
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYMy Lords, the noble Lord will obviously miss these exchanges during the Recess. I am sure he will be glad about that. Is he aware that he takes a slightly more charitable view than I about West London Air Terminal not being mentioned? From his reply just now, may we hope that on Wednesday some comment will be made on the suggestion that these facilities should be amalgamated at the West London Air Terminal?
§ LORD DRUMALBYNMy Lords, to be perfectly frank, I am not certain that that would be in order on the Question that the noble Baroness has put down. The Question of the noble Baroness deals with consultation services and she will see clearly the implications of that.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, would the noble Lord say whether the British Airways Board are having consultations with the airport authorities in the light of the severe congestion that there is at Heathrow and the complete inadequacy of the porter and trolley services, which has caused great hardship to families seeking to travel?
§ LORD DRUMALBYNYes, my Lords; I believe that that is so. Certain improvements are contemplated in the New Year.
§ LORD MAYBRAY-KINGMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that nobody in Britain, apart from the heads of British 1506 Airways, wishes the check-in facilities at the West London Air Terminal to be taken away, and that the campaign which the noble Baroness, Lady Burton, is carrying out has the support of all who use B.E.A.?
§ LORD DRUMALBYNMy Lords, I have been made keenly aware that in your Lordships' House many of your Lordships, if not all, are in sympathy with the wish for the retention of the check-in services. I should like to make it clear that the removal of the check-in services does not mean the removal of the bus service from the West London Air Terminal.
§ LORD BOOTHBYMy Lords, can the noble Lord tell us what is the point of amalgamating these two air terminals and making one, when the need is for live?
§ LORD DRUMALBYNMy Lords, I imagine that that is exactly the sort of question that the British Airways Board are looking into.
§ LORD DOUGLAS OF BARLOCHMy Lords, would the noble Lord consider what he said just now about the bus services continuing as before, even if the check-in facilities are withdrawn? What reason would anybody have to go by the bus services when it has already been announced that in those circumstances there is no guarantee that the bus service will deliver the passenger in time to get on the plane that he wishes to travel by? Is not the consequence of that that more and more individual traffic will be thrown on the road between London and the Airport and therefore the congestion upon that route will be enormously increased?
§ LORD DRUMALBYNWell, my Lords, that of course is a factor, but the main reason for people using the bus services is in order to reach the Airport, and I am afraid that with the new arrangement it will be left to them to decide how much time to allow in order to get there.
§ BARONESS BURTON or COVENTRYMy Lords, is the Minister aware that, having been lulled into a sense of acquiescence, I really cannot put up with that reply?
§ BARONESS BURTON OF COVENTRYNo, I mean it. And is he aware that people who use the bus service go there because their luggage has been checked in, they are guaranteed their plane and they have no further worry?
§ LORD DRUMALBYNMy Lords, these are just the kind of questions and the arguments on either side that will perhaps come under the kind of consultative arrangement that I hope to deal with on Wednesday.
§ LORD STRANGEMy Lords, would the noble Lord not agree that we are bewitched by the Common Market and we agree that everything they run is run better than we run things? Would he not further agree that we have only to land a few times in Brussels to realise that Cromwell Road is superior to anything that is in the Common Market?
§ LORD DRUMALBYNMy Lords, I am obliged to the noble Lord for that compliment to Cromwell Road, which I am quite certain will be much welcomed by British European Airways. He has in his question made the point that it is unique so far as European services are concerned.
§ BARONESS ELLESMy Lords, may I remind the noble Lord that those of us who use all the Common Market airports—