Defiant Hoon ploughs on with Heathrow expansion

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In a strong signal that the Government will give the go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow, he backed improvements to the rail network, as well as greater airport capacity.

Nearly 100 MPs have backed a Commons campaign, said to be secretly supported by Cabinet ministers, urging the Government to opt for a high-speed train system instead of bigger airports.

But Mr Hoon told the Financial Times: "Positing airport growth and high-speed rail as alternatives is a false choice. We need to make progress on both."

He launched a withering attack on the Tory plan for a high-speed rail link from London to Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester instead of the third runway.

Dismissing the strategy as "perverse", he said it would increase carbon emissions as people taking short-haul flights from Britain's regions to Heathrow to fly abroad would instead have to make their connections in foreign airports.

"The beneficiaries of [shadow transport secretary] Theresa Villiers's policy will be our continental competitors in France, Germany and Holland." Echoing concerns over the Tory approach, Tom Kelly, communications director for BAA and former press chief at No 10, also wrote to the FT. "BAA supports the combination of high-speed rail with a new runway at Heathrow," he wrote.

"There is no evidence that high-speed rail can replace a third runway."

Mr Hoon is due to announce a decision on Heathrow within six weeks.