§ Mr. Tebbitasked the Secretary of State for Industry if he will inform the House of the nature, extent and purpose of the contract between his Department and the Plessey Company for work on GPWS; and whether he is satisfied that such work needs to be done in view of the existence of developed foreign manufactured systems, that it is desirable that only one British system should be developed, and that the development of a British system will not delay the installation of GPWS in the United Kingdom transport aircraft.
§ Mr. KaufmanMy Department is helping the Plessey Company to demonstrate the technology required in their development of a ground proximity warning system (GPWS), including an evaluation in an aircraft operated by the Royal Aircraft Establishment.
GPWS equipment available from United States sources has been designed against the specifications issued by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) for aircraft on the United States domestic register.
The Plessey Company is the only United Kingdom firm known to be attacking this market, and has designed its equipment to satisfy, in addition, the somewhat different specifications prepared by the Civil Aviation Authority for equipment which may be required for aircraft on the United Kingdom register. I understand that it is the firm's intention to meet the installation requirements of United Kingdom transport aircraft.