§ 2.38 p.m.
§ 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 are aware that those foreign airlines which have agreed to the scheme of compensation for overbooking put forward by British airlines include Varig, Air France, Air-India, Scandinavia, South African Airways, Thai International, Air Malta, Alitalia, Ethiopian, KLM, Lufthansa and Air Canada; and why, therefore, British airlines are refusing to include in the scheme return flights resulting from an original booking made in the United Kingdom on British airlines.
Lord ORAMMy Lords, the Civil Aviation Authority advise me that none of the airlines is committed under the present voluntary scheme to paying compensation in respect of flights beginning overseas. However, in the light of advice from the Airline Users' Committee, the Authority is discussing with the British airlines the possibility of the scope of the scheme being extended to flights to this country which are booked here and which start in such overseas countries as have no comparable provision for compensation under local laws.
§ Baroness BURTON of COVENTRYMy Lords, while being grateful that some progress is being made, may I ask my noble friend, first, whether he would not agree that air travellers have little idea that the compensation scheme at present applies to only half of their tickets; and, secondly, whether it is likely that these 1343 discussions will be resolved, if resolved favourably, in time to benefit tourists this summer?
Lord ORAMMy Lords, my noble friend should bear in mind that the scheme is of recent origin and, therefore, information about it will take some time to spread. However, I am sure that those concerned will bear my noble friend's point in mind and advise the public as fully as possible. As to the time which these discussions will take, I am sure that the Civil Aviation Authority and the airlines will want to resolve this as quickly as possible, having in mind the kind of considerations that my noble friend has raised here this afternoon.
§ Baroness BURTON of COVENTRYMy Lords, as my noble friend is being so helpful, I wonder whether he would be kind enough to make inquiries as to how much information is being given to the public about the scheme?—because when this question was last raised he was good enough to say that he would look at that point.