To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if his Department will ensure that details of all air flights over London are publicly available and open to public inspection so that any resident is able to obtain accurate information as to how many flights fly over a particular London borough. (304760)

These are operational matters for NATS and the Department for Transport does not hold the information in the form and detail requested. Assistance may be available from the chief executive of NATS with his inquiries. His address is:

Paul Barron

Chief Executive

NATS

Corporate and Technical Centre

4000 Parkway

Whiteley

Fareham

Hants PO15 7FL

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether his Department has any plans to improve the provision of information relating to noise levels from air traffic in London. (304759)

The Secretary of State for Transport publishes annual aircraft noise contour maps for Heathrow airport which are designated under section 80 for the purposes of section 78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982 for noise control purposes. These follow the standard UK practice of producing aircraft noise contours for the average summer’s day (Leq 16 hour, 07.00 to 23.00) where ‘summer’ is the 92 day period from 16 June to 15 September.

The contours are produced in three dB bands starting at 57 Leq which the Department for Transport regards as the approximate onset of significant community annoyance. Therefore the contours will encompass those areas of London exposed to 57 Leq or more. Contour details are available on the Department’s website at:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/environmentalissues/nec/

The Secretary of State is not responsible for the production of noise contour maps at non designated airports. However London City airport also produces annual noise contours on a similar basis which are available on the London City Airport Consultative Committee’s website at

http://www.lcacc.org/

Modelling aircraft levels at lower levels becomes increasingly uncertain as the noise level decreases, primarily because of difficulties in obtaining aircraft noise measurements that are not contaminated with other sources of noise, such as traffic noise.