HC Deb 11 September 2003 vol 410 cc412-4W
Mr. Maude

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much additional terminal capacity would be required if two new runways were to be built at Gatwick; and how this additional capacity would be expressed as a multiple of the capacity at Heathrow Terminal 5. [128999]

Dr. Howells

The option for two new runways at Gatwick would provide total capacity of 115mppa. This is an additional terminal capacity of 75mppa beyond the base case capacity of 40mppa. Terminal capacity at Gatwick would be a multiple of 2.5 of the capacity at Heathrow Terminal 5 (based on T5 capacity of 30mppa). The amount and timing of terminal capacity provided would, in practice, depend on actual demand.

Mr. Maude

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total net economic benefit would be using the assumptions recommended by the Treasury, of(a) a close parallel runway, (b) a wide spaced runway at Gatwick and (c) a new runway at (i) Heathrow and (ii) Stansted. [129006]

Dr. Howells

The total net economic benefit in present value terms, using the Treasury's assumptions, of(a) a close parallel runway at Gatwick is £1.8 billion, (b) a wide spaced runway at Gatwick is £4.4 billion,(c) (i) a new runway at Heathrow is £6.3 billion and (ii) a new runway at Stansted is £5.4 billion.

Mr. Maude

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy that in the forthcoming White Paper on Air Transport there will be no positive reference to new runways at sites, which were not included in the consultation on the Future Development of Air Transport, without a full public consultation. [129009]

Dr. Howells

The Government have not yet taken any decisions on policies for the air transport White Paper. A number of proposals for new airport capacity at sites which were not included in the Government's consultation document have been submitted as responses to the consultation. These are being considered. If the Government were minded to favour any of these options it would be necessary to consult separately on them.

Mr. Maude

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish his responses to the consultation on the Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom. [129010]

Dr. Howells

The Government intend to publish their conclusions on the Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom consultation in a White Paper later this year.

The Secretary of State gave an undertaking to the Transport Select Committee, in oral evidence on 21 May, to publish the White Paper before the end of 2003.

Mr. Maude

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to recommend that BAA and the West Sussex County Council extend their 2001 legal agreement on Gatwick Airport until 2030. [129011]

Dr. Howells

The Government have not yet taken any decisions on policies for the air transport White Paper. The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom consultation closed on June and the many thousands of responses are currently being analysed. It remains the intention to publish the White Paper later this year.

Mr. Maude

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what total percentage fall in the cost of air travel over the period 2000 to 2030 is assumed in the future demand forecasts given in the consultation paper 'The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom'.[129012]

Dr. Howells

The central national forecast published in 'Air Traffic Forecasts for the United Kingdom 2000', May 2000, assumed that there will be a 1 per cent. reduction per annum in air fares in real terms between 2000 and 2020. No further reduction was assumed between 2020 and 2030. However, as described in Chapter 5 of 'The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom—South East', February 2003, greater competition between airlines, including the impact of the No Frills sector, suggests that the decline in the cost of air travel will be greater. It is argued in 'The Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom—South East' that air fares are likely to fall by 1.5 per cent. per annum in real terms between 2000 and 2020, giving a total percentage reduction in the cost of air travel of around 26 per cent. in the period from 2000 to 2030.

Mr. Maude

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has requested the owners of Redhill aerodrome to provide additional details of their expansion proposals. [129103]

Dr. Howells

The Department held discussions earlier this year with several promoters of proposals for new airport capacity that are alternatives to, or variants of, options set out in the Government's consultation document, including with the owners of Redhill aerodrome.

The aim was to provide guidance on the methodology used to appraise options in the SERAS study and on the information that was needed by the Department in order to appraise their proposals.

A number of the promoters submitted further material on their proposals. This is being considered.