§ Mr. MacShaneTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will take steps to prohibit the landing of Type 747 aeroplanes at Heathrow Airport before 7 am on(a) Christmas and (b) New Year's day mornings. [64084]
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§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe Government have no plans to do so. The Boeing 747 is widely used for transcontinental scheduled air services, including for arrivals before 7 am. Most such services operate on the basis of a minimum daily frequency. It is the Government's policy to encourage the use of quieter aircraft at night and proposals to this end are contained in the second stage consultation paper on "Night Restrictions at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted" which was published on 17 November 1998,Official Report, columns 492–93.