Airports: Heathrow

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean Excerpts
Monday 31st January 2011

(13 years, 10 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Earl Attlee Portrait Earl Attlee
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My Lords, the reports will come in due course. However, if there are any lessons to be taken on board immediately, we will listen and take action on those points.

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean Portrait Lord Forsyth of Drumlean
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My Lords, is it not rather ridiculous to try to turn this into an argument about public versus private? The motorway between Glasgow and Edinburgh was closed for two days, yet as far as I know has not been privatised. Is not the real issue whether we will have winters like this on a regular basis, and whether we need to invest in our infrastructure—our roads, our airports and the rest—to prevent our country from looking ridiculous in the eyes of the rest of the world?

Earl Attlee Portrait Earl Attlee
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My noble friend is absolutely right. That is why my right honourable friend the Secretary of State has asked Sir John Beddington to give us some scientific data on how likely it is that we will experience such severe winters in future.