Letter to Stakeholders

David Shephard
Policy Advisor
Aviation Airspace Division
Department for Transport
Zone 1/27
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London
SW1P 4DR

Direct Line: 020 7944 5881
Fax: 020 79442192
email: david.shephard@dft.gsi.gov.uk
Web Site: www.dft.gov.uk

Our Ref: 6/7/12

24 November 2006

Dear Sir/Madam,

Second consultation on amendments to the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004

On 15 July 2005, the Department for Transport issued a consultation paper seeking stakeholder views on proposed changes to the Civil Aviation (Working Time) Regulations 2004 ("the Regulations"), aimed at amending the way in which standby duty may be recorded against an individual's annual working time limit. The background to the proposed amendments was set out in that consultation paper, which may be found on the Department's web site at www.dft.gov.uk along with a summary of responses received. A hard copy of each document can be provided on request.

Given the broadly positive response to the Government's proposals, an amending Statutory Instrument (Annex B) has been prepared, upon which your views are now sought in the attached second consultation document (Annex A). A copy of the existing Regulations can be found at Annex C and the final Regulatory Impact Assessment at Annex D.

Deadline for receipt of responses

The consultation document seeks your views on a number of questions arising out of the implementation of the Regulations and the likely impact of the proposed amendments. Your responses will assist in the updating of the Regulatory Impact Assessment prepared in connection with these proposals. The deadline for replies is Friday 19 January 2007.

Ministerial approval has been given for an 8 week consultation period because this follows on from and develops an earlier 12 week consultation. Please ensure that your response reaches the Department by the closing date. Responses can be posted or emailed to me at the address given at the top of this letter.

A list of consultees, to whom this consultation paper has been sent, is provided at Annex E. If you have any suggestions about other parties who may wish to be involved in this consultation, please let me know. The consultation paper has also been published on the Department's web site.

If you require further copies of the consultation paper or if you have any questions about the consultation exercise, please contact the author at the above address.

Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires public authorities to disclose information they hold if it is requested. This includes information contained in responses to consultations. As a general rule of thumb, the Department will subsequently publish information that it has disclosed under FOI on its web site. If you ask for your response to be kept confidential this will only be possible if it is consistent with the Department's obligations under the Freedom of Information Act.

Code of practice on consultations

This consultation exercise has been produced in accordance with the principles of the Government's "Code of Practice on written consultations" which are included at Annex F. If you have any complaints about the consultation process, please contact Andrew D. Price, 9th Floor, Southside, 105 Victoria Street, London SW1E 6DT, who can be contacted by email at consultation@dft.gsi.gov.uk.

What will happen next?

A summary of responses will be published by the end of January 2007 on the DfT web site at www.dft.gov.uk. A copy of the summary will be sent to everyone who responded to the consultation. Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the Statutory Instrument will be laid before Parliament and the Regulations duly amended. To help employers understand the provisions of the Regulations, the Department's existing guidance on the Regulations will be updated and republished on the Department's website before the amendments enter into force.

Yours sincerely

David Shephard