Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the construction of the North-West Runway at Heathrow airport will not, in real terms, increase the cost of flying from Heathrow Airport for passengers.
Answered by Paul Maynard - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Government is clear that expansion cannot come at any cost, and must be in the interest of the consumer.
Fares are set by airlines after taking a wide range of factors into account, but it is the Government’s expectation that increased airline competition following expansion would help increase choice and reduce fares for passengers.
Heathrow Airport Limited has committed to delivering expansion while keeping airport charges at close to 2016 levels in real terms. In its most recent assessment of affordability, the CAA stated that there are plausible scenarios in which this can be delivered. Government and the CAA will continue to hold industry to account to deliver expansion that is in the best interest of the consumer. The CAA has confirmed that this could include a small increase in airport charges if this were required to unlock the wider consumer benefits of expansion.
In its Final Report, the Airports Commission also noted that the analysis it had commissioned suggested that expansion of either Heathrow or Gatwick would deliver competition benefits and that fares would be likely to remain unaffected or even to fall, even after an increase in airport charges. Competition benefits could be even greater for expansion at Heathrow, given the significant pent up demand at that airport.
The Department has not conducted an assessment of Gatwick Airport Limited’s latest plans, on the basis that it will be for Gatwick Airport to prepare an economic case for any proposal, which the Planning Inspectorate would examine through the development consent process.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to announce which rail market-led proposals have been successful in securing approval to proceed to the next stage of the process; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The department has received 30 responses to its call for ideas for market-led proposals to enhance the railway, which it launched in March this year. These submissions covered a wide range of railway enhancements, but the department cannot make an announcement about individual schemes at this time as these proposals were submitted in confidence and such disclosure may prejudice the commercial interests of the proposers. Individual promoters will be contacted later in the autumn.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many rail market-led proposals for the construction of new railways by private sector firms he has received; and if he will list those proposals.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The department has received 30 responses to its call for ideas for market-led proposals to enhance the railway, which it launched in March this year. These submissions covered a wide range of railway enhancements, but the department cannot make an announcement about individual schemes at this time as these proposals were submitted in confidence and such disclosure may prejudice the commercial interests of the proposers. Individual promoters will be contacted later in the autumn.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the role of the high temperature incinerator at the Lakeside Energy from Waste facility in the disposal of waste from the Salisbury novichok incident demonstrates that that facility is of national strategic significance in the context of the Airports National Policy Statement; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
This Government welcomes the support from the operators Grundon at the high temperature incinerator at Lakeside which is being used for the safe disposal of waste produced by decontamination work following the Salisbury incident. The facility is one of several high temperature incinerators in the UK capable of incinerating large quantities of such waste. The Government therefore does not consider the status of the plant to have changed from that described in the Airports National Policy Statement.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an estimate of the Co2 emissions resulting from the construction of a third runway at Heathrow.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government has considered the carbon effects of the construction and operation of an expanded Heathrow and agrees with the Airports Commission’s assessment that the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme can be delivered within the UK’s climate change commitments.
Heathrow Airport Limited has committed to a package of measures including introducing an airside ultra-low emissions zone by 2025 before the operation of any new runway. They have also committed to using low-carbon and locally-sourced materials in construction, and using sustainable transport methods for materials and public transport for construction workers.
The Appraisal of Sustainability (AoS) that accompanies the proposed Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) provides a strategic level assessment of the potential social, economic, and environmental effects of expansion, including on carbon emissions. The AoS has been published on the DfT’s website and the relevant information can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/appraisal-of-sustainability-for-the-proposed-airports-national-policy-statement
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of the effect on the global competitiveness of Heathrow Airport of an increase in landing charges at that airport of (a) £1, (b) £2, (c) £3, (d) £4, (e) £5 and (f) £10.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Secretary of State set out a clear ambition in 2016 for airport charges to remain as close as possible to current levels.
In the context of expansion, the Civil Aviation Authority will determine an appropriate level of airport charges in line with its statutory duty to further the interest of consumers. The CAA set out in its April consultation that there are credible scenarios in which expansion can be delivered affordably and financeably with airport charges remaining close to current levels – in line with the Secretary of State’s ambition.
Separately, Heathrow have also set out potential scheme savings of up to £2.5 billion and confirmed they are confident they can deliver the Secretary of State’s ambition.
Both the Government and the Airport Commission undertook sensitivity analysis which showed that even if airport charges did rise this would not materially affect the case for expansion.
By contrast, the Government is absolutely clear of the effect of not taking forward expansion; doing nothing could cost around £21 - £23 billion to passengers and around £30 - £45 billion to the wider economy over 60 years.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Table 3.7 of the Department for Transport’s Updated Appraisal Report Airport Capacity in the South East and pursuant to his statement to the House of 5 June 2018 on Airports National Policy Statement, Official Report, column 169, what the evidential basis is that the measures in the Airports National Policy Statement would enable regional airports to increase their number of flights.
Answered by Jesse Norman
A Northwest Runway at Heathrow will improve the UK’s connectivity, with more frequent services to important destinations around the world, providing benefits for passengers and freight-operators across the UK. While Heathrow expansion will help to secure the UK’s status as a global aviation hub, we will also see airports across the country continuing to develop their point-to-point networks.
The table referred to shows that passenger numbers at airports outside of London are expected to increase by 80 per cent between 2016 and 2050 with a third runway at Heathrow, with the equivalent increase in flights being 71 per cent. The Government recognises that all three schemes for expansion in the South East are projected to result in regional airports experiencing lower growth in flights than they would have otherwise seen without expansion, but there is still expected to be strong growth at non-London airports relative to today.
Crucially, the Department’s forecasts do not take into account the ability of the scheme promoter and Government to strengthen specific routes, or other measures to enhance regional connectivity. In addition, the modelling does not take account of future commercial strategies that individual airports could employ to take advantage of the opportunities from both growing demand outside of London and the greater connections offered by an expanded Heathrow. Therefore, it is not surprising that Heathrow expansion is supported by a range of UK airports across all parts of the country, including Liverpool-John Lennon, Glasgow and Newquay.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement of 11 June 2018 on Contingency Liability: Notification (HCWS748), whether his Department’s decision to provide taxpayer indemnities to Heathrow Airport Limited is contingent on the third Runway proceeding.
Answered by Lord Johnson of Marylebone
The contingent liabilities entered into as part of the tripartite deal between the Department, Heathrow Airport and First Greater Western were about securing the future of the Heathrow Express services and delivering significant benefits to the Department, such as the savings generated from not building a replacement depot for Heathrow Express rolling stock at Langley as part of the HS2 scheme. They are not contingent on the third Runway proceeding.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an estimate on the level of debt liable to the public purse in the event that the Airports National Policy Statement is approved by Parliament but Heathrow Airport Limited is unable to finance its expansion.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government is clear that the Northwest Runway scheme at Heathrow will be financed by the private sector without Government support. In the event that Heathrow Airport Limited were unable to finance its scheme, there would be no default cost to Government.
The Government and its advisers have undertaken considerable assurance work on the financial viability of Heathrow Airport Limited's scheme. Given the transformative nature of the scheme, there will almost certainly be various risks and challenges that will need to be addressed as the scheme design and regulatory framework are developed. The Government has concluded that, so far as can be assessed at this early stage of the process, in current market conditions Heathrow Airport Limited appears in principle to be able to finance expansion privately and without Government support.
Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has made an assessment of how long the relocation of Lakeside Energy from Waste will take in the event of a third runway being constructed at Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government has not undertaken a separate assessment of how long it would take to relocate the plant because relocation is not necessary from a statutory or policy perspective. However if relocation was to take place, the Airports Commission estimated that the process may take five years.