HC Deb 18 March 1987 vol 112 cc492-3W
Mr. Soames

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he is satisfied with the disposition of noise monitoring equipment at Gatwick airport; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Michael Spicer

The four noise monitoring units at Gatwick continue to achieve their purpose of helping to protect communities close to the ends of the runway from high levels of noise disturbance by departing aircraft. The Department is considering whether new equipment should be installed and if so, where it should be positioned. In addition, the general noise climate around the airport is assessed each year by the Civil Aviation Authority, on behalf of the Department, using mobile noise-monitoring equipment and computer modelling techniques.

Mr. Soames

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to reduce aircraft noise at Gatwick.

Mr. Michael Spicer

We have taken a number of important measures. Gatwick has benefited from the ban on non noise-certificated subsonic jet aircraft on the United Kingdom register, which took effect on 1 January 1986. It will also benefit from the ban on non noise-certificated foreign aircraft, which takes effect from 1 January 1988. The Government impose limits on the noise made by aircraft taking off, by day and by night, and restricts night movements. Movements at night by "noisier" jet aircraft (that is having a 95PNdB noise footprint exceeding 4 square miles on take-off or 2½ square miles on landing) will not be permitted from 1 April this year, except for emergencies and a few day-time flights that have been unavoidably delayed. In addition, disturbance is reduced by concentrating departing aircraft on noise preferential routes. The Government also encourage the use of quiet take-off and landing procedures at the airport.

For the future the Government remain committed to taking all the measures they sensibly can to reduce disturbance due to aircraft noise near busy airports; and we are considering a number of initiatives that should help to alleviate disturbance at Gatwick and elsewhere.