Airports: London Debate

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Department: Department for Transport

Airports: London

Lord Spicer Excerpts
Wednesday 16th March 2011

(13 years, 8 months ago)

Lords Chamber
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Asked By
Lord Spicer Portrait Lord Spicer
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to provide for sufficient capacity in the London airport system to accommodate the forecast expansion of passenger demand.

Earl Attlee Portrait Earl Attlee
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My Lords, the Government are not in the business of predict and provide. We are committed to developing a new policy framework for the whole of UK aviation which supports economic growth and addresses aviation’s environmental impacts. The Department for Transport expects to publish passenger demand forecasts later this year to support the development of the framework.

Lord Spicer Portrait Lord Spicer
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If, as anticipated, Heathrow cannot take the strain, which London airport will? Perhaps I should add that I ask that Question as a former Minister for Aviation.

Earl Attlee Portrait Earl Attlee
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My Lords, the Government have set up the South East Airports Task Force to look at how we can make airports in the south-east better, but not bigger.