HL Deb 07 June 1999 vol 601 c139WA
Lord Rotherwick

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the full financial impact of the Joint Aviation Requirement-Flight Crew Licensing (JAR-FCL) has been considered; and [HL2731]

Whether the results of Regulatory Impact Assessments of the Joint Aviation Requirement-Flight Crew Licensing (JAR-FCL) have been agreed with user organisations. [HL2732]

Lord Whitty

The Joint Aviation Requirement-Flight Crew Licensing (JAR-FCL) was adopted by the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) on 8 October 1996 and sets a common standard for flight crew licences. Organisations representing all aviation sectors participated in the preparation of JAR-FCL and fully endorsed its contents. The UK is obliged by Council Regulation 3922/91 and the JAA Arrangements to implement all JARs by the due date, and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has been progressively introducing the technical requirements of JAR-FCL since it was adopted.

The CAA has drafted amendments to the Air Navigation Order to give full effect to JAR-FCL. These will be submitted to the department shortly and will be accompanied by a Regulatory Impact Assessment which sets out the costs and benefits of the legislative changes to individual pilots. The Regulatory Impact Assessment covers the amendments to the Air Navigation Order and does not extend to the associated technical requirements. The CAA has consulted aviation interests in producing the Regulatory Impact Assessment. I understand that the airline industry has not commented. Some in the general aviation sector have made representations and the CAA has amended the Regulatory Impact Assessment in the light of those representations.