§ Mr. TruswellTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proposals for(a) airports, (b) runway extensions and (c) airport terminal extensions of which he has been notified fall within the category of major infrastructure projects as defined in the Government's consultation paper, New Parliamentary Procedures for Processing Major Infrastructure Projects. [58887]
§ Mr. JamiesonI have been asked to reply.
The forthcoming series of regional consultation documents on airports and air services will present a range of options for airport development for the next 30 years. Decisions taken following the consultation will lead to an Air Transport White Paper which we aim to publish towards the end of the year.
At present, proposals for airport development are subject to the requirements of the land-use planning system. Under the proposals for New Parliamentary Procedures for Processing Major Infrastructure Projects set out in the December 2001 consultation paper, only those projects of national importance which are designated by the Secretary of State, in the light of the definition proposed in annex C of the consultation paper, 762W will be put to Parliament as major infrastructure projects for their consideration in principle. Designation of these projects will be on a case by case basis under the proposed new legislation.