Comments on: Split up the BAA http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/22/split-up-the-baa/ Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Wokingham Thu, 16 Oct 2008 00:33:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: John, wrexham http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/22/split-up-the-baa/#comment-19518 John, wrexham Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:02:20 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/22/split-up-the-baa/#comment-19518 dear john redwood, all this talk of splitting up BAA has all the hallmarks of the so-called competition that was introduced into the railway industry ie everyone will spend a stack of money rebranding themselves and blaming each other, while we'll all end up paying more. the debate about gatwick, stanstead and heathrow is very London based. for most people in the UK, Stanstead and Gatwick are not easy airports to get to. i'll need more than a few quid off my flight to put up with the hassle of getting to Gatwick! as for the queues, they are the response to the war on terror. you might remember we were promised the near ending of passport controls in the EU back in the 1980s. nowadays, the queue is often shorter and quicker for 'aliens' than for UK citizens to get back into their own country. the idea of pulling airplanes around airports using trucks is about a sensible as you and your wife pushing your car out of the garage and down the drive each morning and claiming to be helping the environment. we need some techological solutions and they will only come when people see there is money to be made out of them! Reply: Competition works - just compare the levels of service and low prices from a competitive airline industry with the high prices and poor service of the BAA - or Network Rail. The queues are largely because the gov ernment does not staff our borders properly. Improving fuel economy is often a cae of making many smaller improvements. These can include cutting fuel use through planes stacking above the airport and waiitng for space on the ground with engines running. dear john redwood,

all this talk of splitting up BAA has all the hallmarks of the so-called competition that was introduced into the railway industry ie everyone will spend a stack of money rebranding themselves and blaming each other, while we’ll all end up paying more.

the debate about gatwick, stanstead and heathrow is very London based. for most people in the UK, Stanstead and Gatwick are not easy airports to get to. i’ll need more than a few quid off my flight to put up with the hassle of getting to Gatwick!

as for the queues, they are the response to the war on terror. you might remember we were promised the near ending of passport controls in the EU back in the 1980s. nowadays, the queue is often shorter and quicker for ‘aliens’ than for UK citizens to get back into their own country.

the idea of pulling airplanes around airports using trucks is about a sensible as you and your wife pushing your car out of the garage and down the drive each morning and claiming to be helping the environment.

we need some techological solutions and they will only come when people see there is money to be made out of them!

Reply: Competition works - just compare the levels of service and low prices from a competitive airline industry with the high prices and poor service of the BAA - or Network Rail. The queues are largely because the gov ernment does not staff our borders properly. Improving fuel economy is often a cae of making many smaller improvements. These can include cutting fuel use through planes stacking above the airport and waiitng for space on the ground with engines running.

]]> By: Freeborn John http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/22/split-up-the-baa/#comment-19488 Freeborn John Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:40:28 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/22/split-up-the-baa/#comment-19488 I must say I was surprised back in 1987 when BAA was privatised without first being broken up. Surely there is a difference between privatizing a company that has competitors and one that effectively operates a monopoly. In many similar cases (water, electricity, etc.) the state-monopolies were first broken-up to introduce competition. I can’t understand why the then Conservative government permitted the creation of what is effectively a private monopoly. For 20 years BAA has operated like one of the ‘national champions’ so favoured in dirigiste countries using a privileged position at home to fund empire-building overseas. I wonder if it is only because this national champion is now Spanish-owned that the issue of break-up is back on the agenda? Reply: I have always wanted to split Heathrow from Stanstead and Gatwick and will continue to argue the case. I must say I was surprised back in 1987 when BAA was privatised without first being broken up. Surely there is a difference between privatizing a company that has competitors and one that effectively operates a monopoly. In many similar cases (water, electricity, etc.) the state-monopolies were first broken-up to introduce competition. I can’t understand why the then Conservative government permitted the creation of what is effectively a private monopoly.

For 20 years BAA has operated like one of the ‘national champions’ so favoured in dirigiste countries using a privileged position at home to fund empire-building overseas. I wonder if it is only because this national champion is now Spanish-owned that the issue of break-up is back on the agenda?

Reply: I have always wanted to split Heathrow from Stanstead and Gatwick and will continue to argue the case.

]]> By: Raymond http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/22/split-up-the-baa/#comment-19475 Raymond Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:07:56 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/22/split-up-the-baa/#comment-19475 Airplane! AIRPLANE!!!!! Good grief man, and on St George's Day. The word is AEROPLANE. Have we really sold out to the colonies. Sorry, rant over. Airplane! AIRPLANE!!!!! Good grief man, and on St George’s Day. The word is AEROPLANE. Have we really sold out to the colonies.

Sorry, rant over.

]]> By: mikestallard http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/22/split-up-the-baa/#comment-19447 mikestallard Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:01:35 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/04/22/split-up-the-baa/#comment-19447 Two hopeful remarks: 1. On the radio today it was suggested that perhaps each of the 5 terminals could be put under different companies and thus introduce competition that way. 2. When I flew to Bangkok recently, I did not even consider Heathrow. I went via the excellent Birmingham. My daughter went via Leeds/Bradford. Provincial airports are in fact taking over from Heathrow which is far too big, too political and too inefficient. Two hopeful remarks:
1. On the radio today it was suggested that perhaps each of the 5 terminals could be put under different companies and thus introduce competition that way.
2. When I flew to Bangkok recently, I did not even consider Heathrow. I went via the excellent Birmingham. My daughter went via Leeds/Bradford. Provincial airports are in fact taking over from Heathrow which is far too big, too political and too inefficient.

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