§ 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 what progress has been made concerning the application of the overbooking compensation scheme to return flights resulting from an original booking made in the United Kingdom on British Airlines so that a passenger may be covered for the whole of his ticket and not, as at present, for half of it; and if they will make a Statement.
Lord ORAMMy Lords, we have invited the European Civil Aviation Conference to consider the scope for arrangements for overbooking compensation between airlines of Member States. Our suggestion was sympathetically received, and is to be studied. Meantime, the voluntary scheme continues to grow with the addition of Quantas, Olympic, Sabena and Singapore, making 26 foreign airlines in all.
§ Baroness BURTON of COVENTRYMy Lords, does the Minister recall that, as long as 11th October, I asked for this matter to be referred to the European Civil Aviation Conference, with the support, I hoped, of the Board of Trade and the Civil Aviation Authority representatives? Does he further recall that the Civil Aviation Authority resisted this suggestion, and insisted on taking the matter to IATA, who turned it down? Since we have now reached the position which we should have been in last October—although with the sympathetic help and support that the noble Lord 1108 has now mentioned—would the noble Lord, besides thanking his right honourable friend for the intervention that has brought this about, tell the House what will be the next step, and when he hopes it will take place?
Lord ORAMMy Lords, I think that it was right to take the action that we took within IATA first, before going to the European forum; and I have explained on earlier occasions that we failed in our attempt to persuade IATA. This is the next step, and I am sure that the whole House appreciates that this forum seems to be more sympathetic to the representations that we are making, prompted, as we always are in these matters, by my noble friend. The next step for which she asks is likely to be taken at a meeting of the European Civil Aviation Conference next month.
§ Baroness BURTON of COVENTRYMy Lords, I should like to ask one further question. If the negotiations, or the possibility of reaching agreement, should be somewhat delayed, would my noble friend's right honourable friend consider once more looking at my suggestion that bilateral arrangements should be made between British Airways and the European countries? Furthermore, is my noble friend aware of how very appreciative I am of the trouble that he himself takes behind the scenes to make progress in these matters?
Lord ORAMMy Lords, I appreciate what my noble friend said towards the end of her remarks. The suggestion that she put forward earlier about bilateral negotiations between airlines was put forward in the representations at the European meeting. But I think that it would be the best tactics to hope for a general agreement first, before pursuing that particular line.
§ Baroness BURTON of COVENTRYI am much obliged, my Lords.