§ 65. Mr. JesselTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures he is taking to support regional airports.
§ Mr. McLoughlinThe Government encourage the maximum use of regional airports, both to meet local demand and to relieve pressure on the London airports. Over the past decade more than £300 million of capital expenditure has been facilitated through special borrowing approvals for local authority airports. I hope to announce shortly the special borrowing approvals for 1990–91. We also very much welcome the contribution to the development of local authority airports which the private sector makes through the direct investment and joint venture schemes.
We are continuing to pursue liberalisation policies, both in the European Community and in bilateral negotiations, which increase further the scope for services from our regional airports.