| answer text |
<p>The Coalition Agreement for Government rules out current airport expansion in the
South East of England for the life of this Parliament.</p><p> </p><p>To ensure our
long term connectivity needs can be met, this Government established the independent
Airports Commission to identify and recommend to Government options for maintaining
this country’s status as an international hub for aviation. Although options for expansion
have been shortlisted by the Commission for further examination, its final recommendations
are not due to be published until the summer of 2015.</p><p> </p><p>The Airports Commission
has discussed and is consulting on how airports outside the South East, including
Northern Ireland, might be affected by expansion at the shortlisted expansion options.
The relevant documents can be found on the Airports Commission website:</p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/airports-commission"
target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/organisations/airports-commission</a></p><p>
</p><p>It will be for the Government of the day to fully consider the recommendation
of the Airports Commission’s final report.</p><p> </p><p>In the meantime the Government
has announced a Regional Air Connectivity Fund that can be used to maintain domestic
air access to London through the establishment of a Public Service Obligation where
there is the probability that an existing service would be lost. The fund was further
extended in this year’s Budget to include support for new air routes from airports
of fewer than five million airports.</p><p> </p>
|
|
