§ Mr. TynanTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what further sanctions are available to his Department to recover fines where an airline has been banned from United Kingdom airspace due to non-payment of fines. [148960]
§ Mr. McNultyThe recovery of charges due under Carriers Liability legislation in respect of passengers arriving in the United Kingdom without the required documents is the responsibility of the Home Office. Such charges may be recoverable through the courts as a debt.1238W However, if a carrier was not operating to the United Kingdom, the enforceability of a court's judgment would be a relevant consideration in deciding whether to pursue this course.
§ Mr. Gerald HowarthTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will reduce the charges levied on users of British airspace as a result of the transfer of responsibility for aviation safety regulation from the UK CAA to the European Aviation Safety Agency. [149596]
§ Mr. McNultyRegulation (EC) No. 1592/2002, establishing the European Aviation Safety Agency, applies to the design, production, and airworthiness of aircraft and aircraft products, together with associated personnel and organisations. It has no bearing on the way British airspace is managed or the charges levied with respect to the use of British airspace.
The Agency took up its safety regulatory duties on 28 September 2003, and for the time being, has authorised national aviation administrations, including the UK CAA, to carry out tasks on its behalf under national charging schemes. Until the Agency has established its own staff and processes, including a Regulation on fees and charges, we cannot estimate the precise effect on the work of the CAA. The CAA intends to review with UK industry the impact that EASA will have on the costs of its Safety Regulation Group and the associated charges to UK industry.