asked the Secretary of State for Trade (1) if he will bring forward proposals for streamlining the composition of the aviation security fund working group for making the process of consultation more effective for those concerned as contributors to the fund;(2) what progress was made at the meeting of the aviation security fund working group on 5 February on proposals for a system whereby airports and airlines simply meet their own security costs; and when he expects to announce a decision on the future of the fund.

I understand that at the meeting of the aviation security fund working group on 5 February the industry was divided on the question of whether it wished the present system to continue, or be replaced by non-reimbursement. I shall be receiving a detailed report after the matter has been considered by the national aviation security committee at the end of February, and I hope to make a statement on the future of the fund after that. If the fund is to continue in its present form, the Department will examine with those concerned whether the present monitoring and consultation arrangements can be improved. The working group has the advantage of being widely representative of the industry, and one possibility is to make greater use of a smaller sub-group.