§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what role Ministers had in the decision to proceed with the new air traffic control centre at Swanwick; and what involvement they have had with the development since. [16336]
§ Mr. BowisThe Secretary of State is accountable to Parliament for ensuring that the financial and other controls of the CAA conform to the requirements both of propriety and good financial management.
Capital investment by the CAA is approved and monitored within the framework set by the White Papers of 1967 (Cmnd 3437) and 1978 (Cmnd 7131). The Department is responsible for, inter alia, ensuring that investment appraisal methods used by the CAA are sound and applied consistently in practice.
570WThe Department also becomes involved in the approval and scrutiny of specific projects, and exercises a general oversight of the authority's financial control and monitoring procedures.
This process has been applied to the new air traffic control centre at Swanwick.
§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what estimate he has made of the Civil Aviation Authority's additional expenses from the delays in the new air traffic control centre at Swanwick becoming operational; and what contractual recourse the Civil Aviation Authority has to recoup these costs; [16340]
(2) what compensatory payments the Civil Aviation Authority will be seeking for the late operational completion of the new air traffic control centre at Swanwick and from which companies. [16342]
571W
§ Mr. BowisI refer the hon. Member to the reply of 24 June 1996,Official Report column 29, to the hon. Member for Crewe and Nantwich (Mrs. Dunwoody).
§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Civil Aviation Authority(a) originally expected and (b) now expects the new air traffic control centre at Swanwick to be operational. [16337]
§ Mr. BowisThe original target date set for the centre to enter operation was the end of 1996. The CAA has announced that, in view of problems that have arisen in integrating the software sub-systems of the air traffic management system, the target date for operation is now March 1998.
§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what procedure was used by the Civil Aviation Authority in commissioning the new air traffic control centre at Swanwick; what checks were carried out on companies bidding for work under the project; and what advice the CAA took in relation to the drafting of the clauses in the contract for the new centre in relation to penalty payments for delays; [16338]
(2) if he will list the contractors involved in the construction of the new air traffic control centre at Swanwick and the parts of the project which each is responsible for. [16343]
§ Mr. DonohoeTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what concerns officials from his Department have expressed to the Civil Aviation Authority about(a) delays and (b) additional costs in commissioning the new control centre at Swanwick; [16341]
(2) what discussions officials of his Department have had with the Civil Aviation Authority in relation to the final commissioning of the new air traffic control centre at Swanwick and the contractual arrangements governing the costs incurred by the CAA from delays in the facility becoming operational. [16339]
Mr. BowlsOfficials from the Department have discussed with the CAA the authority's plans to meet forecast capacity requirements despite the delay. They have likewise discussed the financial implications of the delay, bearing in mind that the additional costs required to complete the new en-route centre will be borne entirely by the project contractor.