Labour continue to back third runway
09.02.10
The Labour Government's decision to give the go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow has ‘stood the test of time’, Transport Secretary Lord Adonis told the House of Lords yesterday. He also said he was ‘confident’ an agreement would be reached with the European Commission over pollution levels at the airport, which already exceed EU limits.
Conservative transport spokeswoman Baroness Hanham said a third runway would ‘make it impossible to improve the air quality sufficiently to avoid this country being penalised’. Her comments follow a report last month by the London Assembly that there were ‘clear inadequacies’ in the safeguards against air, noise and climate pollution imposed on the planned expansion.
Lord Adonis told peers at question time: ‘In respect of the decision to allow a planning application to come forward for a third runway, subject to conditions being met, that decision has stood the test of time. Despite two years of recession, Heathrow is still running at 100% capacity despite the downturn in business at other airports.'
‘It is our main international hub airport, the lifeblood of our economy depends upon it and this Government will not betray the national interest by refusing to take a decision that is manifestly in the best interests of the country.’
Lord Adonis added: ‘We are in discussions with the EC [on emissions]. I'm confident that we will reach a satisfactory position, but in respect of nitrogen dioxide - which is the particular issue of concern - combined aircraft and road vehicle nitrogen dioxide emissions around Heathrow are expected to halve by 2030 compared to 2002 even with a fully utilised third runway.’
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