§ Mr. SproatTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what visits he has made to his EC counterparts in each member state to discuss deregulation matters since 18 April; what agreements came out of such meetings; and what plans he has for making further progress in deregulation matters during the United Kingdom's presidency of the EC.
§ Mr. MacGregorSince my appointment as Secretary of State for Transport I have met several of my EC counterparts for discussions on a wide range of issues, and I have invited them all to the informal Transport Council I am holding on 16 and 17 July.
On 23 June, I attended a meeting of the Transport Council in Luxembourg which agreed the third EC aviation liberalisation package, lifting a wide range of restrictions governing air services within the Community from 1 January 1993. Agreements were also reached on the liberalisation of shipping cabotage and road passenger cabotage.
It will be a priority of the United Kingdom presidency of the EC to ensure that further progress is made towards the creation of a single transport market within the Community, based on the principles of competition and liberalisation. In particular, I shall be seeking an agreement on definitive arrangements for road haulage cabotage, and further progress on slot allocation at airports and state aids.