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Third runway is a health risk, admits Hoon
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent28 Jan 2009
A THIRD runway at Heathrow will damage people's health, Geoff Hoon admitted today.
The Transport Secretary accepted in a letter a bigger Heathrow would have an impact on health as MPs began debating the expansion. Government whips were trying to defuse a backbench revolt ahead of voting on the proposals today, though rebels were not hopeful of a victory.
In his letter to shadow London minister Justine Greening, Mr Hoon insisted that research, partly using government methods for assessing air quality changes, had found "marginal physical health impacts of an expanded airport in 2020".
They include very slightly lower life expectancy and a small number of extra hospital admissions.
The Tories accused the Government of failing to protect its citizens, branding it a "disgrace" for pressing ahead with the expansion plan. Ms Greening said: "The Secretary of State has now confirmed the fears of many Londoners and the Environment Agency. People's health will suffer as a result of a third runway."
In the letter, Mr Hoon stressed that the report by AEA Energy & Environment, which the Government used to argue for expansion, suggested fears over increased mortality and illness from another runway had been "greatly exaggerated." But Labour MP John Grogan said: "This is an amazing admission. We now need to know the full facts about the risks to public health." John Stewart, of anti-expansion group Hacan ClearSkies, said: "At long last a government minister has admitted what local people have been saying for years."
A third runway could see flights increase from 480,000 a year to more than 700,000. But a BAA spokesman said a third runway "will not go ahead unless strict environmental limits are met" on noise and air quality. Ministers also revealed that planning permission would not be given before the next general election, expected in May 2010. Rebels thought some 30 MPs would defy the Government, not enough to defeat it. Andrew Slaughter, MP for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush, quit as parliamentary private secretary to Lord Malloch-Brown to vote against the Government.
Lib-Dem Heathrow spokeswoman Susan Kramer accused Mr Hoon of encouraging illegal protests by refusing to give MPs a vote in government time on the expansion plan.
Reader views (4)
David - please address the fact that Nulabour p[lans mean more DEATHS - why do you aviation lobby cheerleaders have so little compassion for your fellow man - why should my kids get asthma and my elderly relatoives DIE earlier so LHR can boom? This is wicked wicked evil and those who support LHR expansion must examine their motioves and integrity
- Christian Ball, London, UK, 30/01/2009 08:39
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I do not understand how MPs who's constiuencies will be adversely effected by the expansion can vote for it. Can they say with hand on heart that this is what the majority if their communities want? The government has influenced and bought pressure to bear. This is not democracy. Democracy is about representing and voting based on the interests of your area. If every MP is true to their constituents then we will get a better representation of what the country wants in parliament - not what the government wants for what ever reason that maybe.
- Anna, Switzerland, 29/01/2009 12:26
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Expansion of Heathrow would bring further chaos.
- Georgie, Islington, London, 28/01/2009 15:20
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Eric Pickles, Conservative Chairman
BBC News
Mr Pickles said the Prime Minister needs to admit that he has made a mistake in claiming he had ended boom and bust, and added that his party weren’t considering proposals to build an airport in the Thames Estuary.
Asked why David Cameron continued to try to force Gordon Brown to say he had not abolished boom and bust, rather than concentrate on the problems in the economy he said, “a lot of people are suffering. The nation needs to hear from the Prime Minister to admit that he got it wrong.
“We’re not looking to butter parsnips, nice thing to do though that would be, we’re looking for the government to come out of denial. We are in a peculiar position that we are in a worse position to deal with the recession because of Gordon Brown. People need to understand that he has made a mistake.”
Asked about the Boris Johnson’s plans for an airport in the Thames Estuary he said, “we’ve said no to the expansion of Heathrow, we’re not considering the Estuary”.
We'll looks like London won't be getting anything.
- David, London UK, 28/01/2009 13:06
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