§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will place in the Library a copy of the recommendations made by the Gatwick Airport close parallel runway study group; [23202]
(2) what work his Department is currently undertaking in relation to the possibility of a close parallel runway at Gatwick Airport. [23201]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonMy Department is not undertaking any work in relation to the possibility of developing a close parallel runway at Gatwick Airport. The work which the previous administration asked BAA to undertake into this concept following publication of the report on Runway Capacity to Serve the South East (RUCATSE) is not yet complete. We have asked BAA to put the work on hold so that we can consider how to take this issue forward in the light of the integrated transport White Paper, which we expect to publish in the Spring.