To ask the Secretary of State for Transport

(1) if he will press for measures to ensure that deaf and other disabled people are not refused carriage by foreign airlines operating in the UK unless there are legitimate safety grounds;

(2) if he will request that Iberia Airlines apologise to, and compensate, the party of deaf UK passengers, for refusing to carry them on 22 July 2004.

In light of the incident on the Iberia Airlines flight last summer we have referred the issue of restrictions on the number of disabled people who are carried on particular aircraft to the European Civil Aviation Conference's Facilitation Sub Group on air travel for persons with reduced mobility (PRM). The term PRM is used in European fora to refer to disabled and, in some cases, also to other mobility impaired people.

The ECAC group has agreed to look at the issue with a view to seeing what, if any, changes might be needed to current recommended practices and policies. That work item has been included in the progamme for this year.

We have no basis on which to ask Iberia Airlines to apologise to, or to compensate those involved in last summer's incident.