HC Deb 08 May 2002 vol 385 cc219-20W
Bob Spink

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will make an announcement about the provision of new airport capacity in the south-east. [53925]

Mr. Jamieson

We intend to publish a consultation paper the outcome of which will inform the Aviation White Paper. which we hope to publish before the end of the year.

Mr. Todd

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to encourage best practice in the types of airport consultation that are required under section 35 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982. [54505]

Mr. Jamieson

The then Department of Transport produced Guidelines for Airport Consultative Committees in December 1987. These stand as the current DTLR advice, and copies are available free on demand. In the `Future of Aviation' consultation, we invited and received various views on whether and how it would be useful to update this guidance, and a decision on this will be taken in due course.

Specific guidance is also available about airport transport forums and airport surface access strategies (including recommendations on consultation), on the Department's web site.

Mr. Nicholas Winterton

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent assessment he has made of the implications of the practice of foreign airliner wet-leasing by United Kingdom airlines on the economic well-being of the domestic aviation industry; what representations he has received about the practice of foreign airliner wet-leasing by United Kingdom airlines; what proposals he has to introduce regulations to restrict wet-leasing of aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [54690]

Mr. Jamieson

Aircraft leasing by UK airlines is governed by European Community law. My Department continuously monitors wet-leasing applications to ensure compliance with Community law, including the requirement that UK airlines do not become excessively dependent on aircraft registered outside the European Economic Area. There are currently eleven passenger and thirteen freighter aircraft wet-leased to UK carriers for periods approaching a traffic season, of which five passenger and eleven freighter aircraft are registered outside the EEA. Five of these aircraft are in process of transfer to the UK register.

My Department's Transparent Procedures for handling leasing applications include provisions whereby interested parties can make representations about individual applications both to the Civil Aviation Authority and to my Secretary of State. In addition my Department receives regular correspondence on the subject of wet-leasing. I consider that the ability to wet-lease foreign registered aircraft within the constraints of Community law enhances the operational efficiency of UK airlines and contributes to the economic well-being of the UK aviation industry. I have no plans to pursue regulations, which could only be introduced at Community level, to place further restrictions on wet-leasing by UK airlines.