Written question asked by Tom Brake (Liberal Democrat) on Friday, 30 October 1998, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 9 November 1998. It was answered by Lord Reid of Cardowan (Labour) on Monday, 9 November 1998 on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if the contract for the development of the new air traffic control system at Prestwick will be signed before all major software flaws are rectified in the Swanwick system. - (Holding answer 3 November 1998).

Answer: Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the contract for the development of the new air traffic control system at Prestwick will be signed before all major software flaws are rectified in the Swanwick system. [58216] Dr. Reid: [holding answer 3 November 1998]: NATS have assured the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee that no binding agreement with Sky Solutions would be signed until it was sure that the software at NERC could be made to work. Since then, the system has passed its acceptance tests, and preliminary findings by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) have concluded that there is no substantive reason to doubt that it will work.

Secondary information