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Civil Aviation Bill

My noble friend knows that I feel very strongly about this issue. The whole Committee owes a debt of gratitude to the noble Baroness for introducing the subject. However, I share the opinion of my noble friend at the Dispatch Box, and I speak as a former Minister of aviation. The Civil Aviation Bill is the wrong Bill for this. We could have a useful debate about the matter at Report, although I do not encourage the noble Baroness to pursue that course. Many of us feel that the Government could do a great deal more, but my noble friend is not the right person to approach. We have to exercise authority in the House of Commons, and we have to do that via the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary. As I have said, I do not doubt that they could be more vehement in their condemnation of this practice, but I repeat that this is not the right way to pursue the issue. I know that my noble friend feels just as strongly about the issue as do all Members of the Committee. But we have to be careful about what we are doing. I am not sure about the dire consequences spelt out by my noble friend because I do not know whether such an amendment would wreck the Bill. On the other hand, we all have to ask whether this is the right approach.