HKK 184/6
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO.. 51 19 JUN 1980
BERY OFFICER
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17 JUNE 1980
[Mr. Pym.] there is a change of heart in the Soviet Union we shall review the decision.
Mr. Ernie Ross: Does the Secretary of State accept that in a week when the House debated the Brandt report, which clearly outlined the disparities between North and South and showed that hun- dreds of millions of people exist in poverty, his statement today that Britain will spend £16 million on a weapon that will never be fired will be found particu- larly offensive?
Mr. Pym: If we do not protect our- selves adequately, and if we do not have an adequate shield, freedom and demo- cracy will not be continued into the future. I also point out to the hon. Gentleman the remarkable fact that the Soviet Union pays scant regard to the needs of other countries. It makes a very small contribution in terms of foreign aid. It will supply weapons if necessary, but practically no foreign aid. We should also take that point into account. It is all the more reason to make sure that we are adequately defended. If we are not, the whole world may be taken over by the Soviet Union, and we can imagine the fantastic mess that would result.
Mr. Ron Brown: The Government are great supporters of secret ballots. May I take it that the Minister will also organise a ballot of the people who live in areas surrounding these missile sites, or is that stretching democracy too far?
Mr. Pym: As the hon. Gentleman knows, that has never been the practice, nor would it be sensible to take decisions on major matters of national and Alliance security on the basis of local polls. People can express opinions, but decisions on national security-a concern that every- one shares-must be taken by national Governments, and the House understands that.
Mr. Frank Allaun: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. It is a long-established cus- tom in the House that if a question has been asked previously hon. Members can- not table the same question again. The Table Office forbids it. But this afternoon my hon. Friend the Member for Eton and Slough (Miss Lestor) asked a supple- mentary question. I have been a Mem ber of the House for a fairly long time, and I have never known a supplementary
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question to be barred because it had been asked previously. May I ask for your
1 guidance on this point, Mr. Speaker?
Mr. Speaker: It is quite simple. I am willing to make another statement 10- morrow when I have looked at the matter again, but if a question is not permissible at the Table Office it is not permissible as a supplementary question. It is as simple as that. I shall look at the matter further in case I need to correct myself.
Mr. Dalyell: Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. When you look at the matter further tomorrow, will you take into account that question No. 32 on the Order Paper on Diego Garcia implied considerations of troop movements?
Mr. Speaker: That point has not escaped me.
AIR SERVICES (LONDON- HONG KONG)
The Secretary of State for Trade (Mr. John Nott): With permission, Mr. Speaker, in view of the widespread inter- est in the matter, I should like to make a statement about the decision that I have taken concerning air services between London and Hong King.
Last year three airlines, British Cale- donian, Laker and Cathay Pacific, a Hong Kong-based airline, applied to the Hong Kong Air Transport Licensing Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority for licen- ces to operate on the London-Hong Kong route in addition to British Airways. At present, British Airways provides the only direct service, although there are, of course, already a large number of services between Hong Kong and other European cities.
Both authorities heard evidence separ ately on these applications. In December the Hong Kong authority licensed Britsh Caledonian and Cathay Pacific, but re- stricted their frequency of service to four and three flights a week respectively. In March this year, the Civil Aviation Au- thority announced its decision to license only British Caledonian.
The two applicants who were unsuc cessful before the Civil Aviation Authority submitted appeals to me under the provi sions of regulation 16 of the Civil Aviation
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Authority Regulations 1972. ceived a number of representa cluding one from the Governmen Kong, that under the powers on me by section 4(3) of the Ci tion Act 1971. I should di authority to license Cathay Pacif interests of the United Kingdor tions with Hong Kong.
I have given this matter t careful consideration, in particula the criteria set out in section 3 of and I found myself in disagreem the Civil Aviation Authority in a of ways. In particular. I was co by Sir Freddie Laker's content there is a large untapped market route if fares are pitched at the rig In his evidence he described this as consisting of
"the forgotten men and women at the end of the market
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who might wish to fly if they coul to do so. I find myself in agreem this dynamic approach to civil a and in my view it should be a ledged.
I also felt that the authority had too much emphasis on the econo the proposed additional services short term, and too little on the ber the development of the United K civil aviation industry generally of of service and competition on a such as this in particular, com with other non-British airlines.
'I felt that it was in the interests line passengers that they shou offered a wider choice of servic exists at present, that it would be sonable to expect British airlines, the meaning of section 3(1) of the be granted exclusive rights when Pacific are based in Hong Kong and mand much local loyalty, and can to draw traffic from their netw regional services.
I concluded therefore that the su tial new traffic likely to be generate a period by a wider variety of s would offer a reasonable prospec four operators could, over a I achieve an economic return on this
I have accordingly upheld the Aviation Authority's decision to 1 British Caledonian but, in addition, directed it to reverse its decisions other two applications and to issue
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.