Tonge Tackles Blair On Heathrow

12.13.06pm GMT Tue 9th Mar 2004

Jenny Tonge MP for Richmond Park

Last week at Prime Ministers Question Jenny Tonge MP questioned Tony Blair about the future of Heathrow airport - this is the Hansard transcript:

Q5. [157890] Dr. Jenny Tonge (Richmond Park) (LD): Will the Prime Minister confirm that a limit of 480,000 air traffic movements a year at Heathrow was accepted by his Government after the terminal 5 inquiry, and that the Government White Paper is now calling for runway alternation so that 560,000 air traffic movements a year can take place? That will make noise pollution unbearable and could cause catastrophe in the skies over Heathrow. If that happens, will the Prime Minister take responsibility or will he blame somebody else?

The Prime Minister: I understand the hon. Lady's constituency preoccupation. It is of course important that she represent the views of her constituents, and I am sure that they are opposed to any extension at Heathrow. It is in the nature of such developments that it is very difficult to find people who are in favour of them.

On the other hand, we have to try to take a strategic view in the interests of the country as a whole, in view of the fact that air travel has increased dramatically and will increase dramatically again over the next few years. A whole series of issues, including environmental issues, must be resolved. That is why we said what we did in the aviation White Paper. The hon. Lady will have to understand-it is difficult to say, but none the less true that in the end we will have to take a decision based on what we believe to be in the long-term interests of the country; and Heathrow as an airport is of massive strategic importance to the whole of the UK.

Jenny Tonge MP, "Tony Blair's answer was far from satisfactory. He made no denial of the statement in the White Paper that ending alternation would result in 560,000 air traffic movements a year. He also stated that any decisions reached would be made in the interests of the country. As for the interests of people forced to live under the flight path, he simply said he 'understood my constituency preoccupation'. Finally, his lack of response to my question of whether he would take responsibility for a catastrophe in the skies created by increased air traffic, speaks for itself."

Last week Susan Kramer, Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Richmond Park attended a BAA seminar on noise. Susan Kramer PPC, "It was evident that from all the testimony given that the improvements in technology and flight procedures that have reduced noise have little more to offer. But all the protectives like alternation, limiting night flights, and limiting the number of air traffic movements are up for grabs. No reasonable person can now conclude that noise will not increase if the Government gets its way."