§ Mr. Alfred MorrisTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate his Department has made of the economic benefits that accrue to Amsterdam and other European hubs from failure to allow direct services from Manchester airport and the diversion of passengers to airports on the continent; and if he will make a statement;
(2) what assessment he has made of the evidence given on behalf of Manchester Airport plc to the Select Committee on Transport in regard to the cost to regional airports of failing to liberalise access to them; what action he will take; and if he will make a statement;
(3) what estimate his Department has made of the loss to Manchester Airport plc of preventing the airport from meeting airline demand for additional services to and from Manchester; and if he will make a statement on the airport's call for the liberalising of access to regional airports.
§ Mr. Norris[holding answer 9 February]: There is no reliable information available on the effects of the United 472W Kingdom's aviation policy on airports in other countries. We have not yet been able to examine in detail the evidence given by Manchester airport to the Select Committee, but we have asked the CAA to examine in detail the economic impact of air services on regional airports, in consultation with United Kingdom airports, including Manchester, airlines and other Government Departments.
It has long been the Government's policy to seek the maximum degree of liberalisation of our air services agreements in order to maximise the benefits to consumers, the airline industry and the United Kingdom economy generally. At the same time the Government have aimed to increase opportunities to regional airports. Individual proposals are considered on their merits and the Government have in the past given expanded opportunities to regional airports. For instance, as a result of the deal negotiated in 1990 three extra services to Manchester from the United States and a service from Birmingham to the United States have commenced. In addition the United Kingdom gave special permission outside the terms of the United States/United Kingdom Air Services Agreement last April for a service from New York to Belfast. As a continuation of our policy to liberalise services to regional airports the United Kingdom has put a proposal to the United States Government which offers immediate open access to United Kingdom regional airports from all United States cities.