The Government & Aviation

Press aticles

A parliamentary inquiry into lobbying, launched on 21st June 2007, considered external regulation, government interaction and funding by lobby groups. Details of BAA's lobbying groups and its close links to government formed part of this inquiry.

Written evidence submitted shows that a level playing field does not exist when it comes to BAA and BA securing meetings with the Secretary of State or the Under-Secretary of State for Transport.

The public administration select committee report said: "There has been widespread public concern that some areas of government policy have effectively been captured at an early stage by interest groups, usually within industry, and that public consultations have been unbalanced in the favour of these interests." It named Heathrow as an example of this and concluded that lobbying needed to be open to public scrutiny.

A separate investigation also revealed that BAA and the government “fixed” environmental targets while researching the impact of the third runway.

Some articles on these and similar subjects are referenced here.

Early Day Motions

On 17th December, 2008, an Early Day Motion (EDM) demanding a vote on the third runway in the Commons was submitted. Gordon Brown has refused a vote.

To see which MPs have signed this EDM, please click on the title below.

"ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF THIRD RUNWAY AT HEATHROW"

On 27th October, 2008, an EDM opposing the government's policy on the third runway was submitted for debate in the Commons. Although few EDMs make it to the floor of the House, a debate was held on 11th November, 2008, with the number of MPs speaking out against Heathrow expansion vastly outnumbering those in favour.

To see which MPs signed this EDM, please click the title below.

"GOVERNMENT POLICY ON THIRD RUNWAY AT HEATHROW AIRPORT"

Ministers 'misled' MPs over Heathrow PDF Print E-mail
Sunday, 14 June 2009 00:00

The government has been accused of misleading MPs by trying to cover up lobbying of ministers by BAA, the airport operator, over the expansion of Heathrow. Conservative MPs believe they were given inaccurate replies to questions in parliament about whether Lord Mandelson's business department had met BAA to discuss expanding the airport. Justine Greening, the backbencher who asked the questions, will now ask Michael Martin, the Speaker, to investigate.

The row coincides with the release of official figures showing that, around Heathrow, illnesses caused by pollution rose by 72% from 2003 to 2008, nearly twice the national average.

BAA lobbied heavily for a third runway and was given the go-ahead in January.

Read the full article in The Sunday Times.


There is a golden rule relating to Heathrow expansion: whatever the government says, assume the opposite is true.

It usually is.
 
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