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Civil Aviation Bill

My Lords, I can say to my noble friend who has just spoken that small charges are still charges; if the charges are there, they discriminate against that airport compared with airports that impose no charges at all. Any Government would be extremely wary about additional regulations that put an extra impost on an aerodrome where there is no justification for it. Noble Lords on all sides of the House are under constant pressure to limit regulation; indeed, there is a Bill before the House that deals with these issues. Yet the moment a matter like this becomes of public concern and action is needed, but where it is clear that the Government have the power to deal with it, we have calls to impose additional regulation and to make additions to the Bill that cannot be justified. Of course, I recognise that aircraft produce emissions and emit noise, but my noble friend Lord Clinton-Davis is absolutely right: does anybody think that there is not pressure on aircraft manufacturers to reduce noise and emission levels? Why is it that even the largest aircraft that the world has ever seen, the A380, which is coming into service, is quieter and does less damage to the environment than many of its predecessors? That is a reflection of the fact that aircraft manufacturers are all too well aware of the pressure on airports to control these matters. Charges are in place for the major airports. We have reached this position on the basis of considerable experience of operating past legislation, and this Bill strengthens the position. If I did not know my noble friend Lady McIntosh so well, I would not have known which airport she was speaking about. I imagine that it is probably Stansted. My noble friend plays a very prominent role in asking the right questions of that airport when it contemplates expansion. Stansted is a designated airport under the Secretary of State’s powers. The amendment that the Liberal Democrats are putting forward has no impact on that position at all. Of course, that is not to say that—