§ Mr. Spearingasked the Prime Minister which Government Departments were considered with the proposal to make trial aircraft flights from the Surrey Docks in the Port of London; what consultations were made between any Government Department and the local 261W authorities concerned; and what record was made of any such meeting and to whom it was distributed.
§ The Prime MinisterThe trials proposed by British Air Services did not in fact take place but would have provided useful operational and noise data in respect of STOL operations from this kind of site.
Such flights require an exemption, given by the Department of Trade and Industry, from certain provision of the Air Navigation Order. The proposed trials had the permission of the landowner, the Port of London Authority. Planning permission is not required and there were no formal consultations between any Government Department and local authorities. The Greater London Council were, however, closely associated with the scheme from the outset.