HL Deb 19 February 1976 vol 368 cc566-8

3.9 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, in view of the reply given on 24th June last to the question on airlines and passenger overbooking (Col. 1274), they are now in a position to announce the date on which they expect to receive the report on the working of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 of the Interdepartmental Committee under the chairmanship of the Director General of Fair Trading; and whether it is intended that action on the overbooking problem with relation to section 14(1) of the Act will be taken prior to consideration of this report.

Lord WINTERBOTTOM

My Lords, the Committee hopes to make its final report to my right honourable friend in the course of the summer. It is only sensible for the Government to see what changes, if any, are proposed in Section 14 and how these affect airline practice on overbooking. In the meantime the Civil Aviation Authority hopes to have its scheme for the compensation of offloaded passengers in operation by the summer. This scheme is intended to cover off-loading, whether as a result of overbooking policy or otherwise.

Baroness BURTON of COVENTRY

My Lords, is the Minister aware that that seems to be a contradiction in timing? If I understood him correctly, he said that the report was expected in the early summer. Does that mean before the Director General leaves his present position at the end of May? That is the first point. Secondly, as the report was to consider the Trade Descriptions Act, including the working of Section 14(1), did he just tell us that, irrespective of what might be in that report, the Civil Aviation Authority proposes to continue with a scheme dealing with the overbooking of passengers on which consideration was to he given in the report which has been demanded?

Lord WINTERBOTTOM

My Lords, as I understand the noble Baroness, what I was trying to say politely to the second half of her question was, "No. "

Baroness BURTON of COVENTRY

My Lords, I do not know whether the Minister recalls what was said, at column 1275 of the Official Report, on 24th June 1975, but the Minister replying to me said that it was hoped that when this report was published the Committee will publish a consultative document, and at that point any interested parties can make representations. Do we now understand that the report will not be submitted as a consultative document, and that interested organisations will not be able to make any representations before decisions are taken?

Lord WINTERBOTTOM

My Lords, the noble Baroness goes back a long time. I cannot improve upon, or add to, the reply given to the noble Baroness by my noble friend the Leader of the House on 3rd February.

Baroness BURTON of COVENTRY

Well, my Lords, I should like to come back to 3rd February, which is not going quite so far back as 24th June. I should like to ask my noble friend—I do not know whether he has it there—whether he is aware that at column 1282 my noble friend the Leader of the House told us that he had no doubt that airlines would be seeking to make some changes in their terms, and he went on to speak about the small print? Do I understand that the small print, and the changing of the terms, will be undertaken, first, before this report has been published; and, secondly, before interested organisations have had a chance to comment?

Lord WINTERBOTTOM

My Lords, I cannot answer for interested organisations. But I feel that the noble Baroness has some up-to-date information on this subject, and I suggest that that is as far as I can go today.