§ Mr. Bishopasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, in assessing the market potential of short take-off and landing and vertical take-off and landing projects, he will take steps to urge the International Air Transport Association to seek to assess the cost per year of non-productive flying due to air traffic congestion, the loss of earnings due to non-effective flying hours and the time and money lost through surface traffic congestion between airports and city centres.
§ Mr. Anthony GrantThese matters are not the direct concern of the International Air Transport Association, since such 181W studies are more likely to depend on local conditions. However, the costs of both air and surface congestion are factors which would necessarily be taken into account in assessing the market potential of short and vertical take off and landing projects.
§ Mr. Bishopasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is taking to ensure that all the interests concerned in the development, marketing and use of short take-off and landing/vertical take-off and landing projects are consulted before producing a national programme for planned short take-off and landing/vertical take-off and landing development.
§ Mr. CorfieldA very wide range of problems relating to vertical and short take-off and landing—V/STOL—aircraft are being studied by the Transport Air- craft Requirements Committee. This is a consultative body, with representations at management level from B.O.A.C., B.E.A., the independent airlines, the air-craft manufacturing industry, the Air Registration Board and Government Departments. The purpose of the studies is to identify the principal difficulties to be resolved before any major V/STOL project commitment is undertaken.