Baker quizzes Benn on Heathrow

2.02.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Sat 3rd May 2008

Norman Baker (Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Transport; Lewes, Liberal Democrat): The Secretary of State might be aware that, last month, a senior civil servant from his Department let the cat out of the bag . .

. . by revealing that the Department intends to apply to the European Union for permission to delay compliance with its equality rules on nitrogen dioxide in relation to the capital city, London. We know that the Department for Transport wants to move the goalposts in a desperate effort to ensure that the third runway at Heathrow goes ahead, but why does his Department, which is responsible for protecting the environment, want to help it?

Hilary Benn (Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Leeds Central, Labour): We do, indeed, need to look at how we phase in the new rules, but I assure the hon. Gentleman that that is not to do with any decisions that might be taken in the future about airport capacity. If one looks at the recent figures for air quality, one will see the improvements that have been gained in this country over several years as a result of domestic and European legislation.