§ 5. Mr. Allasonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will now designate Luton aerodrome under Section 29 of the Civil Aviation Act, 1971.
§ Mr. OnslowMy officials are discussing the question of night movements in 1973 with the authorities at Luton. Meanwhile I see no need to take a decision on designation.
§ Mr. AllasonIf my hon. Friend's officials are discussing night movements with Luton, may I express the hope that they are informing Luton that the Government will not tolerate night take-offs from Luton in the same way as they allow night take-offs from Heathrow? Is my hon. Friend aware that the operators at Luton are very near to producing their programmes for 1973 and that unless they have a firm statement from the Government about what steps are going to be taken, they are very liable to produce an even bigger programme than this year? That programme is quite intolerable to people living under the flight path
§ Mr. OnslowI do not think I could hold out any hope to my hon. Friend of a complete ban on night movements from Luton in 1973. If operators are forming plans at this stage they would be well advised to wait until we have completed these discussions because they might find that they had to change their plans.