HL Deb 09 July 1992 vol 538 cc1266-7

3.40 p.m.

Lord Desai asked Her Majesty's Government:

What action they propose to take to avoid or reduce delays, and the inconvenience caused to passengers, in flights to and from the United Kingdom during the remaining peak periods of 1992.

The Minister of State, Department of Transport (The Earl of Caithness)

My Lords, the National Air Traffic Services is taking a number of measures to reduce delays this summer, including the opening of new routes, additional air traffic control services and greater flexibility in the management of air traffic.

Lord Desai

My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. However, does he agree that the nub of the problem lies with ground control, which is currently inefficient and devoid of contact with other ground controls in other airports? Would it not be better to improve ground control both here and elsewhere?

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, that is exactly what is happening.

Lord Brabazon of Tara

My Lords, does my noble friend agree that one particularly common problem is that of poor industrial relations in certain other European countries? Is that not a good reason for pursuing our policy of harmonisation and integration of air traffic control systems rather than opting for a unified system, which some people propose?

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, my noble friend is correct. Harmonisation and integration is a far better method than trying to utilise one unified system. When one looks at the list of countries where industrial relations have led to air traffic delays one sees Italy, Bulgaria, France, Spain, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Norway, Greece and various others.

Lord Clinton-Davis

My Lords, will the Minister indicate whether he agrees with or dissents from the proposition made by the International Air Transport Association which predicted that the situation in Europe—not excluding this country—will be worse than in previous years? Does he not feel that the need for co-operation in that area needs to be maximised far more than is happening at the present time in order to eliminate as rapidly as possible the disparate and often conflicting systems that affect air traffic control in Europe?

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, it is probably true to say that as far as we can forecast air traffic delays will be worse this summer. That is why we are pressing forward not only with the modernisation of our own system in this country, but also endeavouring to persuade other European countries to harmonise, integrate and update their systems.

Lord Boyd-Carpenter

My Lords, will my noble friend make sure that the French Government are aware of the considerable loss and dislocation which the failures of their air traffic control systems impose particularly on British airlines?

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, it would be wrong to single out one specific country. There are problems throughout Europe, not least in Yugoslavia.

Lord Elton

My Lords, does not my noble friend agree that ground traffic control is rather lacking in France as well?

The Earl of Caithness

My Lords, I am told that recently there has been a dramatic improvement.