§ Mrs. Renée Shortasked the Secretary of State for Transport what was his reply to the Government of the United States of America in response to their recent representations about charges imposed on United States airlines for the use of Heathrow airport.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerMy officials met a delegation from the United States of America recently to discuss amongst other things the concerns expressed by their Government to Her Majesty's Government about the proposals for regulating airport charges set out in the Airports Bill. The delegation's main concern was that the Bill should provide adequate means for ensuring that the United Kingdom could fulfil its international obligations. My officials were able to explain how the measures in the Bill would do so: attention was drawn specifically to clause 27 of the Bill.
The United States Government also expressed a general concern about consultation between the British Airports Authority and its airlines, and about the level of charges at Heathrow airport. Although these are matters for the BAA and the airlines, information was provided to correct a number of misunderstandings about these two aspects: in particular about the nature and extent of the consultations which had been conducted and the considerably and progressively reduced level of charges now paid by the United States airlines and other long-haul airlines at Heathrow.