§ John McDonnellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's action to support the aviation industry and communities dependent on airports. [9582]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe Government have moved quickly to underwrite, on a temporary basis, third party war risk insurance for airlines and service providers to the airline industry, an initiative which has been widely copied elsewhere. The meeting of European Transport Ministers on 16 October endorsed guidelines issued by the Commission on emergency aid measures, and we will take these guidelines into account in considering whether further aid should be paid to the British airline industry. The Employment Service is working closely with the aviation industry and all the strategic partners (regional development agencies, local authorities and the Learning and Skills Council) to assess the impact of any redundancy announcements, and to introduce appropriate measures.