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Written Question
Aviation: Nature Conservation
Monday 16th October 2023

Asked by: Robert Courts (Conservative - Witney)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Habitats Directive on airfield planning applications.

Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons

The Government is supportive of airport growth where it can be delivered within its environmental obligations.

Every development proposal should be judged by the relevant planning authority, taking careful account of all relevant considerations, including environmental impacts and proposed mitigations.

Airport planning applications need to take into account the European Commission Habitats Directive where they could lead to significant impacts on areas of nature conservation, which could include a Habitat Regulations Assessment of the implications of the plans for that site.

Speech in Written Statements - Thu 21 Jul 2022
Search and Rescue Aviation Procurement

"Following an extensive 18-month procurement process to procure the next decade of search and rescue aviation services, this process has now finished, and I wish to inform the House of the results.

I am pleased to announce that a £1.6 billion contract will be signed today to provide a search …..."
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Speech in General Committees - Mon 18 Jul 2022
Draft Airports Slot Allocation (Alleviation of Usage Requirements) (No. 2) Regulations 2022

"I beg to move,

That the Committee has considered the draft Airports Slot Allocation (Alleviation of Usage Requirements) (No.2) Regulations 2022.

The regulations, if the Committee approves them, will be made under the powers conferred by the Air Traffic Management and Unmanned Aircraft Act 2021. They take the opportunity of …..."
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Speech in General Committees - Mon 18 Jul 2022
Draft Airports Slot Allocation (Alleviation of Usage Requirements) (No. 2) Regulations 2022

"If I have understood the hon. Gentleman’s point correctly and I am correctly remembering the recommendation in the report—I am happy to take another intervention if I have misunderstood—he referred to “reallocation”. However, it is of course the case that the allocation of slots is a matter for Airport Co-ordination …..."
Robert Courts - View Speech

View all Robert Courts (Con - Witney) contributions to the debate on: Draft Airports Slot Allocation (Alleviation of Usage Requirements) (No. 2) Regulations 2022
Speech in General Committees - Mon 18 Jul 2022
Draft Airports Slot Allocation (Alleviation of Usage Requirements) (No. 2) Regulations 2022

"I thank the hon. Members for Wythenshawe and Sale East and for Paisley and Renfrewshire North for the detailed and thoughtful consideration that they have given the matter.

I will deal first with the matters raised by the hon. Member for Wythenshawe and Sale East. I stress that the most …..."
Robert Courts - View Speech

View all Robert Courts (Con - Witney) contributions to the debate on: Draft Airports Slot Allocation (Alleviation of Usage Requirements) (No. 2) Regulations 2022
Speech in General Committees - Mon 18 Jul 2022
Draft Airports Slot Allocation (Alleviation of Usage Requirements) (No. 2) Regulations 2022

"I am justly chastised for straying in my attempt to be diligent. I will go back to the context of the SI.

The hon. Member for Wythenshawe and Sale East made a number of points about cancellations, with which I entirely agree. Last-minute cancellations are distressing for families and for …..."
Robert Courts - View Speech

View all Robert Courts (Con - Witney) contributions to the debate on: Draft Airports Slot Allocation (Alleviation of Usage Requirements) (No. 2) Regulations 2022
Speech in General Committees - Mon 18 Jul 2022
Draft Airports Slot Allocation (Alleviation of Usage Requirements) (No. 2) Regulations 2022

"The hon. Gentleman makes a very good point. Of course, a slot at one end may be alleviated but that does not mean that there is an alleviation at the other end. This is an operational matter that has to be negotiated between airlines and their partners on the other …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 30 Jun 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"National Highways is currently finalising option proposals for the A27 upgrade scheme. We expect that the proposals will be put to public consultation later this year...."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 30 Jun 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"I thank my hon. Friend for the powerful points he has made. The Department is very aware of the draft report by Transport for the South East, and I thank it for that report. The proposals are being considered carefully and looked at closely by the Department, and I know …..."
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 30 Jun 2022
Oral Answers to Questions

"The Department is investing more than £5 billion over this Parliament in local highways maintenance, which is helping to fix potholes and other road defects...."
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