§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the contribution of the(a) seaports and (b) airports industry to the UK economy. [175088]
§ Mr. DarlingThe economic contribution that the aviation industry makes to UK economy is set out in the Air Transport White Paper, though the economic analysis of additional airport capacity focussed on the direct economic benefits to passengers. The Department is managing a research project to collect information about employment in the UK ports.
§ Mrs. DunwoodyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the social and economic consequences of constraints on port capacity. [175092]
§ Mr. DarlingThe Government are aware of the potential consequences of the emerging constraints on ports capacity and so we ensure that the planning consent process assesses the social and economic aspects of the case for and against port development.