§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Civil Aviation if, in view of the fact that the return fare to Paris by airline is £14 and only £5 by charter aeroplane and that similar disparities occur in other passenger and freight charges, he will introduce legislation to allow private operatives to offer regular trips at scheduled prices.
§ Mr. BeswickNo. The policy of the Government, recently reaffirmed by my noble Friend, reserves all scheduled services to the Corporations and their Associates. Without knowledge of the circumstances, I am unable to comment on the £5 return fare by charter aeroplane. The fares charged by both British European Airways and Air France on176W scheduled services are fixed by the International Air Transport Association and approved by the United Kingdom and French Governments and necessarily take account of the fact that full loads cannot be guaranteed on these services. In addition to the normal fare of £14, the regular airlines offer a return fare of £10 available on early morning and late evening services.