First, may I reassure you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, that although this debate could last for three hours, I do not intend to make it last any longer than it would in other circumstances.

I sought this debate because I received many complaints from local residents in my Constituency about the noise of helicopters overhead. To provide a flavour of those complaints, Mrs. Wisdom of Barnes said:

"I really do find it intolerable that very few helicopters, if any, keep to their designated route."

Mr. Keers of Barnes—hon. Members will realise that Barnes is an Achilles heel in its vulnerability to helicopter noise—said:

"This year the noise from helicopters going to and fro from Battersea has become intolerable. To make matters worse the helicopters frequently seem to be in holding patterns over Barnes resulting in continuous and unbearable noise."

I sympathise with the concerns of Ms Le Poer Trench, because I have had a similar experience to hers. She said:

"This morning, I felt I was in 'Apocalypse Now' under attack. It's true noise pollution."

In reply to our letters urging the Government to try to find a way of tackling the problem of helicopter noise, the Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Gillian Merron, told us in October 2006 that

"where standards are concerned, further progress is dependent upon international negotiation and agreement...No significant technology advances are in prospect...Considerate flying is the key to legitimate operations not causing unacceptable disturbance".

We were provided with contact details for the British Helicopter Advisory Board, but it appears that existing bodies do not take responsibility for the environmental impact of helicopters that fly across our communities, and certainly not for the noise that they create.

I very much welcome the investigation into these issues that was published by the Greater London authority last October, entitled "London in a spin—a review of helicopter noise". The Minister met members of the GLA and staff who produced it to try to begin to develop a response. We are delighted that she did so, and my role tonight is to engage in a pincer movement, and keep up the pressure to secure action to deal with an increasing annoyance.

I would love to tell the House the number of helicopter movements across London, but there is no comprehensive database that keeps count of such movements. Battersea heliport, which is the main heliport in London, has planning permission for 12,000 commercial movements a year, but police, air ambulance and military helicopter movements are not included. The GLA estimates that about 13,000 flights were made to and from Battersea heliport in 2006. There were 11,000 flights in 2003, so the trajectory is for a significant increase every year. The Civil Aviation Authority produces data on helicopter take-offs and landings, but it does not include flights into or across London from airfields around the capital such as Biggin Hill, Denham and Fairoaks.

The pattern of flights is particularly annoying. We suspect that corporate entertainment is a major cause of aircraft movements, as there are clusters of flights during events such as Ascot and the Farnborough air show, causing disruption for several days. National Air Traffic Services does not keep data on low-level traffic over London, as it focuses on safety and does not think that it should keep track of movements. The British Helicopter Advisory Board, which the Government recommended we contact to achieve action on the problem, does not collect data at all. Each organisation seems to regard the others as data-collecting agents, and they disagree about increases in flights and who is responsible for those flights. As the GLA was forced to conclude, there is no joined-up collection or monitoring of data.

There is a lack of standards, too. There is an attitude in government that anything that business wants in aviation it gets, regardless of the impact on the community. My constituency suffers significantly from noise from Heathrow, and my residents believe that the Government's approach to aviation is one of predict and provide, particularly in the expansion of that airport. There are genuine fears that many more helicopter movements will be permitted in future. There is no incentive to reduce helicopter noise, because there are not any regulations to encourage the use of newer, quieter helicopters. Many fleets are 30 years old and have little new technology, so they continue to disturb people.

When we raised the issue of expansion and additional helicopter movements across the city, we were told that business needs those things. That argument is always made about anything to do with aviation but, interestingly, my hon. Friend Simon Hughes told me that when he entered the House, there were several helipads in his constituency, including one by the Oxo tower in the middle of the river and one at Chambers Wharf. The argument was repeatedly made that it would harm business in London if those heliports were closed. Following pressure, public inquiries and general activity, they were indeed closed, and the economy of London and Southwark did not collapse. Many spurious arguments are made to justify the constant expansion of helicopter capacity which, it is claimed, is necessary for the survival of London as an economic centre.

New proposals have been made for increased helicopter capacity in east London, perhaps at City airport, and many people believe that we have a growing helicopter culture. Regional Airports Ltd has told the GLA that it wants to be able to shuttle people to and from the London Olympics by helicopter from Biggin Hill. There is a great fear that that practice would set a precedent for regular shuttles to the City.

Residents are disturbed by helicopter noise, but it is hard to determine that objectively, because there are not any standards by which to measure it. In testimony to the GLA, Phil Roberts of the CAA is reported to have said that data on the human response to helicopter noise are limited, so it is difficult to define an objective measure. We have managed to find methods of measuring noise from fixed-wing aircraft, and I urge the Minister to make progress on defining a standard for helicopters. It is important, however, that we do not repeat a key mistake in the measurement of fixed-wing aircraft noise, which determines average noise. No one ever hears average noise—people are disturbed by individual events. If the Minister concedes that point, and helps us to make progress on a standard for helicopter noise, I believe that we will not import the problem of averaging, which makes it almost impossible for residents to engage in a reasonable discussion about aircraft noise with the Government, BAA and other parts of the aviation industry.

There are concerns, too, about consultation, the history of which is not a happy one. In 2004, when the CAA reduced the minimum altitude for helicopter flights over London from 1,500 ft to 1,000 ft, it conducted an extensive consultation. The only problem was that all the consultees were from the aviation industry. We must start to consider residents and to understand that they have a vested interest in a good environment for the city. That means that they must be listened to on issues such as noise.

The designated route in the London control zone is essentially the route of the Thames, although the police and ambulances obviously have greater freedom. What enforcement is there of that route? The comments that I quoted earlier reflect a great deal of helicopter activity around Barnes, which is a holding point. It is also where there is a loop in the Thames. As a resident, I frequently see helicopters abandon the route and start to take what they think is a clever short cut, which takes them across the Wetlands centre—the largest urban waterfowl sanctuary in Europe—as well as disturbing people under the flight path.

As I was coming into the Chamber for the debate, I was approached by various colleagues. Apparently, there have been three complaints recently from Kingston and Surbiton about helicopter noise. What helicopters have been doing in that area, disturbing residents, is beyond me. My hon. Friend Lynne Featherstone constantly receives reports of helicopter noise over Hampstead heath and experiences it directly over her own house, so she is conscious that that traffic is increasing and increasingly disruptive. The GLA received many reports from residents in Greenwich and the Isle of Dogs, so the problem is widespread over London. Anywhere that the Thames happens to wander, there seems to be a helicopter noise problem. The Thames is at the heart of this city, so the impact is not just in one or two isolated places.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation recommended an altitude of 1,000 ft across Europe as a consistent measure. However, that is not at all appropriate for London. The French ignore the rule altogether for Paris, because they do not want Parisians or tourists to be disturbed. It is time that we started to find ways to ignore that standard for London. I have spoken to people in the industry, and some concern has been expressed that the reason why the UK has not resisted the 1,000 ft minimum altitude is that it wishes to protect the higher airspace for increasing numbers of fixed-wing flights. That underscores the fundamental problem with aircraft and helicopter noise of all sorts in this city.

What practical steps can residents take in order to avoid living in a zone disturbed by helicopters? There is no way to find a noise map to see where the problem is. Even if people decide to try to avoid the problem, there is nothing that they can do. If they want to make a complaint, what do they do? Increasingly, members of the public are turning to their Members of Parliament, but it is exceedingly difficult to work out whether a specific type of complaint should go to the Department, the CAA, National Air Traffic Services or the airport operator. There is very much a "Not my job, guv" attitude towards such flights.

Where do we go from here? I broadly support the GLA recommendations, and I am sure that the Minister is familiar with those. We need a proper review of noise and a comprehensive data collection and monitoring mechanism. Residents need a clear and simple way to complain and to get answers. We must have proper consultation procedures. I strongly support the proposal for a heliport consultative committee. There should be such a committee for Battersea, as there is at airports.

In some ways I would go further than the GLA report. That mentions the annoyance caused by media and advertising flights. Nobody can claim that those are central to London's economy. I would like to see them banned, given the volume of other users. There are suggestions that helicopter capacity could be increased at City airport and other places. There may be better locations for a heliport than Battersea. If Battersea residents could express their opinion on that, they would no doubt think it was a delightful suggestion. If there is new capacity, it must be instead of, not in addition to, Battersea, which is the threat that we think we face.

I hope that the Minister will give a commitment tonight that the issue will be taken seriously. Noise pollution, especially from the air, is an increasing blight over one of the finest capital cities in the world—the finest, I would argue. Residents should not have to suffer from such disturbance. Other than police, military and ambulance movements, we are dealing with a luxury service which serves a small number of people while disturbing a very significant number. I look forward to the Minister's reply.