§ 47. Mr. Biggs-Davisonasked the Minister of Transport what is her estimate of additional traffic likely to be generated in Essex by a third London airport at Stansted.
§ Mr. SwinglerThe Department is in close touch with the British Airports Authority and others concerned about the surface transport implications of the Stansted decision; but detailed traffic estimates cannot be made at this stage.
§ Mr. Biggs-DavisonIn view of the Government's regrettable decision on Stansted Airport, does the hon. Gentleman's Department plan additional traffic lanes on the M11, and how many lanes are there to be?
§ Mr. SwinglerNaturally the implications of the Stansted decision will be 807 taken into account when we come to the design stage of the M11. This will depend on the consultations which we are having with the British Airports Authority and others about the traffic calculations to be made. This would be the situation wherever the third airport was placed.
§ Mr. WebsterIn view of my 10 Questions on this subject, what step has been taken to break down the figures for the next five years?
§ Mr. SwinglerI do not know whether the hon. Gentleman has had the Answers to his 10 Questions, but he will get the Answers which will elaborate the steps being taken in these consultations to get the best possible traffic estimates. These will naturally be taken into account in the road planning in that area.
§ Mr. Webster rose—
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. We cannot have 10 supplementaries.
§ Mr. Hugh JenkinsWould the hon. Gentleman not agree that wherever another airport is built it will relieve the road and air traffic from Heathrow?
§ Mr. SwinglerNaturally whenever traffic is shifted that is so. Whatever view hon. Members take about the Stansted decision, they have to face that whatever decision is made about the location of a new airport a great deal of increased traffic is naturally generated, and this has to be taken into account in our road planning.