My contribution to these proceedings will be to comment on the strong and weak points in the Government's White Paper from the standpoint of the major airport operator concerned—the British Airports Authority. There cannot be many other businesses operated today which are subject to such a numerous and varied number of voices and influences telling the operator what to do, how to do it, when to do it and where to do it. If there are, I'm sorry for them!

The British Airports Authority is a profitable public enterprise set up 11 years ago (as the result of the last White Paper) to own and operate airports. We run seven airports, four in Scotland (Aberdeen, Prestwick, Edinburgh and Glasgow) and three in the South-East of England (Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted). About 75% of the UK's passenger traffic and 85% of air cargo go through the BAA's airports.