Airports (Hansard, 13 July 2000)

§ Laura Moffatt
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress to date with the airport study for the South-east. [129591]

§ Ms Beverley Hughes
As the then Minister for Transport announced on 11 March 1999, the South-east and East of England Regional Air Services (SERAS) study has started from the position that nothing is ruled in and nothing is ruled out.
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We are currently in the early stages of assessing a wide range of options, both at existing airports and possible new sites. We will proceed through successive sifts to narrow down options to a final shortlist, on which there will be a full public consultation before Ministers come to decisions.
It is expected that the study will be completed by spring or summer 2001, to be followed by public consultation. The results will feed into an Air Transport White Paper, which will also take account of the Government's decisions in response to the Inspector's report on the Heathrow Terminal 5 Inquiry.

§ Laura Moffatt
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the earliest date will be that planning authorities near Gatwick Airport will be able to consider planning applications following the conclusion of the airport study of South-east airports. [129590]

§ Ms Beverley Hughes
The South-east and East of England Regional Air Services study (SERAS) is expected to be completed by spring or summer 2001, to be followed by public consultation. The results will feed into an Air Transport White Paper, which is intended to provide a framework for the future development of aviation and airports in the United Kingdom.
Once the White Paper is published, regional planning guidance and local development plans will need to be reviewed to take account of policies that emerge from the White Paper.
In the meantime, before the SERAS study has been completed and the White Paper published, planning applications for development in the Gatwick Airport area will be subject to normal provisions of the planning system and will be determined against existing national, regional and local policies.