§ Mr. Barry FieldTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list those directors of airports, operated on behalf of municipal authorities by companies, who are also councillors on the authority or subject to appointment by them and give the percentage of the non-independent directors in each case.
§ Mr. NorrisThe information relating to airports owned by public airport companies is as follows:
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Airport Local authority members 1 Other non-executive directors Executive directors Total Birmingham 9 1 4 14 Blackpool 5 1 2 8 Bournemouth 6 — 2 8 Bristol 5 — 2 7
Airport Local authority members 1 Other non-executive directors Executive directors Total Cardiff-Wales 9 3 3 15 East Midlands 18 — 3 21 Exeter 5 1 2 8 Humberside 12 1 3 16 Leeds Bradford 15 — 3 18 Luton 6 4 3 13 Manchester 18 — 3 21 Newcastle 24 — 3 27 Norwich 6 2 3 11 Southend 8 — 1 9 Teesside 11 1 3 15 1 Includes former local authority member, local authority officers, businessmen and worker directors. Under section 17(1) of the Airports Act 1986 it is the duty of the controlling authority of a public airport company to exercise its control over the company so as to ensure that at least three of the directors of the company, or at least one quarter of their number—whichever is the less—are full time employees of the company with experience in airport management. Southend airport, which is managed on behalf of its owners by a management company, is currently exempted from this duty (under section 17(2) of the 1986 Act).