§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will now make a Statement about the Report of the Commission on the Third London Airport; and whether in particular they will say how the matter will be discussed by Parliament, and when it is intended to make a decision about the recommendations of the Report.]
§ THE MINISTER WITHOUT PORTFOLIO (LORD DRUMALBYN)My Lords, as the noble Lord knows, a debate on the Report of the Commission is to take place in your Lordships' House, on the Motion of my noble friend Lord Molson, on February 23. I cannot say when a decision will be made on the recommendations of the Report, except that it will not be made until they have been debated in both Houses of Parliament.
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord for that Answer. Now that the full Report has been published, will the noble Lord take the opportunity to express adequate thanks to Mr. Justice Roskill and his Commission for the quite superb job of work they have done? Secondly, would he not agree that the abuse to which the Commission were subjected by people, even before the Report was published, was quite intolerable? Furthermore, may I ask the noble Lord whether, when we come to the debate on February 23, the Government will be in a position to say something about the possibilities of an alternative solution to 1058 our problems other than that of creating a third London Airport?
§ LORD DRUMALBYNMy Lords, first I should like to associate the Government, and I am sure all Members of your Lordships' House, in the thanks to Mr. Justice Roskill and the other members of the Commission for their very long and arduous work. Whether or not one agrees with their recommendation—some people do and some do not—one cannot but be extremely grateful to the Commission for their public service in this respect. I did not think it was part of the Answer to the noble Lord's Question; but I am grateful to him for making the point. So far as his second point is concerned, we shall certainly take that into account.
§ BARONESS BACONMy Lords, is the noble Lord aware that a great many people feel that what is required is not so much a third London Airport as a third British airport? Is he aware that in the North of England there is considerable support for the siting of such an airport in South Yorkshire? When the debate takes place will he be in a position to say what consideration has been given to the views of the West Riding County Council, among others, in their evidence to the Commission?
§ LORD DRUMALBYNYes, of course, my Lords. The issue referred to the Commission was to inquire into the timing of a need for a four-runway airport to cater for the growth of traffic at existing airports serving the London area; to consider the various alternative sites and to recommend which site should be selected. I have no doubt that everything the Roskill Commission have said will be carefully studied.
§ LORD SHINWELLMy Lords, did I understand the noble Lord's original Answer to mean that the Government are to await the debate in the other place before reaching a decision? Does that mean that the Government are incapable of making up their own minds on the subject?
§ LORD DRUMALBYNMy Lords, I think that the other place, and indeed this House, would be among the first to complain if the Government were to make up their mind before they had listened to the advice given.
§ LORD BESWICKMy Lords, I wonder whether I may ask another question. The noble Lord said—and I can quite understand why he said it—that he cannot give a date by which the Government will announce their decision on the recommendations. Can he give some indication of the time-scale within which the Government propose to work?
§ LORD DRUMALBYNNo, my Lords, except to say that the Government appreciate very much the need to end the uncertainty which has affected people living in the areas which were selected as the four possible sites for the Airport.