Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the costs and benefits to (a) the public purse and (b) passengers of the expansion of regional airports.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The revised draft Airports National Policy Statement on new runway capacity and infrastructure at airports in the South-East of England considers impacts of Heathrow expansion on airports across the UK. It finds that a North-West runway at Heathrow delivers the best connectivity for the UK as a whole, with regional airports expected to continue displaying strong passenger growth by 2050.
The UK is one of the best connected countries in the world by air, with six airports handling more than five million passengers per annum, offering an intensive short-haul network and an increasing number of long-haul destinations. In addition almost 30 regional airports offer important direct connectivity to key business and leisure destinations.
The Government is developing a new, long-term Aviation Strategy to 2050 and beyond which aims to achieve a safe, secure and sustainable aviation sector that meets the needs of consumers and of a global, outward-looking Britain. A ‘Next Steps’ document published in April, stated that the Government will consider whether our nations and regions are suitably connected by either air or surface access transport to the rest of the UK and to key overseas markets.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what plans he has to develop the Government's methods of assessment of the environmental impacts of airport expansion.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Department for Transport has prepared an Appraisal of Sustainability (AoS) to support the development of the Airports NPS and assess the environmental impacts of airport expansion. The AOS has been developed by external expert consultants, with advice of specialists from across Government and, where appropriate, in line with the Department’s published Transport Appraisal Guidance (Web-TAG). The Government has consulted on the AoS twice, most recently between October and December 2017, and is considering comments on the appraisal methods and appraisal results raised in consultation responses. The AoS will be updated, if required, prior to laying any final proposed Airports NPS in Parliament. Web-TAG is kept under periodic review.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimates he has made of the level of financial support from the public purse that would be necessary to facilitate the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government has always been clear that any scheme for additional airport capacity should be financed by the private sector. The Airports Commission concluded that all three of its shortlisted schemes were financeable without public support.
As set out in the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement, independent financial advisers have undertaken further work for the Government, and agree that all three schemes are financeable without on that basis.
Heathrow Airport Limited would also pay in full the cost of any surface access required for airport expansion. Where there is a surface access scheme that is not solely required to deliver airport capacity and that has a wider range of beneficiaries the Government, along with relevant stakeholders, will consider the need for a public contribution alongside an appropriate contribution from the airport on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made on the effect of the development of aircraft technology on the future role of hub airports.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Department recognises that emerging technologies such as electric aircraft and automation have the potential to benefit passengers and the UK’s transport market; for example, by providing new options for how passengers or goods travel between our cities and regions. This could have an impact on how the UK’s airport network is used, potentially improving how we use our airports and our transport networks.
As part of the Government’s developing Aviation Strategy, we continue to engage with the aviation industry throughout the strategy process to understand the specific effects on airports.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the financial benefit to the public purse of an increase in long-haul aviation traffic from regional airports.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The revised draft Airports National Policy Statement on new runway capacity and infrastructure at airports in the South-East of England considers impacts of Heathrow expansion on airports across the UK. It finds that a North-West runway at Heathrow delivers the best connectivity for the UK as a whole, with regional airports expected to continue displaying strong passenger growth by 2050.
The UK is one of the best connected countries in the world by air, with six airports handling more than five million passengers per annum, offering an intensive short-haul network and an increasing number of long-haul destinations. In addition almost 30 regional airports offer important direct connectivity to key business and leisure destinations.
The Government is developing a new, long-term Aviation Strategy to 2050 and beyond which aims to achieve a safe, secure and sustainable aviation sector that meets the needs of consumers and of a global, outward-looking Britain. A ‘Next Steps’ document published in April, stated that the Government will consider whether our nations and regions are suitably connected by either air or surface access transport to the rest of the UK and to key overseas markets.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the effect of a third runway at Heathrow on the public purse.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government has always been clear that any scheme for additional airport capacity should be financed by the private sector. The Airports Commission concluded that all three of its shortlisted schemes were financeable without public support.
As set out in the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement, independent financial advisers have undertaken further work for the Government, and agree that all three schemes are financeable without on that basis.
Heathrow Airport Limited would also pay in full the cost of any surface access required for airport expansion. Where there is a surface access scheme that is not solely required to deliver airport capacity and that has a wider range of beneficiaries the Government, along with relevant stakeholders, will consider the need for a public contribution alongside an appropriate contribution from the airport on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding from the public purse he plans to provide to Heathrow Airport to facilitate the delivery of a third runway and associated infrastructure.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government has always been clear that any scheme for additional airport capacity should be financed by the private sector. The Airports Commission concluded that all three of its shortlisted schemes were financeable without public support.
As set out in the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement, independent financial advisers have undertaken further work for the Government, and agree that all three schemes are financeable without on that basis.
Heathrow Airport Limited would also pay in full the cost of any surface access required for airport expansion. Where there is a surface access scheme that is not solely required to deliver airport capacity and that has a wider range of beneficiaries the Government, along with relevant stakeholders, will consider the need for a public contribution alongside an appropriate contribution from the airport on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Vince Cable (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what targets his Department has set for carbon emissions in the aviation sector in (a) 2030, (b) 2040 and (c) 2050.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
The Government has set no specific emissions target for the UK aviation sector in any of the three years named.
While domestic aviation is included, emissions from international aviation are currently excluded from the legally-binding 2050 target which was set by the Climate Change Act 2008, and from the five carbon budgets which have been set to date (covering the period up to 2032).
However, the UK’s carbon budgets have been set at a level that accounts for international aviation and shipping emissions, so that the UK is on a trajectory that could be consistent with a 2050 target that includes these emissions.
Last year the UK was instrumental in reaching a ground-breaking international agreement at the International Civil Aviation Organisation on how to limit the emissions from the sector.
The Government will now set out its strategic approach to the aviation sector in a series of consultations leading to the publication of a new Aviation Strategy for the UK in 2019.
The Strategy will consider what the best approach and combination of policy measures are at the international and domestic level to ensure we effectively address carbon emissions from aviation.