Transport Bill faces Lords grilling

The proposals would privatise 51% of the service

The government's plan to part-privatise the air traffic control system has cleared the Commons, but is expected to face further harsh scrutiny in the House of Lords.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott suffered an embarrassing double revolt on Tuesday as Labour backbenchers hit out at the proposal for the National Air Traffic Services (Nats).

Forty-six MPs backed unsuccessful bids to switch control to a not-for-profit trust or a publicly owned company, warning that safety of the skies must not be compromised by a proposed 51% sell-off.

But on Wednesday, MPs gave the Transport Bill a third reading by 304 votes to 159, a government majority of 145.

Our proposals have not been entirely free from controversy

Nick Raynsford

Described by the government as a "comprehensive integrated approach" to Britain's transport problems, the Bill also includes plans for congestion charging and a Strategic Rail Authority.

But Transport Minister of State Nick Raynsford acknowledged the Nats public-private partnership was not universally popular.

"Our proposals ... have not been entirely free from controversy but one thing I believe the whole House agrees on is that change is essential if our air traffic control system is to continue to meet ever-increasing demands on our airspace," he said.

Tory Bernard Jenkin claimed the Bill had to be extensively re-written during its passage, reflecting the government's "mud pie political philosophy".

Liberal Democrat Don Foster said there was a lot to welcome in the new Bill but stressed his party had a "fundamental" disagreement with the government over Nats privatisation.

Strong opposition

One of the rebels said a "staggering" number of Labour MPs had either opposed the sell-off or stayed away from the Commons when the vote took place on Tuesday.

John McDonnell said he believed the rebellion would make the government think again about compromising on the plan when it goes before the House of Lords.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott had already tried to convince backbenchers on Tuesday that the proposals would not jeopardise safety.

John Prescott says the Bill will not compromise safety

Mr Prescott said: "You have to do what's right on safety, that's my obligation, I've always faced that and if it's not popular I'll have to live with it.

"I've heard an awful lot of tosh that has gone on here about the public and the private sector.

"Do you feel less safe when you get on a private aeroplane? Did you go for British Airways when it was publicly owned and say 'ah, I'm safe'?"

Alternative proposals

While the government defeated the moves on Tuesday, its majority slumped to 60 during the second vote as rebel Labour MPs joined the Tories to oppose the plan.

During the debate on the report stage of the Transport Bill, the Labour chairman of the transport select committee, Gwyneth Dunwoody, had begged backbenchers to oppose the move.

She said the best way to ensure safety standards was to keep Nats either as a non-profit making company or, "better still", as a publicly owned corporation.

Former Labour transport minister Gavin Strang said he favoured the idea of setting up a trust which would borrow from the private sector but would be made up of representatives of the airlines, customers, trade unions and all other interested parties.