§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will make a statement in respect of the reported air near-miss on 26 June, involving an United Airlines Boeing 767 and a Venezuelan business jet over south Wales;
(2) if he will make a statement in respect of the reported air near-miss on 25 June, involving an Air UK F27 and a Royal Air Force Tornado at approximately 12,000 ft, 15 miles north of Grimsby.
§ Mr. NorrisThe responsibility for the safety regulation of United Kingdom civil aviation rests with the Civil Aviation Authority.
All air-miss reports in United Kingdom airspace, involving civil or military aircraft, are investigated initially by the joint air-miss section of the national air traffic services, which is a joint CAA/Ministry of Defence organisation. They are then examined by the joint air-miss working group (JAWG), an independent committee drawn from a wide cross-section of responsible civil and aviation bodies.
This incident is the subject of active investigation at this time. I have drawn the hon. Member's question to the attention of the CAA and have asked it to write to him direct when the investigation is complete.