HC Deb 19 July 1979 vol 970 cc788-9W
Mr. Geoffrey Johnson Smith

asked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will publish the figures showing that the provision of a second terminal at Gatwick could provide capacity for about three years' growth of traffic in the London area.

Mr. Tebbit

The forecasts in the White Paper on airports policy envisaged that passenger demand at the London area airports might be between 51.1 and 63.5 million passengers in 1985, when a second terminal could be available at Gatwick, and that it would grow by between 5 per cent. and 7 per cent. per year. On this basis, the capacity of 9 million passengers a year envisaged for the second terminal would be equivalent to about three years' growth of traffic.