§ Mr. EdwardsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy that the proposed Severnside International Airport will not be subject to consultation as a possible new airport. [74053]
§ Mr. JamiesonDevelopers have prepared a proposal for a new single runway airport set in the Severn Estuary (Severnside). Our analysis suggests that a new airport there would only be viable if Cardiff or Bristol airport, or both, were to close or become congested to the point of capacity. Our forecasts under all scenarios indicate that this is unlikely to occur within the forecasting period. With the investment required to establish such a facility and with spare capacity available at Cardiff over the next 30 year period it is unlikely to be commercially viable in its own right and could only be considered as an option, if at all, for other policy reasons.
The Government will set out their conclusions in next year's White Paper on air transport. This White Paper will be informed by the current consultation on the future development of air transport in the United Kingdom.