§ 2.34 p.m.
§ LORD BRAYEMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any statement to make about progress in experiments with airfield fog dispersal.]
§ THE PAYMASTER GENERAL (LORD MILLS)My Lords, my right honourable friend the Minister of Aviation has been considering the possibilities of installing a fog dispersal system on one runway at London (Heathrow) Airport, based on an improved version of the war-time F.I.D.O. An Air Ministry requirement for a similar system at Royal Air Force airfields was cancelled towards the end of 1959 because of the progress made with automatic landing for R.A.F. V-bombers and transport aircraft.
It has now been decided that no useful purpose would be served in attempting to install F.I.D.O. at London Airport. The essential preliminary trials have throughout been severely delayed owing to difficulties in achieving an effective experimental installation. Allowing time for the completion of these trials, and for design and construction, it is unlikely that a London Airport system could be in operation before 1965, by which time it could have only a limited useful life in view of the progress expected in the development of automatic landing systems for civil use. Capital and operating costs would be very high, and would necessitate charges heavier than the airline operators would be prepared to pay.
§ LORD BRAYEMy Lords, I should like to thank the noble Lord, Lord Mills, for his reply. As a subsidiary question, 42 I should like to ask whether it will take very long to install some form of electronic landing device at London Airport.
§ LORD MILLSMy Lords, the answer to the noble Lord is that that has yet to be perfected. The anticipation is that it will be somewhere about 1967.