HC Deb 13 December 1994 vol 251 cc548-9W
Mr. Welsh

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much funding is required to complete the new Scottish air traffic control centre;

(2) when the new Scottish air traffic control centre will be operational;

(3) on what date the oceanic control centre equipment known as flight data processing system, FDPS II, will be in operation; and where this new equipment will be housed;

(4) what arrangements are being made to handle the expected increase in air traffic over air space covered by the Scottish air traffic control centre.

Mr. Norris

[holding answer 12 December 1994]: The new Scottish centre—NSC—is being built at a cost of approximately £200 million to meet the predicted increase in the level of air traffic movements over Scotland and the north Atlantic. The CAA plans to have the NSC operational by 2000.

The CAA aims to have the new flight data processing system—FDPS—installed and operational in the NSC by 1998, subject to the satisfactory conclusion of a contract under the private finance initiative.

Re-sectorisation of the Scottish air space is being carried out to ensure that there is adequate capacity available until the new Scottish centre commences operation.