Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what legal agreements he has in place with Heathrow Airport Limited and its holding company on (a) air pollution in and around Heathrow and (b) surface access arrangements.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government believes that the Heathrow Northwest Runway scheme can and must be delivered without affecting the UK’s compliance with its air quality obligations, given the measures set out in the Government’s Air Quality Plan. The Government’s view has been informed by its air quality analysis of the Northwest Runway scheme, which was published in October 2017. This does not take into account scheme specific mitigations that any applicant could take forward to address its air quality impact.
The proposed Airports National Policy Statement requires the applicant to consider an extensive range of air quality mitigation measures, potentially including an emissions-based access charge. Development consent will only be granted if the Secretary of State is satisfied that, with mitigations, the scheme will be compliant with legal obligations on air quality.
The Department for Transport has no specific legal agreements in place with Heathrow Airport Ltd (HAL) and its holding company on air pollution in and around Heathrow Airport.
In respect of surface access the Department has a number of legal agreements with HAL relating to Crossrail, HS2 and Heathrow Express:
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, at what stage of the construction of a third runway at Heathrow he plans to assess whether legal air pollution limits can be met; and when he plans to make that assessment.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The Government has published a number of reports which have assessed the effect of the Heathrow Northwest Runway Scheme on compliance with air quality limits. Its latest air quality analysis for the scheme was published in October 2017 and demonstrates that, given the measures set out in the latest Air Quality Plan, the scheme would not affect the UK’s compliance with air quality limits. This analysis does not take into account scheme-specific mitigations that any applicant could take forward to address its air quality impact.
The proposed Airports National Policy Statement (NPS) is clear that development consent will only be granted if the Secretary of State is satisfied that, with mitigation, the scheme will be compliant with legal obligations on air quality.
Detailed conditions associated with the construction and operation of the Heathrow Northwest Runway Scheme, including the details of any enforcement or monitoring regime on air quality, would be determined through the planning process, in consultation with local communities and relevant stakeholders.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to extend the Public Service Obligation designated route between Dundee Airport and London Stansted beyond 2019.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Officials will be having initial discussions with Dundee City Council and Transport Scotland before the end of June 2018, in which they will discuss the options available for after the current contract for this route ends in July 2019.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has received legal advice on the compliance with legal air quality limits of the proposal in the Airports National Policy Statement; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
As would be the case for any major Government policy, the proposed Airports National Policy Statement, including the content on air quality, has been subject to a number of legal reviews.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Oral Statement of 5 June 2018 on Airports National Policy Statement, Official Report, column 169, whether there are any existing (a) legal mechanisms and (b) legally contracted agreements in place with Heathrow Airport Limited to enable the ringfencing of slots on a new runway at Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Slots at Heathrow are currently allocated by the independent slot coordinator Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) in accordance with the EU slot regulations. Government will take action, where appropriate, to secure routes through the use of Public Service Obligations. This includes the ring-fencing of appropriately timed slots.
The Government has no legally contracted agreements in place with Heathrow Airport Limited to enable the ring-fencing of slots but the proposed Airports National Policy Statement sets out an expectation that expansion at Heathrow will deliver an additional six domestic routes and this will be examined as part of any Development Consent Order application. The Secretary of State also has a clear ambition for about 15 per cent of slots made available from a new runway to be used for domestic routes.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the Government can designate a new Public Service Obligation route from a regional airport to a city airport in addition to an existing route operating to that city.
Answered by Jesse Norman
EU Regulation 1008/2008 sets out that Public Service Obligations (PSOs) can be considered on an airport to airport basis. Where an existing route is already operating to that destination city, a PSO can still be considered, provided the criteria set out in the Regulation are met.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, on what dates (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department have had meetings with Heathrow Airport Limited since June 2017; and if he will place a copy of the minutes of those meetings in the Library.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Ministers and officials have met regularly with Heathrow Airport Limited (HAL) since June 2017 to discuss a wide range of issues relating to the operation of the UK’s largest airport, as well as the potential delivery of its proposed expansion. These meetings are governed by propriety arrangements set out in the Statement of Approach, which is published online:
The minutes of such meetings include material relating to HAL’s private business operations. The release of this information would be likely to prejudice their commercial interests. Given that the amount of information in question is substantial, redacting and preparing the records for release would have a disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what current routes by (a) route origin and destination, (b) airline carrier and (c) notified date of route closure have been flagged by airlines in accordance with the voluntary early warning system as set out in paragraphs 25 to 28 of his Department's Guidance on the Protection of Regional Air Access to London, published on 19 December 2013.
Answered by Jesse Norman
The three routes currently under Public Service Obligations (PSOs), were originally flagged using voluntary early warning system. These comprise the Londonderry to London Stansted airport, operated by BMI Regional from May 2017, Dundee to London Stansted airport, operated by Logan Air from June 2014, and Newquay to London Gatwick airport, operated by Flybe from October 2014. No other route has been flagged under the voluntary early warning system.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has had discussions with British Airways on its plans to reduce Leeds Bradford Airport routes to London Heathrow; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
Ministers have not had any discussions with British Airways on this matter. Whilst officials have discussed this matter with Leeds Bradford airport and British Airways, routes are a commercial agreement between the airport and the airline.
Asked by: Justine Greening (Independent - Putney)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using a Public Service Obligation to safeguard the Leeds Bradford Airport routes that British Airways announced changes to in January 2018; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Jesse Norman
It is for the relevant regional body to make the case for a PSO to the Department, against the criteria set out in the Government’s guidance on protecting regional air access to London, in relation to 1008/2008. The Department has not received representations to this effect.