My Lords, I have the deepest respect for my noble friend Lord Harper, but three former Secretaries of State for Transport took a different view from the one the noble Lord has just read out. When NATS makes mistakes, the airlines pick up the tab. Last week, the airlines had...

My Lords, I have the deepest respect for my noble friend Lord Harper, but three former Secretaries of State for Transport took a different view from the one the noble Lord has just read out. When NATS makes mistakes, the airlines pick up the tab. Last week, the airlines had...

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that trailer. The reason behind Amendment 65 in my name is what happened

on 28 August 2023, when the air traffic system run by NATS failed. There was an independent review which looked into the debacle, and I want to...

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for that trailer. The reason behind Amendment 65 in my name is what happened

on 28 August 2023, when the air traffic system run by NATS failed. There was an independent review which looked into the debacle, and I want to...

Moved by

Lord Young of Cookham

65: After Clause 9, insert the following new Clause—

“Compensation reimbursement scheme for airlines

After section 9 of the Transport Act 2000 (power to exclude services from effect of section 8) insert—

“9A Reimbursement of passenger compensation payments

(1) A licence holder must establish and maintain a scheme for the...

Moved by

Lord Young of Cookham

65: After Clause 9, insert the following new Clause—

“Compensation reimbursement scheme for airlines

After section 9 of the Transport Act 2000 (power to exclude services from effect of section 8) insert—

“9A Reimbursement of passenger compensation payments

(1) A licence holder must establish and maintain a scheme for the...

My Lords, I will be brief. I am grateful to all those who supported Amendment 65 several hours ago. I am grateful to the Minister for replying and I recognise that his hands were tied. My noble friend Lord Moylan said that the Minister played his trump card by quoting...

My Lords, I will be brief. I am grateful to all those who supported Amendment 65 several hours ago. I am grateful to the Minister for replying and I recognise that his hands were tied. My noble friend Lord Moylan said that the Minister played his trump card by quoting...

To ask His Majesty's Government whether NATS Holdings will be required to compensate airlines for the consequences of its IT failure last year.

To ask His Majesty's Government whether NATS Holdings will be required to compensate airlines for the consequences of its IT failure last year.

My Lords, a fortnight ago, I asked my noble friend whether NATS should be liable to pay compensation for its failures in the same way as the airlines are, but she resisted. In defence, she said that NATS’ licence conditions allow penalties to be imposed for its failures. However, in a Written Answer, my noble friend told me that over the past five years, those penalties amounted only to £600,000, whereas this month the airlines have had to pay £100 million for NATS’ failures. Surely NATS should have to pay compensation in the same way as the airlines.

My Lords, a fortnight ago, I asked my noble friend whether NATS should be liable to pay compensation for its failures in the same way as the airlines are, but she resisted. In defence, she said that NATS’ licence conditions allow penalties to be imposed for its failures. However, in a Written Answer, my noble friend told me that over the past five years, those penalties amounted only to £600,000, whereas this month the airlines have had to pay £100 million for NATS’ failures. Surely NATS should have to pay compensation in the same way as the airlines.

To ask His Majesty's Government what penalties have been incurred by NATS Holdings for failure to meet service targets in each of the past five years.

To ask His Majesty's Government what penalties have been incurred by NATS Holdings for failure to meet service targets in each of the past five years.

My Lords, last week 2,000 flights were cancelled because of NATS’s inability to process flight plans, and a quarter of a million passengers were grounded. When airlines are responsible for delays, they must pay compensation to the passenger and pay for alternative flights, accommodation and food. When NATS is responsible for delays, no compensation is payable at all—and, worse, the airlines have to pick up the bill for alternative flights, food and accommodation, which, in this case, was £100 million. Both NATS and the airlines are commercial companies—NATS had a profit of £150 million last year—so is not the differential compensation between NATS, on the one hand, and airlines, on the other, wholly indefensible?

My Lords, last week 2,000 flights were cancelled because of NATS’s inability to process flight plans, and a quarter of a million passengers were grounded. When airlines are responsible for delays, they must pay compensation to the passenger and pay for alternative flights, accommodation and food. When NATS is responsible for delays, no compensation is payable at all—and, worse, the airlines have to pick up the bill for alternative flights, food and accommodation, which, in this case, was £100 million. Both NATS and the airlines are commercial companies—NATS had a profit of £150 million last year—so is not the differential compensation between NATS, on the one hand, and airlines, on the other, wholly indefensible?

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for making National Air Traffic Services liable to pay compensation to customers for operational failure.

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for making National Air Traffic Services liable to pay compensation to customers for operational failure.

Adjournment debate on new flight paths into Southampton and Bournemouth airports.

Adjournment debate on new flight paths into Southampton and Bournemouth airports.

I am sorry to arrest the Minister in mid flight, but would he be concerned if the guidance that his Department had set out, which needs to be pursued for proposals such as this one, had not been followed?

I am sorry to arrest the Minister in mid flight, but would he be concerned if the guidance that his Department had set out, which needs to be pursued for proposals such as this one, had not been followed?

I am glad that I gave my hon. Friend a slot, so that his intervention could land safely. It was well made, and underlines the point that the new flight path, once granted, could cope with a greater volume of traffic than the one on which the consultation paper was...

I am glad that I gave my hon. Friend a slot, so that his intervention could land safely. It was well made, and underlines the point that the new flight path, once granted, could cope with a greater volume of traffic than the one on which the consultation paper was...

My right hon. and learned Friend is absolutely right. There is less protection for what may be a noisier development than there is for the developments that he has just described. Indeed, he has put his finger on a point that was in the Government's White Paper, ““A better quality...

My right hon. and learned Friend is absolutely right. There is less protection for what may be a noisier development than there is for the developments that he has just described. Indeed, he has put his finger on a point that was in the Government's White Paper, ““A better quality...

I welcome this opportunity to raise in the House my constituents' concern about proposals for a new flight path into Southampton and Bournemouth airports. NATS—National Air Traffic Services—has proposed additional controlled airspace from Newbury to Romsey, where aircraft may fly as low as 5,500 ft. Flights would be permitted between...

I welcome this opportunity to raise in the House my constituents' concern about proposals for a new flight path into Southampton and Bournemouth airports. NATS—National Air Traffic Services—has proposed additional controlled airspace from Newbury to Romsey, where aircraft may fly as low as 5,500 ft. Flights would be permitted between...

I sense that the Under-Secretary is about to touch down. Surely if a national park authority makes representations against a proposal such as the one that we are considering, he would expect the CAA to touch base with a Department before ticking it through?

I sense that the Under-Secretary is about to touch down. Surely if a national park authority makes representations against a proposal such as the one that we are considering, he would expect the CAA to touch base with a Department before ticking it through?