§ Andy KingTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many letters he has received(a) supporting and (b) opposing the (i) Midlands New Site Option contained within the National Consultation on the Future of Air Transport in the UK: Midlands and (ii) the closure of Birmingham International Airport, as proposed in the National Consultation on the Future of Air Transport in the UK: Midlands. [85735]
§ Mr. JamiesonWe have not yet analysed all the responses but we will produce a summary when the consultation comes to a close.
§ Mr. PriskTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department will take to ensure that those who have responded to the consultation are(a) informed of the forthcoming Gatwick consultation paper and (b) able to adjust their submissions accordingly. [86265]
§ Mr. JamiesonMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport announced to Parliament on 28 November 2002,Official Report, columns 474–75, that the consultation on airports capacity will be kept open until we have consulted on options for new runways in relation to Gatwick.
Those who have already responded to the consultation will be able to amend, add to, or replace their response having considered the new document. We will set out our plans for the remaining stage of the consultation process, including how we will inform respondents, when we publish the further consultation paper in the new year.
§ Mr. PriskTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the implications of airport policy options for the South East for the(a) rail and (b) road networks. [86264]
§ Mr. JamiesonThe South East and East of England Regional Air Services Study included an assessment of the type of road and rail infrastructure that would be needed both to connect the airport options to the strategic network and the type and scale of improvements that might be required on the strategic network.
The results of these appraisals are summarised for each of the published options in "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom (South East)" main consultation document, and further details are contained in supporting reports.
§ John BarrettTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Edinburgh West of 8 November on Edinburgh airport; and for what reason the reply has been delayed. [85877]
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§ Mr. JamiesonWe have received a large number of responses to our consultation The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom, both from Members of Parliament and from members of the public. Latest estimates put the figure at over 35,000 including letters and electronic responses. These are all being processed as quickly as possible.