HL Deb 21 February 1968 vol 289 cc390-1
LORD TREFGARNE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the first Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

[The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to replace the obsolete Non Directional Beacons in the British airways system with the more modern VHF Omnidirectional Range (VOR) type of beacon, bearing in mind particularly those beacons at Epsom and Mayfield.]

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, VHF Omnidirectional Radio Range Beacons are replacing Non-Directional Beacons as the main navigational aid in the United Kingdom airways system. A programme for 32 such installations is well advanced, with 24 already in operation. Four more will begin operation in 1968 and the remaining four in 1969. Certain NDB's in the airways will be retained to mark points of change of flight procedure. It is intended to replace the Epsom NDB as soon as a site for a VOR can be obtained; the present NDB site is not technically suitable. The need to replace the Mayfield NDB depends upon the likely development of traffic patterns and flying procedures in that area, aid this is still being studied.

LORD TREFGARNE

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for his reply. I wonder whether he realises that in the case of the Mayfield Beacon, which is the one of particular concern because of its limited range, aircraft carrying out holding pattern, waiting to use instrument landing procedure at Gatwick, frequently find themselves on the outbound leg of the pattern quite out of range of the beacon, and this is particularly so in the winter months when interference from Continental stations and, on occasions, icing on the transmitting aerials of the beacon reduce the range of the beacon below the promulgated figure at present in use.

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, I know there are difficulties with the Mayfield beacon, but, as I said, there are other more basic considerations now being studied, and it would be unwise to make any change there until the other problem is settled.

LORD TREFGARNE

My Lords, while accepting that point, may I ask whether it would not be possible, while this investigation is going on, to increase the power of the Mayfield beacon so that this problem, which is particularly acute with modern high-speed aircraft and will become perhaps even dangerous with supersonic aircraft, will not arise?

LORD BESWICK

My Lords, I will certainly see if that is technically feasible.