§ 28. Mr. Fordasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what study he has made of the possibility of constructing a floating airport, with all the attendant advantages, such as that being considered by the Japanese to be sited in Osaka Bay, details of which have been sent to him.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerMy Department has studied the problem of floating aerodromes and the findings are incorporated in a Research Report issued by my Directorate of Civil Engineering in 1969. When this report was prepared it was understood that the Osaka Bay scheme had been abandoned in favour of an inland site.
§ Mr. FordIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this possibility was not within the terms of reference of the Roskill Commission, that the cost of the Foulness proposal is at present incalculable, that the Osaka Bay project has been reintroduced and that, from all points of view—pollution, land acquisition and the sake of the people of North Kent and Southend—this deserves much more serious study?
§ Mr. WalkerI understand that the Commission was aware of the possible implications of this technique but decided to restrict its further investigations to airports constructed on reclaimed land.