§ Mr. BluntTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the level of duty required on landing fees at(a) Heathrow and (b) Gatwick to balance the supply and demand for slots. [63459]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe UK is subject to a number of international obligations and conventions in respect of airport charges which embody the principle that charges are based on the cost of providing facilities and services, even if there is excess demand to use these. Landing fees account for only a small proportion of airline costs. Given the extent to which demand for slots exceeds supply at Heathrow and (to a lesser degree) Gatwick, it is logical to expect that a several fold increase would be necessary to reach the market clearing level. But the Government have not undertaken precise calculations.