§ Mr. DafisTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Government will support proposals for an aviation tax in future European Union negotiations. [69472]
§ Ms HewittThere no proposals for an aviation tax as such. As was made clear in the White paper on the future of transport, the Government support international action through the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to remove the international tax exemption for aviation fuels.
In June 1997 we welcomed the initiative by the Dutch Presidency of the EU which led to the study on the competitive and environmental effects on the EU of a unilateral aviation fuel tax and look forward to its publication later this year. We will consider our position in the light of the conclusions of this study.