§ Mr. Danceasked the Minister of Aviation whether consideration of the organisation required to meet the future requirements of air traffic control in the United Kingdom has yet been completed.
§ Mr. AmeryYes. As I indicated during the debate on aviation on 18th July this year, a detailed study of future requirements for the control of air traffic in the limited airspace over this country has shown the need for a common system of control for both civil and military traffic. The first step towards this common system will be the formation of a single headquarters comprising both civilian and Service officers. This will be under a Controller, National Air Traffic Control Services, who will be responsible to me and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Air, acting on behalf of the Service Ministers.
This new headquarters will be responsible for air traffic control policy, for planning the control system and for formulating operational requirements. Executive responsibility for implementing the agreed policy will for the time being rest with the existing separate civil and military air traffic control organisations. These will, however, be under the operational direction of the Controller, National Air Traffic Control Services. It is also intended to bring together as soon as possible the headquarters of the separate civil and military operational organisations so as to form a single operational headquarters for air traffic control in this country.
The new integrated policy and planning headquarters came into existence today. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Air and I have jointly appointed Air Vice-Marshal Sir Laurence Sinclair, who has been controller of ground services with my Department, as the first Controller, National Air Traffic Control Services.