Today in the House of Commons the Secretary of State for Transport announced yet another delay to resolving our runway capacity crisis.
Extract from Hansard
Mr Nigel Evans (Ribble Valley) (Con)
8. What plans he has to expand airport capacity. [905576]
Valerie Vaz (Walsall South) (Lab)
10. When he plans to make a decision on the construction of an additional runway in south-east England. [905578]
The Secretary of State for Transport (Mr Patrick McLoughlin)
I had hoped that we would be able to announce a decision on airport capacity this summer. Clearly, any announcement on airport capacity would have to be made when the House was in session. Being realistic, given recent events, I cannot now foresee that there will be an announcement until at least October. We aim to publish the further analysis on air quality soon. Separately, promoters have announced undertakings that would increase the compensation available for residents living near the airports and the connectivity between other UK airports. The Government are fully committed to delivering the important infrastructure projects that they have set out, including the delivery of runway capacity on the timetable set out by the Davies report.
Click here to see the full debate.
Statement from Gatwick Airport
'It's time to demonstrate progress. It's time to expand Gatwick': Stewart Wingate
Responding to the announcement from the Transport Secretary that a decision on airport expansion has been delayed, Stewart Wingate, Gatwick CEO, said:
"The need for Britain to expand aviation capacity has never been greater. At an uncertain time Britain needs to show it can be agile and decisive. We must move on and show the world that we are open for business.
"Gatwick is already the most connected airport in the UK, offering Britain connections to all five continents, to developed and emerging markets alike. It is now clear that only Gatwick can deliver the expansion we need and do so by 2025. We can help improve our international competitive position by offering the fastest possible improvement to our trading links at a time when it is most necessary.
'There is nothing in our way. The time for debate is now over and the time has come for Britain to get on with it. We can privately finance the project. We can offer a fair deal for those most impacted and we can support growth across all regions of the country. We can deliver the runway that Britain needs.
"It's time to expand Gatwick."
