asked the Secretary of State for Trade, in the light of the fact that airlines are flying out of London with empty scheduled seats at a time when travellers are stranded in the United Kingdom as a result of an inadequate number of standby seats, whether it is possible to make additional standby seats available as an emergency measure to help to speed up the return of travellers to the United States of America; and if he will discuss this problem as a matter of urgency with the Civil Aviation Authority.

The difficulties experienced by these travellers have already been discussed with the Civil Aviation Authority, and it has now acted so as to make additional standby seats available and also to allow such passengers to be carried on any available charter seats on British airlines. My Department is acting similarly in respect of United States airlines.