§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has held talks with the CAA about the capacity constraints, the hourly flow rates and general re-organisation agreed for area control and terminal control of NERC in the period January 2001 to December 2002. [140698]
§ Mr. MullinThere are regular meetings between the CAA and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions to discuss matters of mutual interest and concern. In turn, the CAA's Safety Regulation Group has responsibility for the safety regulatory oversight of the New En-Route Centre programme and the ongoing operation of the London Area and Terminal Control Centre at West Drayton. The New En-Route Centre will not enter operational service until the Safety Regulation Group has issued an approval, supported by the NATS Safety Case for the new centre. The Safety Regulation Group has also been involved in the oversight of the operational conversion training programme.
From January 2001 to January 2002 there are not planned to be hourly flow rates for other than normal control of demand over capacity. Post January 2002, when Swanwick becomes operational, specific flow control measures will be implemented for a temporary period, while staff gain confidence in the new procedures and equipment. Thereafter, hourly flow rates will be applied for the normal control of demand over capacity.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the plans that have been made by NATS to protect low cost airlines from the effects of the cuts in capacity expected at the commencement of the New En-Route Centre. [140691]
§ Mr. MullinAirline operators have been briefed by NATS that there will be a reduction in capacity during the transfer of operations from West Drayton to Swanwick. This reduction in capacity will be a temporary measure while staff gain confidence with the new procedures and equipment they will be using at Swanwick. The reduction in capacity will be managed through the imposition of flow control measures which will be applied fairly to all operators.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what training programmes are in place to bring up to full complement778W validated air traffic controllers at the London Area and Terminal Control Centre; and how long it will be before the training of new controllers is completed. [140689]
§ Mr. MullinNATS has an ongoing programme to recruit and train new air traffic controllers for NATS units throughout the UK. There is no shortage of staff to meet operational requirements in Area Control operations at the London Area and Terminal Control Centre at West Drayton in 2001. In addition, NATS has a full complement of 255 controllers to meet current operational requirement in the Terminal Control operation at West Drayton, although a slight shortfall, 10 to 14 controllers, is expected after the introduction of two new air traffic sectors in spring 2001.
NATS plans to continue to increase the number of operational air traffic controllers in order to meet future operational requirements at the New En-Route Centre and elsewhere, and the anticipated pattern of retirements and resignations. A 50 per cent. increase in the intake of student controllers is planned next year and recruitment will continue at a high level for a number of years thereafter to meet forecast demand for increases in airspace capacity. Training controllers for West Drayton currently takes around three and a half years from entry into the College of Air Traffic Control.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what effect the commencement of the new training programme for air traffic controllers at the National En-Route Centre will have on the day-to-day work of the London Area and Terminal Control Centre; when the cuts in capacity following the introduction of NERC will take place; and what explanation has been offered to the airlines. [140690]
§ Mr. MullinThe training of controllers for the New En-Route Centre will commence on 2 January 2001 and finish in January 2002. NATS currently has 360 air traffic controllers available to meet a budgeted requirement for 300 controllers in the Area Control operation at the London Area and Control Centre at West Drayton. This overbearing has been in place for some time in order to meet development requirements at the New En-Route Centre. Next year the overbearing will be used to provide cover for the operational conversion training programme. By June 2001, the actual number of controllers is anticipated to increase to 374.
It is anticipated flow restrictions will be introduced on a temporary basis when the New En-Route Centre is introduced into operational service. This is a standard safety procedure which is applied whenever major new developments enter operational service, to enable staff to gain confidence in new procedures and equipment in the live operational environment. The conversion training programme is a complex exercise, the details of which have been communicated to the airlines.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the New En-Route Centre at Swanwick will operate in all its planned sectors when it becomes operational in 2002. [140694]
§ Mr. MullinWhen the New En-Route Centre opens in January 2002 it will have procedures in place for up to 29 sectors, as is the case with the current Area Control operation at West Drayton. As is also the case at West 779W Drayton, the actual number of sectors open at Swanwick will vary to match seasonal traffic demand, depending on the amount of traffic requiring an air traffic control service. It is anticipated that 24 to 26 of the 29 sectors will typically be open at any one time, though precisely which sectors are open will vary in accordance with traffic flows. These numbers generally match the numbers of sectors currently open at West Drayton.