Nick Clegg says the Airport Commission’s interim report findings “not set in stone”

Nick Clegg has said the Liberal Democrats may reject the Airports Commission’s final blueprint for a new runway in the South-East.  He does not feel he is under any obligation to accept it, and said:  “He’s producing an authoritative, independent report. He’s not producing a biblical tablet of stone which needs to be followed by everybody,” He refused to accept the conclusion of the Commission’s interim report that the South-East needs a new runway by 2030, and possibly another by 2050.  He also said the Commission’s interim report, to be published after the 2015 election, would not be a “biblical tablet of stone” that all politicians would have to support. The party’s current policy is, and has been since before the 2010 election, that there should be no new runways in the South-East. The Standard says he has suggested he might back a new runway at Gatwick.  On climate he said:  “… the reason I’m against airport expansion, and certainly against the expansion at Heathrow, is that all the evidence I’ve seen until now has suggested that it’s impossible to do that without adding to current noise and air pollution levels and breaking the projections on carbon emissions under the Climate Change Act.”
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Nick Clegg: Airport Commission’s findings not set in stone

Nick Clegg: warned Lib-Dems may reject airport plans
By NICHOLAS CECIL  (Evening Standard)

 24 December 2013

 

The Liberal Democrats may reject the Airports Commission’s final blueprint for a new runway in the South-East, Nick Clegg said today.

The Deputy Prime Minister stressed the report, to be published after the 2015 election, would not be a “biblical tablet of stone” that all politicians would have to support.

He has already highlighted the “case for Gatwick” and could back expansion at the Sussex airport — even if the Commission recommended a third runway at Heathrow — or stick to his party’s current policy of no new runways in the South-East.

Speaking to The Standard, Mr Clegg refused to accept the conclusion of the Commission’s interim report that the South-East needs a new runway by 2030, and possibly another by 2050.

All three major parties supported the setting up of the panel, chaired by former London School of Economics boss Sir Howard Davies.

But Mr Clegg rejected the suggestion political leaders would be under any obligation to implement his findings.

“He’s producing an authoritative, independent report. He’s not producing a biblical tablet of stone which needs to be followed by everybody,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

“We are entirely free to make up our own minds based on our reactions to the recommendations made.

“At the moment, the reason I’m against airport expansion, and certainly against the expansion at Heathrow, is that all the evidence I’ve seen until now has suggested that it’s impossible to do that without adding to current noise and air pollution levels and breaking the projections on carbon emissions under the Climate Change Act.”

He stressed that he had personally intervened to change the Commission’s draft terms of reference to ensure it took proper account of the environmental impact of any new runway, as this was the “acid test” for his party.

Sir Howard said in his interim report that a third runway could be built to the west at Heathrow without more local residents suffering aircraft noise as planes become quieter by 2030; 150,000 or fewer people would be affected.

But this compares with just 6,300 people having to endure aircraft noise by 2030 around Gatwick if a second runway was built.

The Commission will investigate air quality impacts for its full report.

It shortlisted a new north-west runway at Heathrow or extending its northern runway, as well as a second runway at Gatwick.

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/nick-clegg-airport-commissions-findings-not-set-in-stone-9024011.html

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