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 estimate he has made of the capital contribution required by his Department to ensure the delivery of (a) southern rail access and (b) western rail access into Heathrow airport.
Answered by Andrew Jones
The Government’s position in relation to funding Surface Access at airports is set out in the 2013 Aviation Policy Framework and reiterated in the Airports National Policy Statement which was designated in June 2018. Where a scheme is not solely required to deliver airport capacity and has a wider range of beneficiaries, the Government, along with relevant stakeholders, will consider the need for a public funding contribution alongside an appropriate contribution from the airport on a case by case basis. The Government is supporting these schemes subject to the development of a satisfactory business case and the agreement of acceptable terms with the Heathrow aviation industry.
In line with the published Rail Network Enhancements Pipeline, my Department is developing the Business Case for the Western Rail Link to Heathrow. Network Rail intends to apply for planning powers in 2019, and details of the scheme funding will be published.
In May 2018, my Department launched a Market Sounding to test the market’s appetite to share the risk of development for a proposed Southern Rail Link to Heathrow in order to reduce the burden on taxpayers and fare payers. A summary of responses will be published later in the Autumn.
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 effect on (a) air pollution, (b) noise pollution and (c) congestion of lifting the air traffic movement cap at Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Appraisal of Sustainability that accompanies the Airports National Policy Statement provides a strategic assessment of the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts of expansion, including a) air quality and b) noise.
Following designation of the Airports National Policy Statement, it is down to an applicant for development consent to undertake a detailed assessment of the environmental impacts of their scheme, and to put forward an appropriate package of mitigation measures.
On c), the Airports National Policy Statement is also clear that an applicant for development consent should set out the mitigation measures that it considers are required to minimise the effect of expansion on the existing surface access arrangements. Any application, and its accompanying airport surface access strategy, must include details of how the applicant will increase the proportion of journeys made to the airport by public transport, cycling and walking.
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 steps he is taking to ensure that expansion at Heathrow airport is compatible with legal air quality limits.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
Following designation of the Airports National Policy Statement, it is now down to an applicant for development consent to undertake a detailed assessment of the air quality impacts of the scheme, including during construction, and put forward to the Planning Inspectorate an appropriate package of mitigations that addresses air quality impacts and demonstrates compliance with air quality obligations.
In order to grant development consent, the Secretary of State would need to be satisfied that, including any mitigations, the scheme would be compliant with legal obligations.
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 his Department's definition is of private finance in relation to infrastructure projects.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
Private finance is a way to deliver infrastructure projects in which the private sector invests equity and/or lends in order to facilitate the development, delivery, acquisition, and/or operation of a project, asset or entity with the expectation of earning a return on the investment commensurate with the risk.