§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry regarding projected passenger numbers and numbers of flights into airports in the south-east of England. [124488]
§ Mr. MullinNone. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) report, "Options for Growth—meeting demand at London's airports", was received by my Department after it had been published and the contents widely reported.
The work was commissioned independently and there were no discussions between my Department and the LCCI regarding the report.
§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received regarding new runways in the south-east of England. [124490]
§ Mr. MullinThe commissioning of the South East and East of England Regional Air Services (SERAS) study, and the consultation on the proposed appraisal framework to be used in that study, has resulted in a wide range of organisations making representations about new runways in the south-east of England.
These are being carefully considered as part of the ongoing SERAS work. We are currently in the early stages of assessing options, both at existing airports and possible new sites. We will proceed through successive sifts to narrow down options to a final shortlist, on which there will be a full public consultation before Ministers come to decisions.