§ Sir Paul BeresfordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has received from BAA the results of their feasibility study into a second main runway at Gatwick; and if he will make a statement. [114346]
§ Mr. MullinBAA did not complete their study, which the previous Administration had asked them to undertake, of less environmentally damaging runway options, such as a close parallel runway at Gatwick. We announced on 19 January 1998,Official Report, column 37, that we had asked BAA to put this work on hold so that we could review the issue in the light of the integrated transport White Paper.
The then Minister of Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hamilton, North and Bellshill (Dr. Reid), announced on 11 March 1999, Official Report, columns 360–61, a study of airport issues in the south-east and east of England. This study will include consideration of runway capacity.
§ Sir Paul BeresfordTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the status of the agreement between the then Government and Crawley Borough Council which prohibits the building of a second runway at Gatwick Airport until 2019. [114345]
§ Mr. MullinThe agreement the hon. Member refers to is between the local authority, West Sussex County Council, and the airport owners, the then British Airports 29W Authority. It was agreed in August 1979, under the terms of section 52 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1970.