§ 28. Mr. Gwilym Robertsasked the President of the Board of Trade what studies he has made of proposed off-shore airport developments on Lake Michigan, United States of America, details of which have been sent to him by the honourable Member for South Bedfordshire; and if he will seek to finance research into the designing of major off-shore airports for use off British coasts to meet the needs of London and other large urban areas.
§ 64. Mr. Bostonasked the President of the Board of Trade what studies are being made into the problems of coastal air ports.
§ Mr. William RodgersCoastal and off-shore locations are among the sites at present under consideration by the Roskill Commission for a Third London Airport. In addition, my right hon. Friend the Minister of Public Building and Works is looking into some of the practical and cost problems of airports in such locations, to which the Lake Michigan proposals (which he has studied) do not offer any novel solutions; he also has in mind some longer term research into the feasibility of constructing floating airports.
§ Mr. RobertsWould my hon. Friend not accept that the main decision must be that major airfields of this type must be located considerable distances from major urban centres and that the two problems 422 facing the Government are the design of such airfields and the production of fast passenger transport connecting them with the urban centres?
§ Mr. RodgersMany considerations are involved and I would be wrong to prejudge in any way the recommendations of the Roskill Commission.
§ Mr. BostonWould my hon. Friend confirm that the replies to Questions on 6th November were in no way intended to prejudge any inquiries currently being made into coastal and other sites? Would he agree that some coastal sites would be far more disadvantageous and would affect adversely far more people than some inland sites which are being suggested?
§ Mr. RodgersMy hon. Friend may be correct in his second statement, but if I am to support him in his first, I do not think that I am required to comment.
§ Mr. FortescueThe Question refers to London and other large urban areas. Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the large urban area of Merseyside has a first-class airport which is grossly under-used and starved of help by the Government? Would he give the House his plans in this connection and confirm that this starvation has no connection with the fact that the airport is not used by either of the two nationalised Corporations?
§ Mr. RodgersI would not accept the hon. Member's assumption for a moment, but I think that there is a later Question about this problem which deals with it more fully.