HL Deb 14 June 1990 vol 520 cc407-8

3.26 p.m.

Baroness Burton of Coventry asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the code of conduct on slot allocation which was to have been produced shortly by the Commission of the European Communities (HL Deb., 17th May, col. 383) is now to be delayed until October/November because of pressure by the airlines; and if so what action they propose to take to assist the Commission in its objectives.

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I understand that the Commission, having consulted experts from member states and other interested parties, is still working on its proposals, and can be expected to produce them in due course.

Baroness Burton of Coventry

My Lords, having listened carefully to that reply I still believe that the answer to the first part of my Question is yes. The Minister has not even attempted to answer the second part. Concerning the second part, do the Government support the attitude of Sir Leon Brittan, our senior commissioner in Brussels and the commissioner responsible for competition affairs, when he said on 25th May that one of the changes that he is particularly keen to introduce involves making it easier for new entrants to obtain slots at congested airports? If the Government support that attitude will they now make it clear publicly?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I am sorry to have to tell the noble Baroness that Her Majesty's Government are not in control of the European Commission's timetable for action and, indeed, are not aware that any such timetable exists. The Commission sets its own timetable for bringing proposals forward.

Baroness Burton of Coventry

My Lords, the noble Viscount has still not answered the second part of my Question. I have now asked him both on the Order Paper and orally in the House.

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, I am unable to answer the second part of the noble Baroness's Question.

Lord Carmichael of Kelvingrove

My Lords, the Minister will be aware that the point raised by the noble Baroness and Sir Leon Brittan on the allocation of slots to independent airlines is rather important. Can the noble Viscount say what support the Government are likely to be giving to small independent airlines, which have a very big part to play in regional development? Can he also say whether the Government expect that when Stansted comes on stream it will be easier for, and encouragement will be given to, small independent airlines to obtain slots in the South East of Britain?

Viscount Davidson

My Lords, there is ample spare capacity on Stansted's runway and in that narrow sense there is no shortage of runway slots as such. The airport's capacity to handle traffic is limited by the capacity of its terminal, which is around 2 million passengers a year. The new terminal which is due to enter service next March will, in time, take Stansted's terminal capacity to some 8 million, so releasing runway capacity and in that sense creating slots. The question of which airlines will use those slots will be a matter for negotiation. I cannot go further than that at the moment.