HL Deb 16 June 1986 vol 476 cc590-1

2.46 p.m.

Lord Kennet

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will take the initiative to obtain an international convention against charging travellers for having their bags opened by the customs.

Lord Brabazon of Tara

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government have no such intention.

Lord Kennet

My Lords, while that Answer can only be very welcome, can the Government go further and actually answer the question whether their view of the world is such that it would be a good thing to have an international convention against any government doing this? Once any government start—and there is one government which intend to start, so we read in the press—there will be a tendency for it to spread.

Lord Brabazon of Tara

My Lords, the noble Lord presumably refers to the United States, where they are proposing to do this. I must say that we are looking into the question to see whether it is an infringement of the GATT agreement; and so is the EC, which has some reservations about these proposed charges. This Government have no plans to introduce such charges.

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