§ 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 is their policy for the financing of consumer councils.
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, the Government believe that all public service consumer councils should be independent of the industries that it is their duty to consider. This is why the Government took over from the industries the responsibility for financing such councils in 1975.
§ Baroness BURTON of COVENTRYMy Lords, I wonder whether the Minister could take us a little further into the Government's thinking on this matter. As they have stated that, in order to be seen to be independent, consumer councils should be financed from Government funds, without impugning in any way the integrity of the Civil Aviation Authority, could the Minister tell me why it is satisfactory that the Airline Users' Committee should be financed by the Civil Aviation Authority and not by the Government, particularly as the Civil Aviation Authority—despite all its impartiality—is connected with the aircraft industry?
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, the position of the AUC is, of course, different, as it is not financed by the industry but, as the noble Baroness has said, by an intermediate and in itself independent organisation, the Civil Aviation Authority. Nevertheless, we welcome the new arrangements worked out between the Civil Aviation Authority and the AUC, which give the AUC the independence of a separate annual grant.
§ Baroness BURTON of COVENTRYMy Lords, while appreciating what the Minister says, may I ask whether she realises that, I hope, the House and, certainly, I are getting rather tired of the same excuses being dredged up time and again because the Government have no case to put forward on this matter? Where is the pressure coming from upon the Government to single out the Airline Users' Committee from all the other consumer councils with regard to this financial aspect? Does the pressure come from the British Airports Authority, British Airways or the Civil Aviation Authority?
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, I know of no points of pressure on the Government from the Civil Aviation Authority or any other body. The Government's line is that the Civil Aviation Authority is, as I have said, an independent, intermediate organisation and, therefore, it is not for the Government to finance the AUC, as they have done the other consumer councils which work directly in relation to the industry and not through an intermediate body.
§ Baroness BURTON of COVENTRYMy Lords, lastly, does the Minister realise that there is grave disquiet about this matter among the consumer movement in general? Does she not feel that there would be equal disquiet if any of the other consumer councils recognised by the Government were treated in a similar manner?
§ Baroness STEDMANMy Lords, I am sure that there would be disquiet if other consumer councils lost the powers which they have at the moment, because they are working in relation to the industry and not through the intermediate body. I hope that this is, perhaps, one of the points that my noble friend will take up with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State when we meet him next week.