Airport Capacity (South-East) (Hansard, 22 October 2003)

§ John McDonnell
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the need for further terminal capacity at Heathrow Airport in the event that a third runway is built. [133330]

§ Mr. McNulty
For all options for additional capacity that were studied in SERAS, including those on which the Government consulted, an assessment was made of the scale of facilities needed to cater for the forecast additional throughput (eg passenger and freight handling, maintenance, aircraft stands, aprons, cargo, car parking). Layout plans based on those assessments were produced and their impacts appraised. Paragraph 6.6 of "The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom—South East" made clear that these layouts were not definitive proposals. Detailed design will be a matter for the relevant airport developer.

§ John McDonnell
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to stop any further developments at Heathrow, if a third runway is approved. [133331]

§ Mr. McNulty
The air transport White Paper later this year will provide a framework of Government policy looking forward to 2030, including where any new airport capacity should be provided.

§ John McDonnell
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether decisions on terminal capacity for the options set out in the SERAS consultation paper will he made without public consultation. [133332]

§ Mr. McNulty
For each of the options presented in the consultation document, the layouts illustrated allowed for adequate terminal capacity to be provided. The precise location of terminal and other facilities would be determined as part of the planning process for any relevant airport development.

§ John McDonnell
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department will take immediately following the publication of the White Paper on the future of airport expansion in the UK later this year. [133334]

§ Mr. McNulty
Action by the Department following publication of the White Paper will depend on the decisions announced in it.