§ Mr. ChurchillTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the percentage increase in the charges most recently announced by his Department in respect of the licensing of aircraft radios; and why it was decided not to increase the charges in line with inflation.
§ Mr. Forth[holding answer 15 March 1990]: For nearly 4,000 aircraft the Wireless Telegraph Act licence fee remains unchanged at the level set in 1986 (£25). For about 400 aircraft with maximum approved take-off weights between 2,730 and 5,700 kg the fee was increased by 1,000 per cent. on 1 November 1989, and for about 1,000 larger aircraft an increase of 2,000 per cent. was made.
These increases were introduced to ensure recovery of the full costs of the work done by my Department for civil aviation use of radio. The needs of commercial aircraft operators account for a large share of these costs. It was therefore considered that those best placed to meet these costs would be the operators of larger aircraft. Because 593W there are relatively few aircraft in these categories the sum of money involved, though small in itself (some £600,000 a year), necessarily involved large increases when shared among only 1,400 aircraft.