Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential requirement for public funding to contribute to the construction of Heathrow's third runway.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Government is clear that the Northwest Runway scheme at Heathrow will be financed in its entirety by the private sector. Ahead of the decision to designate the Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) the Government and its independent expert advisors concluded that, so far as can be assessed at this early stage of the process, Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) is able to privately finance expansion without Government support.
The Airports Commission also concluded that the scheme is financeable without Government support.
Asked by: Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the effect of a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 on the expansion of Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Michael Ellis
The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) published its report recommending a new target for the UK of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 on 2 May 2019. We now need to carefully consider this advice and the recommended policy approach for aviation that the CCC will produce later in 2019.
The Airports National Policy Statement sets out several strict environmental red lines that must be delivered for a third runway to gain development consent. These include no expansion if the applicant cannot demonstrate that the scheme would not materially impact the UK’s ability to meet its carbon reduction targets.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 30 April 2019 to Question 249314 on Railways, what assessment he has made of the effect of (a) a Western Rail Link to Heathrow Airport and (b) a Southern Rail Link to Heathrow Airport on the level of emissions of (i) greenhouse gases and (ii) other atmospheric pollutants in relation to (A) the existing configuration and (B) the addition of the North West Runway at London Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Andrew Jones
When developing the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), the Government considered the environmental impacts of airport expansion, including surface access, in its assessment. The ANPS is clear that a new Northwest Runway will not receive Development Consent unless it can demonstrate compliance with air quality and climate change obligations.
Specific assessment of air quality and climate change impacts associated with the proposed Western and Southern Rail Links will form part of the required environmental assessments accompanying any development consent application. Both schemes are intended to support travel mode shift from road to rail, therefore supporting air quality and climate change targets.
Asked by: Harriet Harman (Labour - Camberwell and Peckham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to aircraft noise nuisance, which communities will receive compensation and noise insulation as a result of the third runway at Heathrow airport; and on what criteria that decision was based.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Airports National Policy Statement sets an expectation that, in addition to controlling and reducing aircraft noise impacts, an applicant for development consent for a Northwest Runway at Heathrow Airport will be required to commit appropriate resources to mitigate the impacts of aircraft through noise insulation programmes for both private homes and public buildings.
It notes that Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) has publicly committed, following third party assessments, to provide full acoustic insulation for residential property within the full single mode easterly and westerly 60dB LAeq (16hr) noise contour of an expanded airport; and to provide a contribution of up to £3,000 for acoustic insulation for residential properties within the full single mode easterly and westerly 57dB LAeq (16hr) or the full 55dB Lden noise contours of an expanded airport, whichever is the bigger. In addition, HAL has committed to deliver a programme of noise insulation and ventilation for schools and community buildings within the 60dB LAeq (16hr) contour.
The geographical areas that the scheme could cover is dependent on flight paths for an expanded Heathrow Airport. Preparations for the airspace change process are complex and will take some years to work through.
In considering the case for expansion the Department commissioned a review of strategies adopted by international airports to mitigate the impact of airports on residents. In considering the scheme proposed by HAL the review found the schemes to be comparable to those on offer in other countries.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the additional number of people will be overflown by aircraft as a result of the expansion of Heathrow.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Appraisal of Sustainability that accompanies the Airports National Policy Statement provides a strategic level assessment of the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts of expansion, including on noise, based on indicative flight paths.
While taking forward an application for development consent of the Northwest runway scheme, Heathrow Airport Limited has also started to engage with the airspace change process necessary to accommodate the additional flights that expansion would enable. In the UK this process is governed by the Civil Aviation Authority, which must approve all changes to the UK’s airspace, including new flight paths. This is a seven-stage process, often taking a number of years between an airport alerting the Civil Aviation Authority to a proposed change, and the Civil Aviation Authority making a decision on whether that change should be implemented.
Heathrow Airport Limited are currently at the second stage of the Civil Aviation Authority’s Airspace Change Process. At this early stage it is not possible to identify the expected noise impacts on specific communities. These will depend on the final chosen airspace design. The second part of the process is known as ‘Option Development’, and requires the airport to develop a range of options for the proposed new airspace design. These will then be published, along with a detailed assessment, for public consultation.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the appropriate level of consultation that should be undertaken in relation to the proposed airspace changes caused by the expansion of Heathrow.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The consultation requirements for all airspace change sponsors are set out in the Air Navigation Guidance 2017 issued by the Department to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in October 2017. It is the responsibility of the CAA to ensure that all airspace change sponsors comply with this guidance.
Asked by: Andy McDonald (Labour - Middlesbrough)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of Heathrow airport's ability to meet the Civil Aviation Authority's design principles on airspace changes as a result of precise flight paths associated with the expansion of the airport not yet being known.
Answered by Jesse Norman
As part of its airspace change process, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is responsible for assessing the individual airspace design principles put forward by an airspace change sponsor.
In the case of Heathrow, the CAA was satisfied that the airspace design principles put forward by the airport met its regulatory requirements.
Asked by: Jon Trickett (Labour - Hemsworth)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people working on the airport capacity programme are (a) contingent labour, (b) supplier resource and (c) civil servants.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Heathrow Expansion Programme (formerly known as the Airport Capacity Programme) has the equivalent of 55.3 full time civil servants currently working on the programme. The programme does not currently employ any contingent labour.
The civil servant team is supported by a number of suppliers that support the Government on a range of legal, commercial and financial matters.
Asked by: Emma Reynolds (Labour - Wolverhampton North East)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the Government's policy is on the future expansion of Birmingham Airport.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government is already supportive of airports beyond Heathrow making best use of their existing runways, provided that economic and environmental issues are addressed; and it specifically welcomes the ambition of UK airports which are responding to local demands and investing in their infrastructure and facilities. However, it is for airports’ owners and operators to make investment decisions.
The Government is currently consulting on its new Aviation Strategy. This sets out a long-term vision for aviation to 2050 and beyond, which emphasises the significance of aviation to regional growth and the UK economy.
Asked by: Steve Reed (Labour (Co-op) - Croydon North)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has undertaken an impact assessment on (a) noise pollution and (b) air pollution that would be caused by the changes to flight paths proposed under the Heathrow Airspace and Future Operations Consultation.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Appraisal of Sustainability[1] that accompanies the Airports National Policy Statement provides a strategic level assessment of the potential noise and air pollution impacts, based on indicative flight paths.
If expansion proceeds, the exact noise and pollution impacts will depend on the final flight path design which must be approved through the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) Airspace Change Process.
This regulatory process will provide further opportunities for stakeholders to be informed by, and comment on, more detailed flightpath proposals. The process also requires that the feedback received by the sponsor of the change is taken into consideration fully before the final proposal is submitted to the CAA for regulatory approval.