Asked by: Baroness Hughes of Stretford (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of additional runway capacity at (1) Heathrow Airport and (2) Gatwick Airport on regional economic inequalities between the North West and the South East of England.
Answered by Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill - Minister of State (Department for Transport)
The Government has invited proposals for a third runway at Heathrow to be brought forward by the summer. Once proposals have been received, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement, which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. The Government has been clear that any airport expansion proposals need to demonstrate that they contribute to economic growth, can be delivered in line with the UK’s legally binding commitments on carbon and meet strict environmental requirements on air quality and noise pollution.
On 27 February the Secretary of State has said she is ‘minded to approve’ the expansion of Gatwick Airport. Gatwick Airport is now asked to respond to the Secretary of State on the matters raised by 24 April 2025. The Secretary of State will make her final decision on or before 27 October. As this is a live planning application and the Secretary of State has a quasi-judicial role in this process we therefore cannot comment on it further.
Asked by: Baroness Hughes of Stretford (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Iran regarding the planned executions of, among others, Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We have repeatedly called on the Islamic Republic to establish a moratorium on executions, including through a Human Rights Ambassadors' joint statement at the Human Rights Council in October 2024. The UK also helped deliver a resolution on the human rights situation in Iran at the UN Third Committee in November 2024. In January, the Foreign Secretary raised human rights directly with his Iranian counterpart. We will continue to raise rights issues directly with the regime, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.