The difficulty, which I shall address, is that much of the discussion is anecdotal, important though that is. I shall deal with the GLA report, which I recognise plays a useful role.

Just as helicopters are important to the emergency health services, they are critical to the police, and no one would challenge the need for them to be used in key police operations. Helicopters are a feature of life today and we cannot wish them away. To some extent they could be seen as a sign of the successful economy that the Government have delivered. Of course we must ensure that there is safety for those in the air and those on the ground. That is our first priority, and I am proud of the UK's record in this regard.

Clearly, helicopters have a particular local environmental impact through the noise that they make. It was therefore timely and welcome for the Greater London assembly environment committee to look into the issue of helicopter noise, and its report, for which the Department for Transport provided evidence, gives valuable food for thought. I was pleased to hold a constructive and productive meeting with members of the environment committee to discuss their findings. I will comment later on the action that we agreed to take forward, but first I shall clarify a few points.

The hon. Lady suggested, erroneously, that the Government's policy on aviation was to predict and provide. The fact is that the issue is not all about predict and provide; it is about balance, economic development, the environment and the interests of local communities. The progress report on the air transport white paper has been well received in all quarters—by "quarters", I mean stakeholders all across the country rather than, as has been suggested, only those involved in the aviation industry.

The hon. Lady has referred to the so-called reduction to 1,000 ft in the height at which helicopters can fly. That was done in 2005, and was based on the need for improved aviation safety, which is paramount.

I reassure the hon. Lady and her constituents that we take the measurement of aircraft noise seriously. We take account of the operational noise made by aircraft in setting noise objectives, and we are very conscious of its impact on local communities. My Department has a broad role on overall helicopter noise policy, but it is not involved in overseeing or approving helicopter operations. There are, of course, regulations under civil aviation legislation governing flight by helicopters over London, which are the Rules of the Air Regulations 1996 and the Air Navigation (Restriction of Flying) (Specified Area) Regulations 2005.

The rules of the air stipulate that, except where there is CAA permission in writing, no craft shall fly below a height of 1,000 ft over congested areas. The specified area regulations require that helicopters do not fly over central London below a height that might present a potential safety risk in the event of a power unit failure. For single-engine helicopters, that includes the use of specified routes and prohibition from the central London area, because of the requirement to be able to alight safely in the event of power unit failure. The helicopter routes have been designed to maximise safety by avoiding built-up areas as much as possible, and to minimise environmental impact. It is important to point out that twin-engine helicopters have the potential to maintain height and to continue flight in the event of one engine failing, and so can be authorised to fly other than on the designated routes, providing that that is in accordance with the rules of the air.