§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking with regard to the traffic congestion at Britain's airports.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyCongestion has largely arisen from industrial action by overseas air traffic controllers, but some stems from inefficiencies in operating air traffic flow management across Europe. These are not matters within the control of the United Kingdom Government.
We have secured the following:
—Under the presidency of my noble Friend, the Minister for Aviation, Eurocontrol has accepted a package of measures to tackle European air congestion.
—With our strong encouragement, the Civil Aviation Authority has introduced equipment to make flow management work better, and continues to seek improvements in the system.
—We have changed the traffic distribution rules so charter operators have the opportunity to use spare capacity at Heathrow for their own or subchartered aircraft where that will help holidaymakers who would otherwise face hardship.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has also asked the CAA to report to him by November on strategies for making good use of air traffic control capacity in the LTMA in the period to 1995; and asked the CAA to advise him by July 1989 on the adequacy of airport capacity, taking account of air traffic control requirements in the period to 2005. We are keeping in close contact with the CAA on these matters.