§ Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the President of the Board of Trade what consultations have taken place with the Government of the United States of America, pursuant to Article 13 of the Bermuda Agree- 118W ment 1946, with a view to ensuring that a maximum noise level is included in the requirements for certification for airworthiness by both contracting parties.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuI am consulting the United States and French authorities about noise certification of civil aircraft. As my right hon. Friend informed my hon. Friend on 17th April the question whether the noise certificate should be combined with the certificate of airworthiness is one of the matters to be examined; no decision on this has yet been taken.—[Vol. 745, c. 24–5.]
§ Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the engines proposed for the Boeing Supersonic Transport aircraft have approximately three times the output of any aircraft currently in use, and are, therefore, likely to produce much more noise in subsonic flight; and if he will prohibit such aircraft from using London Airport.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuI am aware that supersonic aircraft require more engine power than current subsonic aircraft, but it does not necessarily follow that they will be more noisy in subsonic flight. Future aircraft using Heathrow Airport will have to comply with the noise rules in force at the time, which will certainly be no less rigorous than the present ones.
§ Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will clarify the figures given by his Department regarding the number of complaints received at London Airport about aircraft noise; and if he will give an assurance that the tables given are only of first complaints made by individuals, and do not include complaints made by anyone who has made a previous complaint.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuThese monthly figures are given to the Heathrow Consultative Committee by the British Airports Authority and questions relating to them should be put to the Authority. I understand, however, that all complaints, and not merely first complaints, are included, together with the number of complainants in any one month.
§ Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the President of the Board of Trade what action he is taking on the recent representations made 119W to him by 10 London boroughs to reduce the noise of aircraft using London Airport; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuI made a statement about these representations in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Faversham (Mr. Boston) on 1st February—[Vol. 740, c. 493–4]. My right hon. Friend has since announced his intention to introduce a scheme of noise certifications. In addition, as the Press statement issued last month on the publication of the Report of the International Conference on this subject made clear, Her Majesty's Government endorses the conclusions reached by the Conference and intends to follow up vigorously the suggestions for further action contained in the Report.—[Vol. 745. c.24–5.]
§ Mr. Hugh Jenkinsasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to ensure that the benefit of advances in aircraft engine design, which achieve improvement in the ratio of power to noise, are used for the purpose of reducing maximum noise levels, and not for the purpose of increasing payloads at existing noise levels.
§ Mr. J. P. W. MallalieuAs my right hon. Friend indicated in reply to my hon. Friend's Question on 17th April, the objective of the scheme of aircraft noise certification which he intends to introduce is to achieve substantial and practicable reductions in noise at the earliest opportunity.—[Vol. 745, c.24–5.]