:00:00. > :00:00.committee. No such representations have been made and if any are made
:00:00. > :00:08.they will early be considered very carefully. Order. Statement, the
:00:09. > :00:15.Secretary of State for Transport. Secretary Chris Grayling. With your
:00:16. > :00:20.permission I would like to make a statement about airport capacity and
:00:21. > :00:23.airspace policy. In October last year you will remember I had
:00:24. > :00:31.announced the government selected a new Northwest runway at Heathrow as
:00:32. > :00:33.its preferred space. You will be aware aviation expansion is
:00:34. > :00:37.important for the United Kingdom both in boosting our economy and
:00:38. > :00:41.jobs and promoting us on the world stage. Leaving the EU is a new
:00:42. > :00:45.chapter forbidden and provides us with a great opportunity to forge a
:00:46. > :00:49.new role in the world. We are determined to seize that opportunity
:00:50. > :00:53.and if we have the right of the structure in place it will allow us
:00:54. > :01:03.to build a more global Britain. By backing the Northwest runway at
:01:04. > :01:06.Heathrow Airport, we are sending a clear signal that we are open for
:01:07. > :01:12.business. Today I laid before Parliament a draft statement and
:01:13. > :01:16.begin a period of extensive consultation with the public. The
:01:17. > :01:20.draft airports national policy statement is accompanied by an
:01:21. > :01:23.appraisal of sustainability, which possesses the potential economic,
:01:24. > :01:26.social and environmental impact of the proposed policy. I have
:01:27. > :01:30.published all this information online to ensure this process is as
:01:31. > :01:34.transparent as possible. Over the last 70 years, the United Kingdom
:01:35. > :01:37.has failed to build the capacity needed to match people post by
:01:38. > :01:41.growing desire for trouble. Unless we take action, every London
:01:42. > :01:52.aircraft is forecast to be full by 2040, -- and almost entirely full by
:01:53. > :01:56.2030. It would place increasing cost on the rest of the economy over
:01:57. > :01:59.time, lowering economic output by making aviation more expensive and
:02:00. > :02:04.less convenient to use. With knock-on effect in lost trade,
:02:05. > :02:09.tourism and foreign direct investment. Mr Speaker, this
:02:10. > :02:13.government believes that a new Northwest runway at Heathrow best
:02:14. > :02:27.delivers. It delivers tens of thousands of
:02:28. > :02:30.additional local jobs by 2030 and up to ?61 billion of economic benefits,
:02:31. > :02:34.not including wider trade benefits. This is a scheme that will benefit
:02:35. > :02:38.the whole of the United Kingdom. I will expect Heathrow Airport to work
:02:39. > :02:42.with airlines to improve domestic connectivity, including the addition
:02:43. > :02:47.of six more domestic routes across the UK by 2030, bringing the total
:02:48. > :02:51.to 14. Strengthening links the nations and regions and also
:02:52. > :02:54.developing new connections. Heathrow's location means it is
:02:55. > :02:59.already accessible to business and the rest of the UK. In the future,
:03:00. > :03:03.it will be connected to Crossrail, and linked to HS2 that although
:03:04. > :03:05.common. We also bringing forward plans to deliver western and
:03:06. > :03:10.Southern Rail access to the airport as quickly as possible in order to
:03:11. > :03:14.provide greater flexibility, accessibility and resilience for
:03:15. > :03:17.passengers. A Heathrow Northwest runway would be expected to deliver
:03:18. > :03:20.the greater support for freight, and as we leave the European Union we
:03:21. > :03:25.would need to get out into the world and do new business with old allies
:03:26. > :03:30.and new partners alike. A new Northwest runway at Heathrow plays a
:03:31. > :03:34.big part in this. In summary, a new Northwest runway at Heathrow would
:03:35. > :03:37.be expected to create new global connections, tens of thousands of
:03:38. > :03:41.jobs, to reduce fares for passengers, to provide new capacity
:03:42. > :03:44.for freight imports and exports and spread the benefits of growth to the
:03:45. > :03:48.whole of the United Kingdom. Today we are sending a clear message that
:03:49. > :03:54.this government is not only making the big decisions, but getting on
:03:55. > :03:57.with delivering them. Now, Mr Speaker, I'm clear that expansion
:03:58. > :04:01.must not, at any costs, and we will meet our legal requirement on air
:04:02. > :04:05.quality and obligations on carbon. The airport's National policy
:04:06. > :04:09.statement if designated will provide the primary basis for making
:04:10. > :04:12.decisions on any development consent application for a new Northwest
:04:13. > :04:18.runway at Heathrow. Heathrow Airport would be expected to provide up to
:04:19. > :04:21.?2.6 billion to communities who are affected by the expansion, including
:04:22. > :04:26.noise insulation to homes and schools, improvements to public
:04:27. > :04:29.facilities and other measures. This includes a community compensation
:04:30. > :04:33.fund and establishing a community engagement board. For those people
:04:34. > :04:37.whose homes need to be compulsory purchased to make way for a new
:04:38. > :04:42.runway, or for those who take up the voluntary scheme we expect, we
:04:43. > :04:47.expect and Heathrow must honour its commitments payments of 25% above
:04:48. > :04:49.the full market value of their home, and cover all costs like stamp duty,
:04:50. > :05:00.moving and legal fees. I'm also cleared the environmental
:05:01. > :05:03.impact must be minimised. This includes quality impacts and
:05:04. > :05:07.Heathrow Airport will be required to demonstrate this scheme can be
:05:08. > :05:11.delivered within the legal air-quality obligations. The airport
:05:12. > :05:16.should continue to strive to meet its public pledge to have landside
:05:17. > :05:20.airport related traffic no greater than today, measures also required
:05:21. > :05:26.to mitigate the impact of noise including ugly binding noise targets
:05:27. > :05:30.and periods of predictable respite. The government expects a ban of six
:05:31. > :05:34.and a half hours unscheduled night flights and plastic construction
:05:35. > :05:35.must also take place that minimises impact on the environment and on the
:05:36. > :05:40.local community. Outside of the local community. Outside of the
:05:41. > :05:44.planning system I'm also cleared there must be conditions on cost.
:05:45. > :05:48.Expansion costs will be paid for by the third not the taxpayer, but the
:05:49. > :05:56.government is clear it expects industry to work together to drive
:05:57. > :06:02.down costs. I'm also expected that the surgery Sullivan will provide
:06:03. > :06:07.oversight of the draft policy consultation process. I would like
:06:08. > :06:14.to turn to the second consultation I wish to bring to the attention of
:06:15. > :06:17.this House on UK airport policy today, UK airspace policy. I'm
:06:18. > :06:21.publishing proposals to modernise the way UK space spaces managed
:06:22. > :06:25.which will be consulted on in parallel. By taking steps now to
:06:26. > :06:29.future proof this vital infrastructure we can harness the
:06:30. > :06:32.latest technology to make airspace more efficient as well as making
:06:33. > :06:35.journeys faster and more environmentally friendly. The policy
:06:36. > :06:37.principles set out in this principles set out in this
:06:38. > :06:41.consultation would influence decisions taken Peter in the
:06:42. > :06:45.planning process for a north-west runway at Heathrow so it's sensible
:06:46. > :06:50.to allow members of the public to express views on both these issues
:06:51. > :06:52.at the same time. The consultation will set out plans to establish an
:06:53. > :06:57.independent commission on civil aviation noise and bring forward
:06:58. > :06:59.proposals to improve her communities can engage and make sure their
:07:00. > :07:04.voices are heard. The condiment this we are proposing guidance on how
:07:05. > :07:10.noise impact should be assessed and used to inform decisions on
:07:11. > :07:14.airspace. These proposals aim to strike a balance between economic
:07:15. > :07:19.benefits of a thriving aviation sector and its impact on local
:07:20. > :07:23.communities and the environment. The aviation sector is a great British
:07:24. > :07:28.success story, contributing around ?20 billion a year and that directly
:07:29. > :07:33.supports approximately 230,000 jobs across the UK. It also supports an
:07:34. > :07:36.estimated 206,000 jobs across the wider economy. I want to build on
:07:37. > :07:41.the success of this year my department will also begin the
:07:42. > :07:44.process of developing a new strategy for UK aviation generally. This will
:07:45. > :07:49.champion the success story of the UK champion the success story of the UK
:07:50. > :07:52.aviation sector, put consumer back-up heart of our thinking, I
:07:53. > :07:57.want to make sure the sector is delivering more choice for consumers
:07:58. > :08:00.and for the country. And I will come back to the House to update you and
:08:01. > :08:07.honourable members on plans as they develop. Finally let me briefly
:08:08. > :08:11.turned to what happens next. These two consultations start today,
:08:12. > :08:17.lasting for 16 weeks closing on the 23rd of May. At the same time and is
:08:18. > :08:20.required by the planning act 2008, a period of Parliamentary scrutiny, a
:08:21. > :08:25.relevant period now begins for the draft airports National policy
:08:26. > :08:28.statement ending by the summary says 2017. While planning is a devolved
:08:29. > :08:34.matter this consultation is open to the whole of the UK and additional
:08:35. > :08:37.airport capacity will benefit us all. Following consultation and
:08:38. > :08:42.parliamentary scrutiny consideration will be given to the comments and
:08:43. > :08:45.points raised and in the light of these processes, should the decision
:08:46. > :08:48.be taking to proceed, a final airports national policy statement
:08:49. > :08:53.will be laid before Parliament for debate on the opportunity for a vote
:08:54. > :08:57.in the House of commons in the winter of 2017-18. I'm placing
:08:58. > :09:01.copies of all relevant documents in the House, they will also be
:09:02. > :09:05.available online for members and Empress of the public. I commend
:09:06. > :09:12.this statement and process to the House. Mr Andy McDonald. Thank you.
:09:13. > :09:20.May I thank the Secretary of State for advanced sight of his statement.
:09:21. > :09:25.Mr Speaker, aviation is key to ensuring the UK remains an adverb
:09:26. > :09:27.looking trading nation post Brexit and labour has consistently been
:09:28. > :09:32.pushing for a decision on runway expansion in the south-east of
:09:33. > :09:38.England so after years of dither and delay it is welcome that progress is
:09:39. > :09:42.finally being made. We've been Colin for action on airspace modernisation
:09:43. > :09:46.for some time and although we can see it, are a space network is in
:09:47. > :09:51.dire need of modernisation. It's over half a century old but still
:09:52. > :09:54.among the country's most by the pieces of infrastructure.
:09:55. > :09:58.Modernising airspace would involve tough decisions about the benefits
:09:59. > :10:02.are huge, it's in the national interest but the government to
:10:03. > :10:05.ensure they deliver a balanced and sustainable airspace solution.
:10:06. > :10:10.However there are still outstanding issues including how Heathrow's
:10:11. > :10:15.expansion can be squared with meeting the UK's climate change
:10:16. > :10:19.object with Sun demonstrating local noise and environmental impact can
:10:20. > :10:23.be minimised. This can be achieved but only in the context of a
:10:24. > :10:29.coherent aviation strategy that works for the country, not just
:10:30. > :10:34.London. It starts with confirming our membership of the European
:10:35. > :10:38.aviation safety agency as well as action on cleaner fuels and
:10:39. > :10:43.improving road and rail access to our international gateway airports.
:10:44. > :10:47.As the Secretary of State knows, business loaves on certainty and
:10:48. > :10:50.aviation is no exceptions of what assurances can the Secretary of
:10:51. > :10:56.State give that the UK's continued membership of the European aviation
:10:57. > :11:01.safety agency is and will remain an absolute priority and what his
:11:02. > :11:08.commitment is to leaving the single market for leaving the single
:11:09. > :11:10.aviation market. The Committee on Climate Change cautioned against
:11:11. > :11:16.relying on carbon trading for Heathrow to achieve its emission
:11:17. > :11:19.targets. Is this option might not always be cheap and available. Can
:11:20. > :11:24.the Secretary of State provide an update on further he plans to reject
:11:25. > :11:29.this advice? There is an increasing concern regarding quality which is
:11:30. > :11:34.linked to 40,000 early deaths a year and David Cameron's former aide, now
:11:35. > :11:39.Baroness Camilla Cavendish claimed existing policy on air quality
:11:40. > :11:42.underwhelmed is and over claims. Given this inadequacy of what
:11:43. > :11:47.further and stringent measures will be proposed to mitigate expected
:11:48. > :11:51.expansion at Heathrow? The key to improving our quality alongside a
:11:52. > :11:56.move to reduce vehicle emissions is encouraging people to use public
:11:57. > :12:01.transport to arrive at our airports. In harassment is needed to real
:12:02. > :12:05.services to Heathrow if the objective of 55% public transport
:12:06. > :12:08.usage is to be achieved so can I invite the Secretary of State to
:12:09. > :12:13.outline what progress he's making and how he can insure business
:12:14. > :12:20.beneficiaries from such enhancements will make a fair contribution? If we
:12:21. > :12:24.are to secure the modal shift to accessing airports by public
:12:25. > :12:27.transport and in the context of the aviation strategy can I invite the
:12:28. > :12:31.Secretary of State to confirm that the national infrastructure
:12:32. > :12:35.commission will be asked to enquire into the issue of service access at
:12:36. > :12:39.all our international gateway airports and sea ports. I'd like to
:12:40. > :12:43.welcome his commitment to fulfil our legal requirements on air quality
:12:44. > :12:46.and obligations on carbon but I note that the reference to Heathrow
:12:47. > :12:52.striving to meet its public alleged to have airport public traffic no
:12:53. > :12:56.greater than today, but it's not simply the volume of traffic, it's
:12:57. > :13:02.about vastly reducing the emissions that come from such traffic. Much of
:13:03. > :13:06.that, Mr Speaker, touches on the role of ultra-low emission vehicles
:13:07. > :13:12.and that's going to be key in securing our shared object was. The
:13:13. > :13:16.modern transport Bill will hopefully progress the agenda considerably. In
:13:17. > :13:20.conclusion, could I ask the Secretary of State to tell the House
:13:21. > :13:25.when we are likely to see the modern transport Bill? Can I start by
:13:26. > :13:28.thanking the honourable gentleman for his support in my statement this
:13:29. > :13:32.morning. I raised a number of questions which I'll answer the
:13:33. > :13:36.principle of support I welcome. This is a long-term project for this
:13:37. > :13:41.country and sharing a vision of the need for expanding capacity across
:13:42. > :13:45.this has... And I know there are individual members who had local
:13:46. > :13:48.challenges but the supportive comments he made this morning are
:13:49. > :13:53.welcome so I'm grateful. Let me seek to answer the questions he raised.
:13:54. > :13:57.Firstly, on the European issue, we haven't reached a definitive
:13:58. > :14:02.position on this, the negotiations haven't started yet, we haven't
:14:03. > :14:04.triggered article 50. I'm acutely aware aviation is one of the sectors
:14:05. > :14:09.we need to handle with care going forward and working out the best way
:14:10. > :14:12.of tech Vasek and delivering conductivity for the future and I
:14:13. > :14:15.will come back to the hazard an appropriate moment and provide more
:14:16. > :14:24.information but as he is aware, are not in a position to provide
:14:25. > :14:33.detailed negotiations in advance. -- will come back to the House. In
:14:34. > :14:37.terms of climate change obligations, as he rightly says, aviation is not
:14:38. > :14:41.included in the current climate change targets. It is clearly an
:14:42. > :14:45.issue, it is and has been since the recent agreement in Montr al subject
:14:46. > :14:49.to an international strategy going forward. Some of the things were
:14:50. > :14:55.consulting on today, for example smart use of airspace, one of the
:14:56. > :15:01.things we be able to achieve through reform and new technology is to
:15:02. > :15:04.avoid to anything like the degree we experience, aeroplanes stacking over
:15:05. > :15:08.the south-east of England, emitting a dish on all emissions into the
:15:09. > :15:14.atmosphere, using more fuel, that's one of the benefits coming from
:15:15. > :15:17.smarter use of as well newer generation fuel efficient are crafts
:15:18. > :15:23.that I think we see over the coming years. On the issue of diesel
:15:24. > :15:28.emissions, you will be aware of this is much more a car issue than an
:15:29. > :15:32.aeroplane issue, it's about the propensity of congested areas in the
:15:33. > :15:35.cities to cause a genuine public health problem and so it's a broader
:15:36. > :15:38.issue for government to address than simply the airport. We've made a
:15:39. > :15:43.start with the incentive in place or low emission vehicles, the expansion
:15:44. > :15:52.of charging points we set out in the Autumn Statement and indeed we will
:15:53. > :15:55.see very shortly the bill, as he raised the question, probably would
:15:56. > :15:59.have been here by night had it not been for the fact we've had other
:16:00. > :16:04.business to deal with in this House! The issues in that bill will be
:16:05. > :16:06.important but I am aware and the government is aware that we have to
:16:07. > :16:10.do much more on the emissions from and my right honourable friend the
:16:11. > :16:14.Secretary of State at DEFRA will come forward in due course with
:16:15. > :16:19.further proposals to tackle what is the broader issue, not just airport
:16:20. > :16:23.expansion, and we can't possibly wait until airport expansion happens
:16:24. > :16:28.to address and we want. He raised the question of rail services. This
:16:29. > :16:34.is something that we already have significant plans in development
:16:35. > :16:38.for, the arrival of Crossrail, HS2, will make a significant difference
:16:39. > :16:42.to public transport and to Heathrow, as will the proposed modernisation
:16:43. > :16:46.of the Piccadilly line which will significantly expand capacity.
:16:47. > :16:49.Starting to develop work on the real accesses to the south and of
:16:50. > :16:55.Heathrow. He is absolutely right to raise this, we are working on this,
:16:56. > :16:59.the private sector will make a substantial contribution to the
:17:00. > :17:03.cost. Lastly, he raised the important point of service access
:17:04. > :17:08.and land access, this is something we are looking at in a variety of
:17:09. > :17:14.different forums, I'm particularly concerned to ensure as we move on to
:17:15. > :17:17.this post Brexit world we make sure there are blockages, congestion
:17:18. > :17:20.points, limits around ports and airports, in a world we need to
:17:21. > :17:22.facilitate trade, we take the steps we need to to address those and we
:17:23. > :17:26.will. I'm grateful to him for the will. I'm grateful to him for the
:17:27. > :17:31.supportive comments he is made and I'll obviously try and keep him and
:17:32. > :17:36.the House as informed as possible. Simon Burns. Given that after 70
:17:37. > :17:41.years we've talked the talk on airport capacity over London, will
:17:42. > :17:45.my right honourable friend except that it's welcome he is now laying
:17:46. > :17:51.down the plans to walk the walk and get on with holding Heathrow's third
:17:52. > :17:58.runway? But given our antiquated tanning rules, is he confident that
:17:59. > :18:02.it will be completed by 2040 when the airports reached the capacity
:18:03. > :18:08.and can he give a commitment to the local communities around all the
:18:09. > :18:11.London airports that the smarter use of error space can be used in the
:18:12. > :18:16.entrance to reduce noise and other disturbance from local communities?
:18:17. > :18:20.I'm grateful to my honourable friend for his comments and I'm clear we
:18:21. > :18:25.aim to deliver that airport expansion long before 2040. What we
:18:26. > :18:29.have now is a process set out in statute, introduced by the party
:18:30. > :18:33.opposite and I'm grateful to them for that. Much more streamlined
:18:34. > :18:37.process for securing the initial consent, I hope when we reach the
:18:38. > :18:39.point at the end of this year if consultation confirms the
:18:40. > :18:42.recommendation the government makes and this House does the same, we
:18:43. > :18:47.will have effectively reached a point of outline planning consent
:18:48. > :18:54.allowing the airport to press on with detailed reparation work for
:18:55. > :18:58.construction. With regard to airspace, I think this makes a real
:18:59. > :19:03.difference to communities around the south-east, what it enables us to do
:19:04. > :19:09.is put planes on much more exact pounds, today is that not technology
:19:10. > :19:12.in a plane enables it to follow a much more traditional route than
:19:13. > :19:17.beacons, enabling us to manage approaches and dissent to airports,
:19:18. > :19:21.to manage the overall use of airports so we don't have stacking
:19:22. > :19:26.around the south-east, I hope the second part of this process today
:19:27. > :19:30.that I believe is actually as important to communities around the
:19:31. > :19:33.country as the airport expansion, I hope it will enable us to insure we
:19:34. > :19:38.have a sector watch more friendly to the communities it affects.
:19:39. > :19:46.Thank you also to the Minister for advance sight of the statement this
:19:47. > :19:50.morning. We welcome the decision to go ahead with the expansion of the
:19:51. > :19:55.Heathrow runway. After many years of waiting it is time to get on it and
:19:56. > :19:58.deliver this, and the specific benefits it could bring, but
:19:59. > :20:02.building the new runway is meaningless if you don't have access
:20:03. > :20:08.to the air in the EU open skies agreement. Can the Minister tell us
:20:09. > :20:13.is at his intention to seek membership of the EU open skies.
:20:14. > :20:17.Regional airports to mention that are so vital, I agree those
:20:18. > :20:22.connections need to be made. What guarantees will he give the regional
:20:23. > :20:25.airports in Scotland, especially those of the likes of Dundee and
:20:26. > :20:32.Inverness over routes and slots in Heathrow expanded. Finally, he did
:20:33. > :20:39.mention the need to tackle the environmental issues, and spoke
:20:40. > :20:43.about how you deal with that. What specific targets will he put in
:20:44. > :20:50.place about carbon that will show ambition above the legal
:20:51. > :20:54.requirements stated? Can I say that we and the Scottish Government don't
:20:55. > :20:57.always agree on every thing but I am grateful to him and his party and to
:20:58. > :21:02.the administration in a number of the support they have provided on
:21:03. > :21:06.Heathrow expansion, indeed I shall after the statement be heading off
:21:07. > :21:09.to the other side of Scotland, the Glasgow, to talk about the
:21:10. > :21:13.importance there of this particular announcement of the United Kingdom
:21:14. > :21:16.as a whole. With regard to his question about regional airports I
:21:17. > :21:20.am absolutely clear that there will be an obligation on Heathrow to
:21:21. > :21:24.fulfil its promises of regional connectivity. I expect this capacity
:21:25. > :21:27.to not only of the links from the United Kingdom and the rest of the
:21:28. > :21:38.world, but to open links from within the United Kingdom
:21:39. > :21:42.to Heathrow and to the rest of the world. That's really important to
:21:43. > :21:44.airports across Scotland, the North of England, and other parts of the
:21:45. > :21:46.United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and the south-west and so forth. He
:21:47. > :21:49.raised the question about EU open skies. As I said earlier, this will
:21:50. > :21:53.be a subject for negotiation, Mr Speaker. We will seek to provide the
:21:54. > :21:57.best possible arrangements for the future but it is inconceivable
:21:58. > :22:01.whatever the arrangements, we had flights to and from European Union
:22:02. > :22:04.capitals long before the European Union even existed and that will
:22:05. > :22:08.continue after Britain has left the EU. We will have strong aviation
:22:09. > :22:11.ties around the world, and this expansion is not particularly about
:22:12. > :22:16.the European Union links, it opens up ties between the UK and emerging
:22:17. > :22:20.markets around the world and will provide links for Scotland, Wales,
:22:21. > :22:29.Northern Ireland and England to markets where there is great
:22:30. > :22:34.potential for the future. I believe the Secretary of State is doing his
:22:35. > :22:39.work backwards. How can you consult on airspace strategy when you don't
:22:40. > :22:44.have a credible policy of how to address current noise pollution
:22:45. > :22:46.levels? How can you offer a consultation National policy
:22:47. > :22:51.statement when you have no credible or legal plan how to reduce air
:22:52. > :22:56.pollution? How can you have consultations ending on the 25th of
:22:57. > :23:05.May with no credible or legal plans of addressing critical noise and air
:23:06. > :23:11.pollution levels? Legal or any other plans to announce on this matter at
:23:12. > :23:15.all? I know how strongly my honourable friend feels about this
:23:16. > :23:18.and I know about the concerns of her constituency and very much respect
:23:19. > :23:21.her for what she is doing. This is one of the difficulties of a big
:23:22. > :23:25.strategic decision like this. That is impossible to take it without
:23:26. > :23:28.some impact. I give her assembly my assurance that we will take all
:23:29. > :23:32.steps we can to minimise those impacts, inevitable though it is
:23:33. > :23:36.that there will be some. With regard to the issue of pollution, what I
:23:37. > :23:40.would say to her is two things: first of all it is on the basis of
:23:41. > :23:43.the recommendation made to us by the airports commission, and subsequent
:23:44. > :23:46.work carried out by the government in the wake of some of the more
:23:47. > :23:50.recent developments about the missions of motor vehicles that we
:23:51. > :23:53.have taken the decision. We are clear in our view that this
:23:54. > :23:59.expansion is deliverable within the rules, but also in the case the
:24:00. > :24:04.government tends to go much further in tackling emissions of motor
:24:05. > :24:07.vehicles. The issue of NOx emissions is much more about urban congestion
:24:08. > :24:15.than airports, it is something we have do deal with much sooner. This
:24:16. > :24:20.is a long-awaited and welcomed statement. Heathrow is the right
:24:21. > :24:24.place for expansion to link with emerging markets, and that is
:24:25. > :24:30.essential for our future economic success, but how is the minister
:24:31. > :24:33.able to convince us that this really would be an integrated transport
:24:34. > :24:39.policy, that at the same time as developing links with emerging
:24:40. > :24:41.markets, it would address critical issues of environmental concern,
:24:42. > :24:46.including air pollution at the same time? What can he do to convince us
:24:47. > :24:52.that that indeed would happen? The honourable lady made two points, the
:24:53. > :24:57.first in relation to connectivity. I think actually the plans for
:24:58. > :25:00.improved rail access around Heathrow will completely transform it as an
:25:01. > :25:04.integrated hub. The connectivity that HS2 will bring the old Oak
:25:05. > :25:11.Common at Crossrail, the expanded Piccadilly line, it will be much
:25:12. > :25:15.more of an accessible integrated transport centre than it has been,
:25:16. > :25:20.combined with regional activity as well. With regard to the pollution
:25:21. > :25:28.issues, we have done detailed analysis first with the airports
:25:29. > :25:34.commission, secondly from... It is the judgment of the government that
:25:35. > :25:42.it is expandable within rules. As I said we have a big cask in this
:25:43. > :25:47.country to a and much broader issue. We cannot sit with the status quo
:25:48. > :25:53.when the runway opens, we have to have made a big impact before then.
:25:54. > :25:57.From my constituents and is in Esher and Walton, it is going to be
:25:58. > :26:03.critical to have tangible reassurances, including on legally
:26:04. > :26:05.binding limits the noise and equality, independent verification
:26:06. > :26:08.of both of those things and a change of policy on flight paths from the
:26:09. > :26:16.arbitrary policy of concentration, which blights constituents like
:26:17. > :26:20.Molesey in my constituency, will he work with me to nail down those
:26:21. > :26:23.local reassurances for my constituents? I am very happy to
:26:24. > :26:28.give my honourable friend those assurances, and in particular the
:26:29. > :26:33.thing we share across our two constituencies is the stack of
:26:34. > :26:37.south-west London. When it changes its heralds it will change that
:26:38. > :26:41.fundamentally, there will be much less stacking, much less fuel
:26:42. > :26:47.wastage over south-west England, fewer emissions over south-east
:26:48. > :26:53.England and it will provide a much better experience for his
:26:54. > :26:57.constituents. The right honourable gentleman's departments reanalysis
:26:58. > :27:01.of the air-quality did a qualitative reanalysis of air quality, showing
:27:02. > :27:05.that the areas around Heathrow, it was possible they would be in breach
:27:06. > :27:11.of the limits when the third runway open. Will he undertake to do a
:27:12. > :27:18.quantitative reanalysis that includes real driving emissions, and
:27:19. > :27:22.includes the input the contribution to add quality problems that the
:27:23. > :27:25.Volkswagen cheat devices has made, will he undertake to do that before
:27:26. > :27:30.the consultation ends, and will he give a cast-iron guarantee today
:27:31. > :27:35.that he will not use Brexit as a means to watering down our European
:27:36. > :27:40.Union air-quality targets? On that latter point, the government fully
:27:41. > :27:43.recognises that we have a duty to tackle this problem. My right Bible
:27:44. > :27:48.friend at FO will be bringing forward proposals as to how we will
:27:49. > :27:55.take that for -- my right honourable friend the Secretary of State at
:27:56. > :28:01.Afro. With regard to the broader question of what we have done, we
:28:02. > :28:10.have carried out further work since the Volkswagen emissions. It can be
:28:11. > :28:14.delivered within the current rules, but of course we intend to go much
:28:15. > :28:19.further than that, we intend to have much more transformation between now
:28:20. > :28:23.and the next decade. It is not about this airport, it is about our urban
:28:24. > :28:35.areas generally and we have to deal with it. I know it's going to take a
:28:36. > :28:38.lot more than a builder with a bucket of tarmac to do this, it will
:28:39. > :28:46.be an investment of something not far off ?20 billion, great boost to
:28:47. > :28:50.London City Airport. Can he give his best estimate as to when he believes
:28:51. > :28:56.the first plane will take off from the north-west runway? Both of us
:28:57. > :29:00.would share the aspirations to do this as soon as possible, but the
:29:01. > :29:03.working assumption is the first plane will take off in the middle of
:29:04. > :29:06.the next decade. We perhaps should have come to this decision a long
:29:07. > :29:09.time ago, but at the least we are doing it now and we'll get on with
:29:10. > :29:13.it as soon as possible but we have to do it in the right way, in the
:29:14. > :29:21.sustainable way, and with great care for the surrounding communities. Can
:29:22. > :29:25.I welcome today's statement. To be a truly national policy it has two
:29:26. > :29:29.include the interest of national -- regional airports such as Newcastle,
:29:30. > :29:32.so important to the economy of the north-east. It is not just about
:29:33. > :29:45.infrastructure, it is also about taxation. Can I ask him to urge his
:29:46. > :29:50.Treasury colleagues because it is going to damage their capability to
:29:51. > :29:54.compete. I know the importance of this announcement in Newcastle. When
:29:55. > :29:58.I first made the statement of this house about the government's bozos,
:29:59. > :30:01.I went to Newcastle the following day and met the Chief Executive, and
:30:02. > :30:07.clearly enormous support in that area for the extension of the
:30:08. > :30:16.airport. What I say in relation to a PDA, I am sure in the run-up to the
:30:17. > :30:24.budget... One member was seeking to catch my eye, and seemed to exit the
:30:25. > :30:28.chamber. It may have been that I was experiencing an optical illusion. Mr
:30:29. > :30:33.Crispin Blunt. I said to my right honourable friend following up the
:30:34. > :30:38.comments from the honourable friend for Esher and welcome, the lethal
:30:39. > :30:44.commendation of the new technology and the very much more precise paths
:30:45. > :30:49.compared -- combined with the current policy over dispersal is
:30:50. > :30:53.literally a lethal disaster for the people who are right underneath
:30:54. > :30:57.those routes on this new technology. It should be possible through the
:30:58. > :31:00.new technology to create an artificial degree of dispersal where
:31:01. > :31:03.that happened before under analogue systems. Will my right honourable
:31:04. > :31:07.friend advance on this consultation, knowing that this is a very
:31:08. > :31:14.important issue to address for many of our constituents? To be slightly
:31:15. > :31:18.parochial for those of us who represent Surrey constituents, we
:31:19. > :31:20.are all very aware of the issues around Gatwick Airport, the flight
:31:21. > :31:25.paths that planes have been taking their in recent times. My hope is
:31:26. > :31:29.that this consultation will lead to a system that will enable us to be
:31:30. > :31:32.much more careful about managing flight parts, so we can provide
:31:33. > :31:37.respite to communities and decide exactly how to handle approaches to
:31:38. > :31:40.airports, and it is not simply a question of a rather haphazard said
:31:41. > :31:43.the flight paths being followed. Mike and give him assurances that I
:31:44. > :31:45.think we will end up with a better system for his constituents and
:31:46. > :31:50.those in neighbouring constituencies. Could I ask the
:31:51. > :31:55.Secretary of State about references in the airports commission surface
:31:56. > :32:00.access strategic road network proposals published by Highways
:32:01. > :32:04.England in October? This document includes proposals to widen the M4.
:32:05. > :32:07.The government made a statement to the media two weeks ago to the
:32:08. > :32:10.effect that this will not go ahead, but the Parliamentary answers I have
:32:11. > :32:15.received in response to my written questions have not been as clear.
:32:16. > :32:18.Could the Secretary of State perhaps confirm these proposals won't go
:32:19. > :32:22.ahead and there will be no land or property acquisition in Heston. I
:32:23. > :32:27.will be absolutely clear about this, I saw the BBC reports, there is no
:32:28. > :32:30.plan to widen the M4. There is a plan to create a smart motorway on
:32:31. > :32:37.the M4 as she will be aware, but there was no plan to widen the M4,
:32:38. > :32:42.no plan I am aware of the start buying houses in her constituency,
:32:43. > :32:48.and I have not seen a budget either, so take it from me, there is no plan
:32:49. > :32:51.to widen the M4. I very much commend and support my right honourable
:32:52. > :32:57.friend 's statements today. With regard to to Gatwick Airport and
:32:58. > :33:06.access to it, can I have assurances that the rail link to that facility
:33:07. > :33:10.will continue to be invested in and upgraded? Mr Speaker, I can give my
:33:11. > :33:15.honourable friend that assurance, as he will be aware, the government is
:33:16. > :33:18.bringing forward plans to fulfil the recommendation by Chris gives to
:33:19. > :33:22.spend 300 million on the route in the short term. Weekly have a
:33:23. > :33:26.modernisation challenge beyond that, which we are looking at how we best
:33:27. > :33:29.fulfil. But what I would say to him also, the other issue with Gatwick
:33:30. > :33:33.is Gatwick Station, and we are in discussion with the airport and
:33:34. > :33:37.Network Rail about how we can deal with that in the future, making sure
:33:38. > :33:46.that Gatwick has proper modern surface action for the future is
:33:47. > :33:51.also a priority. Personally, I welcome the policy, known at the
:33:52. > :33:56.that aviation could be less convenient to use. But the moment
:33:57. > :33:59.unfortunately many airports are turning themselves into long
:34:00. > :34:05.meandering shopping malls. Glasgow airport like others has a quarter of
:34:06. > :34:09.a kph meander, inconveniencing those with mobility issues, particularly
:34:10. > :34:15.during the gates. I do exclude London city from this criticism, but
:34:16. > :34:16.can airports policy also include travellers and not just those who
:34:17. > :34:25.want to shop? I know what he means but the
:34:26. > :34:32.counterbalance is one of the factors that keeps the cost of aviation down
:34:33. > :34:38.and so I am not sure I can promise fewer shops that while we are doing
:34:39. > :34:41.consultation on a national strategy he will be very welcome to make that
:34:42. > :34:45.point and we will consider it carefully. More importantly given
:34:46. > :34:49.the constituency he represents, providing better links through
:34:50. > :34:55.Scotland to Heathrow and the links that exist is really important to
:34:56. > :35:04.ensuring better connectivity for the future. That is why this will make a
:35:05. > :35:07.difference to him. I am very dreadful for your indulgence Mr
:35:08. > :35:12.Speaker but this is a matter of grave concern for my constituents
:35:13. > :35:18.and I want to pick up on my honourable friend point, here is a
:35:19. > :35:22.log in this place, regarding consultation and engagement. He has
:35:23. > :35:24.moved to a different place. Consultation and engagement with
:35:25. > :35:31.local communities particularly in Surrey and areas around Heathrow.
:35:32. > :35:36.This is absolutely vital and I want to hear his further reiteration of
:35:37. > :35:43.his commitments to engage local communities. Mr Speaker quite apart
:35:44. > :35:48.from the statutory process peace we do want to listen to people about
:35:49. > :35:52.the impacts upon them. If there are refinements that need to be made to
:35:53. > :35:56.a proposal, regardless of whether Parliament decides we should go
:35:57. > :35:58.ahead, if we do go ahead with a proposal then it's essential we
:35:59. > :36:05.listen carefully about these impacts. And if we need to improve
:36:06. > :36:13.those things then we will do that. And then of course also there is an
:36:14. > :36:19.opportunity to make real to the areas around the airport exposed to
:36:20. > :36:23.take-off and landing. I continued to support the third runway for the
:36:24. > :36:26.best option for my constituents in Sheffield that given the delays that
:36:27. > :36:30.have occurred, we are still ten years away from getting this runway
:36:31. > :36:34.up and running. In the meantime Heathrow is running at around 98%
:36:35. > :36:38.capacity and demands are going to continue in that ten year period.
:36:39. > :36:43.What are the plans to manage that increased demand during the ten
:36:44. > :36:48.years before the runway opens? The truth is, Mr Speaker, it is a
:36:49. > :36:51.constraint upon us. There is still capacity around London, also some
:36:52. > :36:56.first-rate regional airports for him, the East Midlands and South
:36:57. > :37:02.Yorkshire have access to very good airports in Leeds Bradford and in
:37:03. > :37:07.East Midlands Airport, both of which have done phenomenally well in
:37:08. > :37:09.recent times and provide more links internationally themselves. But of
:37:10. > :37:13.course we are constrained by the fact the decision was not taken a
:37:14. > :37:19.long time ago which is why we need to get on with it now. Buttler the
:37:20. > :37:23.Secretary of State will know very well because I have written to him
:37:24. > :37:27.on numerous occasions that airspace management over parts of West Kent
:37:28. > :37:32.is becoming a very serious problem. This is particularly referenced
:37:33. > :37:36.night-time. While you can enjoy your night 's undisturbed, Mr Speaker, my
:37:37. > :37:42.constituents certainly do not have this luxury. This is a very
:37:43. > :37:46.important point. It is an issue I have been looking at. There are
:37:47. > :37:51.innards of its ways around the country of dealing with this. --
:37:52. > :37:54.innovative ways. We need to find out the views of the public about how we
:37:55. > :37:59.should best manage night flights in order to minimise the impact on
:38:00. > :38:01.communities and being notified better for iPods will make a
:38:02. > :38:12.significant difference and address some of the issues I have seen.
:38:13. > :38:17.Since Cardiff airport was rescued from private ownership into a
:38:18. > :38:21.public-private partnership, it is now enjoyed the top environmental
:38:22. > :38:27.award and is now the fastest-growing airport in the United Kingdom,
:38:28. > :38:33.increasing passengers last year by 16%, can we welcome that purchase of
:38:34. > :38:37.the appalled by the Welsh assembly and also guarantee that as the
:38:38. > :38:42.report says connectivity will be improved between the regions and
:38:43. > :38:47.nations of Britain, and some of those links will be with Wales. I
:38:48. > :38:53.think Cardiff has been a great success story and I pay tribute to
:38:54. > :38:56.those involved. And with regard to the member for Sheffield's question
:38:57. > :38:59.about what is happening in the coming years, we are fortunate that
:39:00. > :39:03.we have very good regional airports that cannot only take up the slack
:39:04. > :39:10.in the coming years but will be an important crucial part of our
:39:11. > :39:12.overall strategy in the future. Mr Speaker, as the Heathrow decision
:39:13. > :39:21.goes ahead the demand from the rest of England will ever expand and will
:39:22. > :39:25.my right honourable friend confirmed that Tim Bowles will be able to join
:39:26. > :39:29.myself and colleagues from the West of England and putting our views
:39:30. > :39:33.forward to join up the Western mainline to Heathrow. Mr Speaker, I
:39:34. > :39:37.can tell my honourable friend as he knows that I have already been
:39:38. > :39:42.getting extensive lobbying from both his constituency and elsewhere
:39:43. > :39:46.saying this is a really important part of what we do. Rail access to
:39:47. > :39:50.Heathrow is going to be a really crucial part of ensuring that we can
:39:51. > :39:53.deliver the growth that we anticipate without having the kind
:39:54. > :39:57.of impacts on the local environment that massively increased road
:39:58. > :40:03.traffic might generate. This is something we are working on very
:40:04. > :40:09.hard. Reading the statement this morning because my train was
:40:10. > :40:12.cancelled, this is not an unusual occurrence, it happened yesterday as
:40:13. > :40:17.well. Given the strain is already on the rail network around Heathrow
:40:18. > :40:24.Airport, I wonder if the secretary of state can tell me if the draft
:40:25. > :40:27.MPS commits to no net increases by road and the estimated cost of
:40:28. > :40:31.upgrading the rail infrastructure will be in the region of ?19
:40:32. > :40:35.million, Heathrow have only committed 1 million of these costs.
:40:36. > :40:39.The Secretary of State at he does not accept the estimates. Can he
:40:40. > :40:45.Talawat his own estimates are at whether these will be funded by the
:40:46. > :40:48.taxpayer? Mr Speaker, we have a semi-sprint yesterday, except my
:40:49. > :40:51.train was cancelled, but as she is aware there was a power failure
:40:52. > :40:56.which cause problems, which does happen. I know she says
:40:57. > :40:59.nationalising that Network Rail is in the public sector and it was a
:41:00. > :41:07.Network Rail problem. On the subject of the airport expansion, and the
:41:08. > :41:10.importance of making sure in her constituency and in other parts of
:41:11. > :41:15.the areas affected we do the right thing for local people, I give an
:41:16. > :41:18.assurance to her constituents that we will work immensely hard to
:41:19. > :41:22.listen to their views in the coming weeks and look at ways of minimising
:41:23. > :41:28.the impact of airport expansion. It is something we need to do very
:41:29. > :41:38.carefully but I simply do not accept the figures from TEFL. I think the
:41:39. > :41:40.TEFL estimate of ?19 billion, ?20 billion, is plucked from thin air. I
:41:41. > :41:55.have seen no evidence. Would the Minister nearshore mean
:41:56. > :41:59.there would be proper coordination between the airport strategy and
:42:00. > :42:03.delivering the type of infrastructure with the railway and
:42:04. > :42:08.a 303 that is vital to making sure this is a success. My honourable
:42:09. > :42:15.friend knows we are moving ahead with the development process of the
:42:16. > :42:18.8303. I have made funding available for the next stage of work in
:42:19. > :42:24.Dawlish but the other thing that will be of benefit to the south-west
:42:25. > :42:29.is improved aviation is as well. One of the regional airports that will
:42:30. > :42:37.benefit from this increased connectivity. The Secretary of State
:42:38. > :42:44.wants a quarter of million extra flights over one of the most densely
:42:45. > :42:48.populated parts of Britain he has no scheme for combating congestion or
:42:49. > :42:52.noise. How will he deal with emissions Chris Watt but increased
:42:53. > :42:55.freight on road, does he not know that increases in public transport
:42:56. > :43:02.are already needed? Is he not just passing the buck to someone else to
:43:03. > :43:08.save these problems? I am not passing the buck to anyone else. If
:43:09. > :43:16.you look at the plans for improved land connectivity around Heathrow, I
:43:17. > :43:21.have talked on the Piccadilly line, cross well, it would entail the kind
:43:22. > :43:24.of transformation to access to Heathrow it has never seen before
:43:25. > :43:30.and my belief, Mr Speaker, which type commitments on the airport
:43:31. > :43:37.developers, we can deliver this with low noise aircraft, a smart
:43:38. > :43:41.compensation package and benefits to the United Kingdom. The economic
:43:42. > :43:50.case for NHS to is partly built on the fact that Mac for HS2. Reports
:43:51. > :43:55.suggest a dramatic increase in the number of internal flights in the UK
:43:56. > :43:58.when Heathrow expanse. Can my right honourable friend clarify the
:43:59. > :44:04.position and also what commitment is he making to expanding regional
:44:05. > :44:07.airports so they are hosting international flights rather than
:44:08. > :44:13.having to come to Heathrow? On the latter my honourable friend takes a
:44:14. > :44:22.look at some of the regional airports, an extraordinary amount of
:44:23. > :44:27.international connectivity. We opened a new expanded terminal in
:44:28. > :44:31.Bristol recently. This is meeting an additional need, not replacing what
:44:32. > :44:35.they do but in terms of HS2 that great benefit from HS2 is not only
:44:36. > :44:42.connectivity in general but perhaps the capacity it releases. We have
:44:43. > :44:44.such congestion on the rest of the rail network, thousands of extra
:44:45. > :44:50.commuters seats will be delivered into Euston for example by taking
:44:51. > :44:54.those express trains out of the existing route. I think the business
:44:55. > :45:02.case for HS2 is much broader than that. Can I very much welcome the
:45:03. > :45:08.statements today and welcome your comments about tedious meandering
:45:09. > :45:11.shopping mall split in Northern Ireland 60% of those who fly from
:45:12. > :45:16.Northern Ireland, I know the Minister accepts the uniqueness of
:45:17. > :45:20.Northern Ireland, go to Gatwick, Stansted and it. Can we make sure
:45:21. > :45:25.that we expand and look after all those airports so that it suits
:45:26. > :45:29.everyone in Northern Ireland and the other regional airports? Absolutely,
:45:30. > :45:35.Mr Speaker, that support will be essential part of our strategy for
:45:36. > :45:38.aviation and transport generally in the future. The expansion of
:45:39. > :45:43.Heathrow will have some direct benefits for Northern Ireland,
:45:44. > :45:50.Heathrow will be expanding routes to Belfast for example. It is important
:45:51. > :45:53.we went in the best possible links through to those international
:45:54. > :45:57.destinations that are important to businesses in Northern Ireland. Why
:45:58. > :46:01.should a member who represents the hills and valleys of mid Wales be
:46:02. > :46:07.speaking in Mr made? Quite simply, Mr Speaker, my -- in this debate. My
:46:08. > :46:12.constituents will benefit from the special feature is a cat I ask my
:46:13. > :46:15.honourable friend to proceed as quickly as possible? It is a really
:46:16. > :46:21.important point because actually the impact of this proposal will be felt
:46:22. > :46:27.up and down the country. In small businesses producing equipment, in
:46:28. > :46:33.colleges training apprentices, it will affect regional economies. My
:46:34. > :46:38.honourable friend is absolutely right and I'm grateful to him for
:46:39. > :46:43.his support. On the issue of jobs at Heathrow, would support for his
:46:44. > :46:46.proposals be strengthened if employers like British Airways
:46:47. > :46:53.treated their workforce decently? He knows that the mixed fleet cabin
:46:54. > :46:55.crew dispute is now going on because the underpaid mainly female
:46:56. > :47:04.workforce are being treated appallingly. Will he intervene and
:47:05. > :47:09.speak to British airways to make an improved offer? My honourable friend
:47:10. > :47:13.makes his case well. He would not expect me to seek to become involved
:47:14. > :47:18.in the dispute of this kind. I very much hope they will be able to reach
:47:19. > :47:28.a resolution mutually acceptable to both sides. I welcome the decision,
:47:29. > :47:33.I think it is the right one for the UK, but the secretary of state will
:47:34. > :47:38.be aware that on the 23rd of January we had a black alert in air
:47:39. > :47:43.pollution in London and 12 local authority areas signalled red
:47:44. > :47:47.alerts. That means toxic air and it is at crisis point in London. I
:47:48. > :47:51.think if you're going to reassure the people of London to continue to
:47:52. > :47:55.support this decision we need a much more comprehensive air pollution
:47:56. > :48:00.strategy, not the government 's current plans that the courts have
:48:01. > :48:07.said are woefully inadequate. Of course we take careful note of the
:48:08. > :48:15.court decision, such a plan is in development but if you look back to
:48:16. > :48:21.the Autumn Statement, if we look at new proposals like low emission
:48:22. > :48:26.buses, this is something we have to deal with now. We have to find the
:48:27. > :48:29.right way to migrate the nature of the cars on our roads and the
:48:30. > :48:36.vehicles on our right to the point they are causing much less of a
:48:37. > :48:41.pollution problem. Very shortly there will be a UK mainland airport
:48:42. > :48:46.from which passengers and luggage will be on the flight directly into
:48:47. > :48:53.an international UK airport without any security checks on passengers or
:48:54. > :48:57.their luggage. Shopping. The decision to move security checks
:48:58. > :49:01.into Glasgow is an unnecessary relaxation on a system that has
:49:02. > :49:08.worked well. Was the government where -- shocking. Are they happy to
:49:09. > :49:11.see passengers flying to a major UK airport without undergoing security
:49:12. > :49:22.check that every other passenger has?
:49:23. > :49:36.I thought that. Is at stake in Scottish is that budget austerity
:49:37. > :49:38.budget millions of pounds from other services. Saint/ Air Passenger Duty.
:49:39. > :49:41.Is it but that is supposed to go through with the support of the
:49:42. > :49:43.Green Party. What this has his department made of the legal
:49:44. > :49:47.requirement for a quality of Heathrow and other UK airports, as
:49:48. > :49:54.of slashing Air Passenger Duty in Scotland? The honourable gentleman
:49:55. > :50:01.identifies the inconsistencies we often see policies coming from the
:50:02. > :50:06.SNP Green Party. Unixes were very articulately. Instance of evolution
:50:07. > :50:15.is FIFPro, as I said earlier, it is much more easy about land transport,
:50:16. > :50:18.transport trucks mother Elizabeth airport that is why we will focus on
:50:19. > :50:20.the challenge on our roads rather than focusing on the aviation issue.
:50:21. > :50:26.This issue will be dealt with the pressure taken FIFPro Faycal C have
:50:27. > :50:31.the issue on the roads. As I explained during the Brexit defects
:50:32. > :50:34.many of the aviation sector think Brexit will lead to the sector
:50:35. > :50:41.shrinking, thus negating the need for an additional runway. Can the
:50:42. > :50:47.Minister confirm if any talks have taken place with the Tramp
:50:48. > :50:52.administration on the US- UK Open skies agreement? No talks have taken
:50:53. > :50:58.place. I'm expecting to meet my US counterpart in about a month's time.
:50:59. > :51:00.But I can say that discussions took place with the previous
:51:01. > :51:04.administration and there is goodwill on both sides to make sure there is
:51:05. > :51:10.no hiatus on transatlantic air traffic. I welcome today's
:51:11. > :51:19.statement, particularly about connectivity with HS2, greater if we
:51:20. > :51:22.get the HS2 hub at Crewe. Can he confirm the proportion of slots at
:51:23. > :51:28.Heathrow are available to domestic traffic will remain at least the
:51:29. > :51:33.same as it is with two runways. I'm looking carefully at how best to do
:51:34. > :51:36.this because we don't want a situation where we have slots at 11
:51:37. > :51:40.o'clock at night so it may not simply be about slots, it may be
:51:41. > :51:44.about getting the right mechanism to ensure there is the necessary
:51:45. > :51:48.capacity to ensure the connectivity. I probably won't simply say it is
:51:49. > :51:53.ex-slots, we want to make sure the right package to make sure there is
:51:54. > :51:56.fair treatment at regional airports. Mr Speaker, the Secretary of State
:51:57. > :52:00.will know 9000 people died unnecessarily in London because of
:52:01. > :52:05.poor air quality. Will he guarantee that post Brexit the government
:52:06. > :52:08.won't dump EU air quality regulations? He didn't give a
:52:09. > :52:12.guarantee in relation to an early intervention from the member for
:52:13. > :52:16.Wakefield. Will he explain what the Apple will do if it cannot deliver
:52:17. > :52:20.the legal error obligation limits? Proceed anyway, change the air
:52:21. > :52:25.quality objectives, or pull the plug on the runway? Mr Speaker, it is
:52:26. > :52:29.clear the airport will not be able to secure its devil and consent
:52:30. > :52:34.order if it cannot demonstrate its ability to meet those targets, which
:52:35. > :52:37.is binding and it will have to achieve those. In terms of our
:52:38. > :52:41.broader strategy, after we have left the European Union the air quality
:52:42. > :52:44.standards in place in this country will be UK quality standards but it
:52:45. > :52:49.is not the intention of the government to reduce air quality
:52:50. > :52:52.standards. It is our intention with the delivery strategy that cleans up
:52:53. > :52:58.our air and that will happen shortly. Mr Speaker, will the
:52:59. > :53:01.Secretary of State's airspace policy consultation include new measures to
:53:02. > :53:09.protect the public from the danger of drones, given the recent reports
:53:10. > :53:15.of airspace near misses, before a tragedy occurs? I can confirm we are
:53:16. > :53:18.consulting on the best regulatory framework for drones and I suspect
:53:19. > :53:22.that will inevitably need some kind of licensing for drugs that could be
:53:23. > :53:23.a threat to the public and limitations on where they can be
:53:24. > :53:34.used.