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Civil Aviation Bill

My Lords, I made a brief intervention in Grand Committee in support of the amendment of the noble Baroness, Lady D’Souza, and I would like to do the same today. I have at least one question for the Minister. Before coming to it, the arguments produced in Grand Committee about the Chicago Convention should now be laid to rest. A more serious argument, perhaps, is whether this is the right place for such an amendment. If the Government are going to say that this is not the right place, they are obliged at least to tell the House where the right place is for an amendment on this topic. In this respect I am, in a sense, picking up the argument of the noble Lord, Lord Clinton-Davis. It is a matter of serious concern. Noble Lords in all parts of the House are concerned about the good name of the United Kingdom in this matter, as the Minister made clear in Grand Committee, and my noble friend Lord Garden has already referred to it. If the Minister is going to say, ““Yes, this is a fair point but not the right place”” he is obliged to tell the House what is the right place for such an amendment.