§ Mr. Alasdair MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he has taken to ensure that United Kingdom passenger aircraft are millennium compliant. [65084]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonMy Department has notified all major UK airlines of the need to consider whether their systems will be millennium compliant and advised them to take any remedial action necessary. We are also in close and regular contact with the Civil Aviation Authority (including National Air Traffic Services) who are considering the problem in their role as safety regulator. As part of this process, the CAA are seeking to confirm compliance status of the 2,000 organisations (including UK airlines) which they currently approve. The situation has been and will continue to be monitored on a regular basis. Once the industry has completed their compliance programmes later this year, we will be asking the Chairman of the CAA to provide the Department with appropriate assurances as to the state of readiness of the UK aviation industry. If the CAA have any safety doubts arising from millennium compliance problems, operating authorisations will be withdrawn or withheld.