Minister in air traffic control pledge

The centre is to be based at Prestwick in Ayrshire

The UK Government has pledged that plans for a new air traffic control centre at Prestwick have not been shelved indefinitely.

Aviation Minister David Jamieson said the government was committed to pursuing the project in the long term.

The Department of Transport confirmed on Wednesday that the downturn in air traffic since last month's terrorist attacks on the US had forced the private consortium responsible for the project to review its plans.

David Jamieson: Promise to proceed

The centre will be operated by a consortium of airlines which bought a controlling share in the National Air Traffic Services (Nats) last year.

Construction work on the new centre at Prestwick - which will share cover for air traffic control with Swanwick, near Southampton - was expected to create 600 jobs in Ayrshire.

Opposition MPs and the air traffic controllers' union criticised the delay.

The Scottish National Party said it was "beyond belief that the government, which has been forced to bring Railtrack back under public control risked doing the same with air traffic control, effectively creating a "Railtrack of the skies".

However, Mr Jamieson told BBC Radio Scotland that safety remained a priority and there would be no long-term delay in building the centre.

He said: "We have reluctantly accepted from the national air traffic service a request that they temporarily suspend building at Prestwick because of the circumstances that have arisen since September 11.

I hope I will be able to come back in to you in a few months and say all is going ahead

David Jamieson, aviation minister

"At the very earliest opportunity, we will be looking again at the circumstances as they unfold and making sure this centre does go ahead."

"We are totally committed to it going ahead, but I'm afraid that at the moment there's going to be a temporary pause, requested by the national air traffic service."

Mr Jamieson said modernisation work had been carried out at the existing Prestwick centre to increase capacity until at least 2009, and there was "no question" of it being unable to carry out its work.

He also rejected comparisons with Railtrack.

"We would not have agreed to this if safety was going to be in any way compromised," the minister said.

Phil Gallie: Demanding clarity

"We have had to pause for a moment in the present circumstances, and I hope I will be able to come back in to you in a few months and say all is going ahead, and that it will be open some time in the next few years."

However, South of Scotland Tory MSP, Phil Gallie, said: "Despite the minister's comments, I remain highly sceptical of the government's commitment to the Prestwick Air Traffic Control Centre.

"I can see no reason for any suspension, however short.

"I would ask the minister to define precisely what he means when he talks of a 'temporary' delay.

"Does this mean weeks, months or years? He must be a great deal more specific than this."