§ 3.8 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 in order to clarify their Answer given on 19th February (cols. 566/7), they will confirm that they have decided that action on the problem of airline overbooking in relation to Section 14(1) of the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 will not be taken prior to consideration of the Report on this Act expected from the Director General of Fair Trading in the course of the summer; and if so whether their statement that the Civil Aviation Authority hopes to have a scheme dealing with overbooking policy in operation by the summer means that the Authority are exempt from this decision.
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for giving me this opportunity to dispel any misunderstanding. I can confirm that the Government do not propose any action before the Report has been considered. Equally, I should make it clear that as matters stand we see no need for such action. Naturally, if the Review Committee makes any proposals bearing on overbooking, or indeed if the noble Baroness has any specific ideas, these will be considered; but we should not regard this as sufficient reason for the Authority to delay the introduction of its proposed compensation scheme. Deliberate overselling is not the only cause of overbooking, and it is therefore clearly in the consumer interest to introduce compensation for off loading as soon as practicable.
§ Baroness BURTON of COVENTRYMy Lords, while believing that the Minister has tried to clarify the position, may I ask whether I would be correct in assuming that his Answer to the Question on the Order Paper is, Yes, and that the 1403 Civil Aviation Authority and the Department of Trade are in favour of an overbooking policy? May I ask him to confirm that the matter of the small print on the back of airline tickets is solely for the airlines concerned?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMMy Lords, as I have tried to make clear in earlier Answers— indeed, as my noble friend the Leader of the House has pointed out—it is not a question of being in favour of an overbooking policy, although the air lines and the Government are in favour of a full booking policy. Unfortunately, through human error and what I believe is called "the free sales system ", one cannot always ensure that the number of passengers wishing to fly on a certain aircraft is equal to the number of seats on that aircraft.
§ Baroness BURTON of COVENTRYMy Lords, without wishing to pursue the matter unduly and while appreciating that the noble Lord is in very deep water over this matter—doubtless it is difficult to find a correct definition of overbooking which does not mean overbooking—may I ask him to answer the last part of my supplementary question, about which he was good enough to write to me? Do I understand that the matter of the small print on the back of an airline ticket is solely for the airline concerned?
§ Lord WINTERBOTTOMI do not think I am in deep water, my Lords; I think I am in thin air, which is not quite the same thing. The matter of how an airline ticket is printed must be the responsibility of the airline, but presumably this is something which the Director General of Fair Trading might consider.