§ Mr. Michael Brownasked the Minister for Trade whether there have been any recent developments in the establishment of direct air services on new routes between regional points in the United Kingdom and countries in Europe.
§ Mr. SproatIn pursuit of our continuing policy of liberalisation in aviation matters, I am glad to say that we have recently secured the agreement of the Danish Government to the introduction of a service by Genair between Humberside and Esbjerg. This is typical of the kind of service which the smaller airlines will have greater freedom to develop if agreement is reached on the proposed EC Directive on inter-regional air services. We are giving this measure our full support. The next meeting of the Council of Ministers, at which I shall be seeking adoption of the EC directive on inter-regional air services, is on 16 December 1982 in Brussels.