Airport Expansion

Debate between Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill and Baroness Blower

Monday 3rd February 2025 Lords Chamber

[Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)]

The costs of a third runway depend, of course, on the proposals of the promoter to deliver it. Without that proposition, we cannot usefully have a debate about how much it might cost, but my earlier answer to the noble Lord, Lord Moylan, stands about the cost of the runway itself. The only other thing I point out to the noble Baroness is that, since 2014, the Elizabeth line has opened, and a significant amount of extra railway capacity has already been provided to Heathrow Airport.

[Baroness Blower (Lab)]

My Lords, a good deal of air freight arrives at Heathrow. Does my noble friend the Minister think it would be possible—and rather a good idea—to redirect some of it to Doncaster Sheffield Airport, which is currently standing idle, thereby freeing up possible slots for other flights to come into Heathrow, and possibly obviating the need for a third runway?

[Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)]

I am not intimately familiar with the proportion of air freight that arrives in Heathrow on aircraft solely adapted for cargo. My understanding is that much of the air freight that arrives there in fact arrives in the holds of passenger aircraft, therefore redirecting it is far from a simple process. But the earlier point about the success of regional airports stands, which is that the Government are very anxious to reopen Doncaster Sheffield and will do everything they can to achieve that.

Hammersmith Bridge

Debate between Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill and Baroness Blower

Wednesday 18th December 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Blower (Lab)]

My Lords, as a resident of Hammersmith and Fulham I would like to say that, although there has been some inconvenience, there has also been much better air quality. I am interested in what the Minister has to say about the possibility of an electric shuttle service running across the bridge, to enable those who are unable to walk across it to cross with relative ease. That would be much better for the air quality for those of us in Barnes and Hammersmith and Fulham, and could be done reasonably quickly.

[Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill (Lab)]

It is a matter for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, and indeed for the neighbouring borough on the south side, of which I declare that I am a resident, to decide what they want to do with the bridge. The stabilisation work has stopped it from literally collapsing, but the capacity of the bridge to take traffic as well as pedestrians and cyclists will cost a lot more money, and the boroughs will have to work with Transport for London to decide how the bridge is going to be used. The other really important feature of the bridge is that at least once a year it is absolutely full of pedestrians. Therefore, a job that does not allow it to bear the weight of pedestrians for the boat race and other things will not be very satisfactory. However, it is for the boroughs to decide how to deal with that.