§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces (Lord Trefgarne)My Lords, with your Lordships' permission, I should like to make a personal statement.
I very much regret that I inadvertently misled your Lordships last night in replying to the Unstarred Question of the noble Baroness, Lady Burton of Coventry, on airline competition. I told your Lordships that airline tickets to the United States, sold on the basis of lower unapproved winter fares, were not valid and passengers would have to buy new tickets at the higher approved fares. I now understand that Ministers decided yesterday that these tickets bought before 18th October, when the Government decided not to approve the lower fares, will, after all, remain valid. I was not aware of this decision when I spoke as I did last evening, and I apologise to your Lordships unreservedly.