HC Deb 20 March 1986 vol 94 c250W
Mr. Steen

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of the cost of the meteorological services for the civil aviation industry are met by British civil aviation carriers and foreign carriers, respectively.

Mr. Michael Spicer

[pursuant to his reply, 19 March 1986]: On the basis of statistics produced by Eurocontrol and a sample of traffic in the Shanwick oceanic control area, about 42 per cent. of the costs of meteoroligical services supplied to civil aviation are recovered from operators of British registered aircraft and about 58 per cent. from foreign operators.

Mr. Steen

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what percentages of the charges for meteorological services for the civil aviation industry are borne by private aviation in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Michael Spicer

[pursuant to his reply, 19 March 1986]: A figure for the proportion of meteorological charges borne by private aviation in the United Kingdom is not readily available and cannot be calculated except at disproportionate cost.

The Civil Aviation Authority, however, considers it to be negligible.

Mr. Steen

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement as to the cost per civil aircraft per annum for meteorological services in the United Kingdom; and what information he has as to how this compares with the costs borne by European carriers in France, Germany and Italy.

Mr. Michael Spicer

[pursuant to his reply, 19 March 1986]: No information is available which would allow a comparison between the annual cost per civil aircraft of meteorological services in the United Kingdom and other major European countries. The charge for meteorological services is, however, about 12 per cent. of the total costs for air navigation services recovered from users in the United Kingdom, France and West Germany. No comparative figure is available for Italy.