HC Deb 23 July 1986 vol 102 cc273-4W
Mr. Carter-Jones

asked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) whether he will seek the tightening of the International Civil Aviation Organisation chapter 3 regulations to prevent any new aircraft noisier than the quietest currently in production from entering service; and if he will make a statement;

(2) what recent representations he has received from hon. Members, public organisations and the general public on aircraft noise;

(3) what is the average number of years that aircraft not meeting the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation chapter 3 are allowed to remain on the British register;

(4) whether he has any intention to set a time limit for large civil aircraft which do not meet International Civil Aviation Organisation chapter 3 to be allowed to remain on the British register;

(5) what is his policy concerning the continued production and entry onto the British register of large civil passenger aircraft that do not meet the requirements of International Civil Aviation Organisation chapter 3; and if he will make a statement;

(6) if he will list those large civil passenger aircraft currently in production that conform to the noise regulations of International Civil Aviation Organisation chapter 3;

(7) if all large passenger aircraft currently in production and being introduced onto the British register meet the requirements in regard to noise as laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organisation chapter 3 regulations;

Mr. Moore

Noise certificated subsonic jet aeroplanes have to meet the standards laid down in the International Civil Aviation Organisation's annex 16, volume 1, "Aircraft Noise", and fall into two categories: chapter 2, and the more stringent chapter 3. In the White Paper on Airports Policy (para. 8.5) the Government pointed to the difficulties of replacing chapter 2 aeroplanes with chapter 3 types, but said that it would continue to play a leading role internationally in developing controls to limit the use of these aeroplanes. Whether this would entail preventing chapter 2 aeroplanes from being added to the United Kingdom register at some point in time is a matter for further consideration, as is the question of how long they should be permitted to remain on the register.

ICAO, with United Kingdom support, has decided to leave the phasing out of the production of chapter 2 aeroplanes to market forces, and I am not aware of any orders by United Kingdom airlines for new large passenger jet aeroplanes which do not meet chapter 3 standards. Recently ICAO's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection decided that the need for increasing the stringency of the noise standards should be examined by a working group, on which the United Kingdom will be represented. The large passenger aeroplanes in production that meet chapter 3 are as follows:

  • Airbus
  • A300
  • A310
  • A320
  • Boeing
  • 737–300
  • 747 (most models)
  • 757
  • 767
  • British Aerospace
  • BAe 146
  • Fokker
  • F100
  • McDonnell Douglas
  • DC 10
  • MD80 series

During the first six months of the year my right hon. Friend and I received 50 letters from hon. Members and 1,267 letters from members of the public about aircraft noise. In addition we have had seven meetings with interested organisations and hon. Members.