§ Mr. MilburnTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the amount spent on external consultants by his Department's non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years. [10180]
§ Mr. BowisThe following amounts were spent on external consultants by the Department of Tranpsort's non-departmental public bodies in the last five years:
relation to the renegotiation of the US-UK air service agreements (Bermuda II); and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the analysis in relation to the bilateral talks. [10292]
§ Mr. BowisOfficials regularly discuss UK-US aviation matters with the Civil Aviation Authority, and such discussions have included the feasibility of an overarching "balance of benefits" study of liberalising UK-US air services. We decided not to instruct the CAA to undertake such an analysis: the number of variables which would need to be taken into account, and assumptions which would have to be made, would make it impossible to model results which could be treated with any confidence. I am however satisfied that UK negotiators are fully briefed for the current series of bilateral talks.
§ Mr. BowisThe current UK-Thailand air services arrangements do not permit the operation of services between Bangkok and Manchester by Thai Airways International. The Department of Transport has been seeking talks with the Thai authorities for some time now with a view to liberalising these arrangements.