§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what resources will be available to National Air Traffic Services to ensure that it is able to carry out the airspace work in time to meet the Aviation White Paper's timetable for new runways at(a) Stansted, (b) Heathrow and (c) Birmingham; and what reports he has received of difficulties with National Air Traffic Services which might hinder this work; [178481]
(2) what further steps he will take to ensure the robustness of the air traffic control system in the light of the construction of the new runways envisaged by the Aviation White Paper. [178482]
§ Mr. McNultyThe Government are satisfied—and the National Audit Office has confirmed—that last year's re-financing of NATS has put the company on a robust financial footing and that it is able to make further vital investment to expand capacity to meet future growth. Work on the investment programme has re-started and NATS will invest some £1 billion in the national air traffic control system over the next 10 years.
I have received no reports of difficulties within the company that might hinder NATS in carrying out the airspace work envisaged for it in the Aviation White Paper. The skills and experience necessary to carry forward airspace and procedure design work in support of such initiatives are, however, highly specialised, and NATS and the BAA are currently scoping the extent of the additional work required. This will identify the specific expertise and resources required, and whether NATS will need to seek additional skills as a result of this work.