European Ground Handling Directives

Oral Answers to Questions — Transport – in the House of Commons at 12:00 am on 10 March 1997.

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Photo of Anthony Steen Anthony Steen , South Hams 12:00, 10 March 1997

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what organisations and companies he has consulted with regard to the European ground handling directives; and what representations he has received. [17759]

Photo of George Young George Young Secretary of State for Transport

My Department consulted extensively within the aviation industry during the negotiation of the European Council directive on, round handling, and will shortly consult again on its implementation into UK law.

Photo of Anthony Steen Anthony Steen , South Hams

As, unlike European airports, most British airports have already carried out the spirit and competitive requirement of the directive, will the Secretary of State explain why his officials seem determined to extend the directive and interpret it even further so that the British support services at British airports will have to tender all over again, at enormous cost to them but with no real advantage to the public or the airports? Why cannot we just enforce the directive as it is, as every other European country does?

Photo of George Young George Young Secretary of State for Transport

My hon. Friend is right to point out that the directive will bite much harder on European airports than on UK airports because in many European airports there is no competition. Indifferent services are sometimes provided at a high cost whereas within UK airports, especially the larger ones, there is an element of competition. It is therefore in the interests of passengers generally and of the UK ground handling industry that the industry should have access to European airports, and the directive provides that.

As for implementing the directive in the UK, we are not in the business of gold plating directives. Our objective is to implement the directive with the minimum burden on UK industry, and we shall shortly consult industry on the draft regulations. I shall certainly take my hon. Friend's exhortation to heart.