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Aircraft Noise

Mr. Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which civilian airports in the UK service large aircraft with more than four flights in an hour. [34631]

Mr. Jamieson: There is no standard definition of a large aircraft. Four flights an hour corresponds approximately to 25,000 flights annually. The latest available figures are for the year to end October 2001. Those UK airports at which there were more than 25,000 flights 1 in this period are as follows:








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Mr. Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many complaints about aircraft noise his Department received in (a) 2001 and (b) each of the previous four years, broken down by airport or geographical area. [35186]

Mr. Jamieson: Information is not held comprehensively in the form requested and to collect it exactly as specified would entail disproportionate cost. Letters from the public (and telephone calls when a written response was provided) about aircraft noise matters generally, excluding responses to consultations and co-ordinated campaigns, were received in each year as follows:

Airport19971998199920002001
Heathrow146188159100221
Gatwick1617151511
Stansted871027024353
Birmingham106642
Bournemouth621683
Bristol Lulsgate117
East Midlands122719
Edinburgh1111
Glasgow1
Liverpool345
London City163
Luton51632164
Manchester32229
Manston15173
Oxford512265
Plymouth21
Others27118210410789

Most of these letters, e-mails and telephone calls were about specific aspects of Government policy, the airport's noise controls, or both. Many complaints about noise matters are, however, dealt with by each individual airport. Some airports regularly publish their own summary statistics of complaints or inquiries.

Travellers

Mr. David Atkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what guidance he gives on the welfare considerations to be considered in the application for and enforcement of a possession order by a local authority to evict travellers from unauthorised occupation of public parks and open spaces. [34898]

Ms Keeble: Guidance is included in the Good Practice Guide on Managing Unauthorised Camping published in 1998. A copy of the Guidance is available in the Library of the House.

As the hon. Member will know, my Department in conjunction with the Home Office are currently revising the

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1998 Guidance. I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 8 February 2002, Official Report, column 1188W.

Ministerial Meetings

Mr. Borrow: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what meetings Ministers of his Department have had with members or officials of South Ribble borough council since June 2001. [35012]

Dr. Whitehead: I met members and officials from South Ribble borough council on 26 June 2001. Since then, there have been no meetings between DTLR Ministers and officials and members from South Ribble borough council.

Global Crossing

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what function has been played within the railway industry by Global Crossing; [34939]

Mr. Jamieson: Global Crossing supplies telecom and associated services to the UK rail industry. I understand that the company have assured their European customers that service provision will be unaffected while it seeks to re-structure its finances in the United States.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) on what dates discussions took place between the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry between May 1997 and December 1999 regarding the sale of Racal Telecom to Global Crossing; [35000]

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Mr. Jamieson: The sale of Racal Telecom to Global Crossing was a commercial matter for the two private companies concerned, not my Department.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will outline the safety critical functions within the railway industry for which Global Crossing has had responsibility; [34969]

Mr. Jamieson: Racal Telecom (now Global Crossing) have a contractual arrangement with Railtrack, which is a commercial matter between the companies. There are no agreements between Racal Telecom/Global Crossing and either the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) or my Department. Global Crossing supplies telecom and

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associated services to the British rail industry. Railtrack as infrastructure manager retains overall responsibility for safety. HSE advise that there have been no prosecutions against Racal Telecom or Global Crossing since 1 April 1999, or enforcement notices since 1 April 2001. HSE data from before this date are not available without incurring disproportionate cost.


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