London and Prestwick Airports

HC Deb 15 July 1959 vol 609 cc26-7W

63. Mr. Rankin

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will state the total sums, to the nearest convenient date, spent on buildings and development at London and Prestwick Airports, respectively, including the cost of land in each case, the sums which have been allocated to each airport for investment and capital expenditure in the current financial year, and the share borne by each airport of the overall deficit incurred in running United Kingdom airports.

Mr. Hay

Expenditure to 31st March, 1959, on buildings and development at London Airport totals about £30 million and at Prestwick about £5½ million. The total capital provision in the Estimates for 1959–60, is, £2.4 million for London Airport and £.8 million for Prestwick. During 1957–58 London Airport incurred 43 per cent. and Prestwick 10 per cent. of the overall deficit in running United Kingdom airports, and the proportions for 1958–59 will probably turn out to be much the same.

64. Mr. Rankin

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many underways there are at, or leading into, London Airport; and if he will state the cost of each, its length and the facilities it provides.

Mr. Hay

There is one main tunnel and several subsidiary tunnels.

The following are the full details: There is one main tunnel, providing public access to the Central Area. Its cost to date is £1,808,212, and there is also under consideration an outstanding claim by the contractor. The tunnel is 2,061 ft. long with about 2,100 ft. of sloping approaches; it has two roads for powered vehicles, two tracks for cyclists and two pathways for pedestrians. There is one subway within the Central Area enabling the public to cross the main access road. It is 100 ft. long; there are steps on each side, which restrict its use to pedestrians, I regret that in the time available it is not possible to give separately the cost of this item of the total surface works carried out in the Central Area. There are also three pedestrian and three vehicular subways between the Central Area and the outer aircraft stands on the north-east, south-east and south-west aprons. These are not open to the public but are used by airside coaches and by airport and other staff, in order to avoid crossing the apron taxiways. The pedestrian subways are 600 ft., 670 ft., and 600 ft. long; the vehicular subways are 530 ft., 370 ft. and 370 ft. long. These figures do not include the approaches. The cost of the subways was £432,171.