LONDON AIRPORT FACILITIES (Hansard, 22 July 1959)

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, I beg to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

THE EARL OF GOSFORD
My Lords, my right honourable friend is aware of the congestion in the temporary buildings at London Airport, and hopes to effect some improvement in conditions there, by enlarging the Customs examination area and by providing an additional baggage entry point. The main task is, however, to provide permanent buildings in the central area for the long-haul airlines.
The London Airport Development Committee recommended the erection of a new long-haul passenger building on the south-west side of the central area. After a detailed study of requirements and contemporary practice, carried out in co-operation with the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation and other Departments and airlines concerned, the architect has drawn up plans, which have passed the scrutiny of the Royal Fine Art Commission.
Tenders have been invited for the foundation and steelwork contracts, and the building will come into operation in stages beginning in the second half of 1961. My right honourable friend hopes in due course to make available for your Lordships' inspection a large-scale model of the building, together with the plans and an artist's impression.

§ LORD SHEPHERD
My Lords, I thank the noble Earl for his Answer. May I ask him whether the Government are satisfied that facilities at London Airport North are sufficient to cope with the increased air traffic, particularly during the period until 1961 when the first section of the airport will be available?

THE EARL OF GOSFORD
My Lords, Her Majesty's Government are not satisfied that the conditions at London Airport North will be sufficient. That is why they have agreed to the erection of the new buildings.

§ LORD OGMORE
My Lords, my noble friend Lord Pakenham announced in 1950 the plans for this airport, included in which were plans to move all the business now at the northern part of the aerodrome to the central building. Why has that not been proceeded with, and why, in this year 1959, are not the airlines accommodated as was intended by my noble friend, and by myself, who followed him, in 1950?

THE EARL OF GOSFORD
My Lords, I think the noble Lord will remember that there were certain financial difficulties at that particular time when his Government were in power. Further to that, your Lordships will remember that the years 1957 and 1958 were years of the credit squeeze, when there were severe restrictions on Government expenditure which considerably delayed acceptance of the scheme.

§ LORD OGMORE
My Lords, surely it is only playing with the House to talk about financial restrictions in 1957 and 1958, when the plans were announced in 1950. What happened between 1950 and 1957? Why the delay?

THE EARL OF GOSFORD
My Lords, the Millbourn Committee's report, which dealt with many aspects of the development of London's airports, in addition to the layout of terminal buildings, required careful consideration by the Department and by Ministers. The scheme as a whole involved a large capital expenditure and, as I have already said, your Lordships will remember that the years 1957 and 1958 were years of the credit squeeze. Many buildings, as I am sure your Lordships know, have already been put up, and it was considered that it was necessary to put up the most important buildings first.
380 As regards subsequent delays, work on the long-haul building could not begin until all the interested parties had been consulted and stated their technical and other requirements. Some of these requirements were mutually conflicting and took rather longer to resolve than was originally expected. This is perhaps not altogether surprising, since it is desired that the new building should meet the needs of the jet era as efficiently as possible, and some of these needs are as yet hard to estimate precisely.