Clause 3 - Power for aerodromes to
Civil Aviation Bill
4:30 pm
Julian Brazier (Shadow Minister, Transport; Canterbury, Conservative)
I am enjoying the rather unusual experience of finding that I am midway between the other two parties on the matter that we are considering. A little earlier we had a debate in which the official Opposition and the Liberal Democrats tried to persuade the Government to adopt a much more modest measure than the one that we are discussing, relating purely to new aircraft, and looking ahead to 2020, to take account of the wishes of the British aviation industry. We were disappointed that the Government were unable to do that.
Now, alas, we part company with the Liberal Democrats. The provision goes too far. It seems to the Conservative party that it is unfair on aspects of the aviation industry. One of the effects of giving powers to impose an immediate maximum on aeroplanes could be to shut out completely carriers from certain poorer countries. We all want progress; there is complete consensus in the Committee in all the relevant respects, in the sense that we all want both sorts of emissions to be reduced—CO?2? and nitrogen products. We all want noise to be reduced and so on. However, a rather arbitrary power, effectively to cut whole aircraft from the scene immediately, would, I am fairly certain, breach our treaty obligations. Even if it did not, it would be going too far. The balance to be struck between the interests of the industry and, indeed, the travelling public, on the one hand, and environmental requirements on the other, is not struck by the amendment, although it is well intentioned.