Why will London Info not give traffic service? Are they too busy and therefore have been told not to do so?
In order to provide a Traffic Service, RADAR is required, along with a controller qualified to provide the service. London Information don't have access to RADAR information and the Flight Information Service Officers that operate the service aren't qualified to use it if they did.
A confusion sometimes arises when London Information issue a transponder code. All this does is show units that DO have RADAR that you have established 2-way with London Information. If said unit want to communicate with the aircraft, then they could call London on the phone and ask the subject aircraft to change to the unit's frequency.
There's a map available showing Farnborough North's coverage area. From my experience in the area, the traffic would be too dense for any meaningful Traffic information to be passed, anyway. As ever, the MK1 eyeball is the essential tool, until a foolproof collision avoidance system is developed for training aircraft. Farnborough's job isn't necessarily to provide us with anti-collision information, though on occasion if they can they might well. It's to keep aircraft out of controlled airspace and try and reduce the cost to the airlines of having to divert around infringers. It's the airlines who pay for this service, I understand.
TOO