Select Committee Inquiry (Aviation Strategy)

Julie Hilling Excerpts

Thursday 13th September 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Ellman]

I welcome the Minister to his new position. My colleagues on the Transport Committee and I look forward to questioning him on this issue. He is correct to point out that the Prime Minister announced last week that an independent commission would be set up to look at these issues. However, that commission is not expected to produce its final report until 2015, so any decision based on its recommendations will be postponed until the next Parliament, at the earliest.

[Julie Hilling (Bolton West) (Lab)]

Does my hon. Friend agree that, as some airports have already reported that they are losing long-haul flights to hub airports on mainland Europe, there is some urgency in deciding our future aviation strategy, and that waiting until 2015 to make the decision when we know how long it takes to develop any new infrastructure seems like an enormously long time?

[Mrs Ellman]

I agree with my hon. Friend. Indeed, that is why the Transport Committee is about to launch its own inquiry.