§ Mrs. Ewingasked the President of the Board of Trade what machinery of consultation exists between the Civil Aviation Department of the Board of Trade, the Ministry of Technology and the Ministry of Defence on matters relating to air traffic control; and if he will make a statement on future arrangements in this field.
§ Mr. William RodgersThe Controllerate of National Air Traffic Control Services is a joint civil/military organisation and the controller is responsible to my right hon. Friends the President of the Board of Trade and the Secretary of State for Defence. The three Departments referred to in the question provide the members of the Air Traffic Control Board and participate in the work of the Civil Aviation Control Advisory Committee. The Board of Trade and the Ministry of Defence are each represented at Eurocontrol, and my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for the Royal Air Force and I are members of the Permanent Commission of that 333W organisation. There are, of course, continual consultations between the three Departments at all levels through the normal channels. No decision to change the present arrangements has been made.