Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the future aviation strategy will include the potential effect of the operation of radar on the implementation of the offshore wind sector deal.

The offshore wind sector is a success story for the UK. From 2010 the offshore wind’s share of annual UK generation increased over 5% to 6.2% in 2017, with costs falling faster than anyone could have envisaged 10 years ago. The Offshore Wind Sector deal could deliver up to 30GW by 2030 and the Government has committed to work across Government, including aviation, to ensure this is achieved in a sustainable way taking account of users of the sea, aviation and MOD.

Although wind turbines can impact the effectiveness of radar systems, it’s essential that aviation continues to benefit from a high standard of safety, and therefore ongoing cooperation between Government and the windfarm industry will continue to play a key role in ensuring that this remains the case.

The Government’s current policy is that the mitigation costs of offshore wind’s impacts on radar should be recovered from those windfarm developers who stand to benefit commercially. Therefore, the wind sector deal is currently dealt with separately from the upcoming aviation strategy.

An Aviation Management Board, in which the Government and relevant bodies such as NATS and the CAA participate, has been established for the Government to work jointly with both the windfarm industry and the aviation sector to find a solution which meets the needs of both industries and ensures a safe airspace. This will ensure cross-Government coordination on radar and aviation policy matters.