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Civil Aviation Bill

Or even more, my Lords. Indeed, other airline booking sites such as Ryanair have introduced the novelty of a charge of £5 for a bag weighing 20 kilograms on its flights, and again not a word about financial protection if you use a credit card to pay. There is a huge problem of perception here, as other speakers have said. People book their cheap airline tickets in the belief that they are protected by some sort of fund which will bring them home if the airline collapses, as EUjet did last year. Back in 1997, the ATOL scheme protected almost every traveller—some 98 per cent. By the end of last year the proportion had fallen to a little over half. Only last week the travel trade press reported that some tour operators, those with their own airlines, are looking at ways of pulling out of the ATOL scheme following the judicial review decision in January. That is more bad news for consumer protection. By continuing to resist the CAA proposal for the £1 levy, I am afraid that the Government are storing up huge problems for themselves. We have not had the last airline collapse, and I really do not want my noble friend to have to come before the House and explain why tens of thousands of British holiday-makers are stranded abroad because no fund was in place to bring them home when their airline went bust. It cannot make sense for the airlines to continue to exploit their passengers who fall for their insurance schemes and credit card rip-offs while at the same time deny reasonable protection to everyone who flies from a British airport with a simple £1 levy. I am very pleased indeed to support the amendment.