Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Department: Department for Transport

Oral Answers to Questions

Baroness Bray of Coln Excerpts
Thursday 17th June 2010

(14 years, 5 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Hammond of Runnymede Portrait Mr Hammond
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As the right hon. Gentleman knows, both parties in the coalition campaigned before the general election on a clear commitment to scrap the third runway at Heathrow. However, we are not anti-aviation and, earlier this week, I set up a working group to consider aviation in the south-east and to work with all the stakeholders, including representatives of business, the airlines and people who work at the airport to ascertain how we can make aviation in the south-east work better within the constraints of existing runway capacity.

Baroness Bray of Coln Portrait Angie Bray (Ealing Central and Acton) (Con)
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The people of Ealing Central and Acton were delighted by the decision to scrap the third runway. Does my right hon. Friend agree that if the third runway had gone ahead, it would have imposed intolerable extra blight on those who live in west London?

Lord Hammond of Runnymede Portrait Mr Hammond
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My hon. Friend is absolutely right. When considering airport expansion, we must look at not only the economic benefits but the local environmental burdens and the impact on this Government’s and the previous Government’s commitments to CO2 reduction.