§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he has received the Civil Aviation Authority's advice on strategies for making good use of the air traffic control capacity in the period up to 1995.
§ Mr. ChannonI received the advice at the end of November. The authority is publishing it today and copies are being placed in the Library.
I welcome the advice, which contains a clear statement of the steps that the national air traffic services are taking to improve the provision of air traffic control services pending the significant increase in capacity which will result from the reorganisation of the London terminal area airspace due to be completed in 1995. The advice also explains the important initiatives that the United Kingdom has been taking internationally to increase co-operation and co-ordination between air traffic control authorities in Europe.
The Government's public expenditure plans announced in the autumn, already make provision for a two thirds increase in the authority's investment next year. The Government will continue to approve individual projects within the authority's investment programme where they are financially justified, as in the past. The Government also fully support the authority in introducing flexible working practices and in increasing recruitment of air traffic controllers to handle growing traffic levels.
I look to the chairman of the authority to pursue the strategy vigorously. I have asked him to consider any new ideas that may be put to him and to take further steps to relieve air traffic control congestion where these prove practicable.
§ Mr. HaselhurstTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department has yet updated its 1986 air traffic forecasts; and if he will make a statement about airport capacity in the south-east.
§ Mr. ChannonMy Department is today publishing fresh forecasts of passenger demand at United Kingdom airports. I am arranging for copies to be placed in the House Libraries.
The latest forecasts cover the period to 2005. For United Kingdom airports they predict higher volumes of traffic than those estimated in 1986, with a significant increase in the proportion of passengers using regional airports, whose share is projected to rise from 33 per cent. to over 37 per cent. Continuing strong growth is expected both at London and at regional airports, relying on the availability of sufficient air traffic control capacity. This reflects among other factors the sustained economic performance of this country and our strength in business and tourism. The new forecasts take account on the one hand of lower air fares which are expected to result from further liberalisation; and on the other of the effects of the Channel tunnel.
In the 1985 White Paper "Airports Policy" (Cmnd 9542) the Government stated that one of the objectives towards which United Kingdom airports policy should be directed was the fostering of a strong and competitive British airline industry through the provision of enough airport capacity where it is needed. In respect of the 156W London airports the White Paper concluded that the developments then in hand or planned should provide both sufficient capacity to meet air transport demand in the south-east into the mid 1990s, and the necessary flexibility to enable decisions to be taken at the appropriate time for any development needed thereafter. On regional airports my predecessors and I have consistently affirmed our encouragement for their maximum use and development to meet demand arising locally, and have said we look to them to attract more traffic and so help with the pressure on the south-east.
The Government's commitment has most recently been evidenced by my announcement yesterday of capital expenditure allocations for municipal airports and public airport companies for 1989–90 totalling £23 million. These include an allocation towards the cost of the first phase of a major new passenger terminal at Manchester airport, thus allowing the airport company to proceed.
Earlier this year I judged that the time had come to review the strategy set out in the White Paper in the light of subsequent events. I therefore asked the Civil Aviation Authority for formal recommendations, under section 16(2) of the Civil Aviation Act 1982, on the United Kingdom airport capacity needed to cope with demand through to 2005. At the same time, I asked the authority for interim advice on strategies for making good use of the available air traffic control capacity until the planned reorganisation of the London terminal area (LTMA) airspace produces additional capacity in 1995. I received the authority's interim advice at the end of last month and it is being published by the authority today. The authority's main advice is due in July of next year and I shall neither take nor endorse any decisions on airport capacity until I have considered that advice.
The present outlook is as follows. Although Heathrow and Gatwick are now operating for much of the time at close to the capacity of their runways, their passenger throughput can be expected to go on increasing gradually over the years with the growth in size of aircraft and with some further peak-spreading. Moreover, the London area still has substantial spare runway capacity at Stansted. The runway there is at present handling only about 1 million passengers per annum, though its potential capacity is of the order of 25 million passengers per annum. Runways at Luton and London City airports and at other existing airports accessible to passengers to and from the south-east can also be expected to make some contribution to the handling of London's traffic growth. But of course runway capacity cannot be realised without improvements in airspace capacity over south-eastern England, and the corresponding development of sufficient passenger terminal capacity.
In its interim advice on airspace strategies, the CAA explains that in 1995, with the completion of the planned reorganisation of London terminal area airspace, it expects LTMA air traffic control capacity to be adequate to handle the runway capacities of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, in addition to 16 movements per hour at Luton.
As to terminal capacity, a number of new developments are either planned or possible. The first phase of Stansted's new terminal is already under construction and is planned to open in 1991. Outline planning permission has been given for completion of the terminal to a capacity of 15 million passengers per annum, though parliamentary approval would be needed to raise the current limit on air 157W transport movements at the airport. Moreover, as envisaged in the 1985 White Paper, further terminal development to the capacity of Stansted's runway would also be possible, subject to planning permission and to Parliament's decision over the airport's current air transport movement limit. The White Paper also left open the possibility of a fifth passenger terminal at Heathrow; again, any proposal would be subject to planning permission.
There are therefore a number of ways in which airport capacity in the south-east can continue to meet demand, without the commissioning of new runways. I now await the CAA's main advice, due in July. Meanwhile, in view of the long lead-times necessary for seeking planning approval and for construction, it is right that those responsible for operating and developing airports should review the options for any new terminal developments that traffic forecasts indicate are likely to be needed.