§ 8. Mr. Knox Cunninghamasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will now make a statement with regard to the future of Belfast Airport; and when work to improve the airport facilities will start.
§ The Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation (Mr. Harold Watkinson)My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State 485 has agreed in principle to the joint use of Aldergrove R.A.F. Station as the civil airport for Belfast. This is a most satisfactory outcome to our discussions, and I am most grateful to my right hon. Friend for agreeing to the principle of joint use. Aldergrove is operationally considerably superior to Nutts Corner and joint use offers the prospect of considerable savings to the taxpayer.
The form of joint use proposed envisages the R.A.F. retaining responsibility for Air Traffic Control of civil as well as military aircraft, and the development by my Ministry of a civilian terminal area. Detailed planning studies are being pushed forward as rapidly as possible to the stage where a programme of work can be drawn up.
§ Mr. Knox CunninghamWhile thanking my right hon. Friend for that Answer, may I ask whether he can give some estimate of the cost of this change? Can he say when the work is likely to start?
§ Mr. WatkinsonWe would wish the work to start as soon as it possibly can. I could not give an estimate of costs, but I think my hon. and learned Friend would like to know that we do propose to provide full, proper civil facilities at Aldergrove.