Draft Airports Slot Allocation (Alleviation of Usage Requirements etc.) Regulations 2025

Robin Swann Excerpts

Monday 27th January 2025 General Committees

[Robin Swann (South Antrim) (UUP)]

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms McVey. May I just ask the Minister a couple of questions, particularly about how these provisions apply to Northern Ireland? Regulation 3, which the explanatory note says

“makes transitional and saving provision with regard to the omission of paragraph 4(g) of Article 10 of Regulation 95/93”,

does not apply to Northern Ireland in regard to setting the date, so may I ask the Minister how this particular regulation and the date are applicable to Northern Ireland?

Also I note that the explanatory memorandum states:

“Aerodromes (and therefore slots) are a transferred matter in relation to Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Executive has however agreed that the UK Parliament can legislate to extend and apply the relevant provisions to Northern Ireland.”

Although I have no objection to that, I ask the Minister to clarify by what method those decisions will be taken in this place.

--- Later in debate ---

[Robin Swann]

I thank the Minister for that clarification, because my concern has been protecting those slots that are vital to the economy of Northern Ireland and to people coming across to the rest of the UK. Giving permanency to that slot provision is very welcome.