Government response to letter to Douglas Alexander MP protesting against airport expansion

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Airport Policy Dept
Great Minster House
76 Marsham Street
London
SW1P4DR

Email: E#mily.ro#bertsonDELETE@dft.gsi.gov.uk
## and DELETE added to stop email spiders

Web site: www.dft.gov.uk

6 February 2007

Dear Mr Lister,

Thank you for your very informed and heartfelt letter to Douglas Alexander, received on 9 January, regarding the Government's aviation policy and the environmental impacts of air travel. I have been asked to reply, as I'm sure you will appreciate that the Secretary of State receives a very large volume of correspondence. However I can assure you that the Secretary of State's office keeps a record of correspondence received on different policy areas, and we welcome and value the views expressed. Information contained in responses sent out by the Department is approved by Ministers.

The Government's policy on aviation was set out in The Future of Air Transport White Paper, published in 2003. The White Paper set out a long-term strategy for the sustainable development of air travel to 2030, recognising the growing aspirations to travel and the economic benefits that it brings, while tackling the environmental challenges.

The Government published a progress report on the 2003 Future of Air Transport White Paper on 14 December 2006. The report sets out progress made in implementing the policies of the White Paper, including environmental measures. This report reaffirms the Government's commitment to the strategy set out in the White Paper. It continues to support the development of the aviation sector across the UK, and targeted airport development in the right circumstances. The White Paper rejected proposals for new capacity at several airports and at new greenfield locations, and instead promoted making better use of existing airport capacity, and ensuring where new capacity is required its provision is in line with the UK's environmental obligations.

The Government remains committed to putting the UK on a path to a reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by some 60% from current levels by 2050 (which includes emissions from domestic aviation). International flights from the UK are not currently included in this figure as there is, as yet, no international agreement on ways of allocating such emissions. Aviation currently accounts for approximately 6% of UK CO2 emissions. However, the Government has made it clear that the aviation sector needs to take its share of responsibility for tackling this problem.

The recent Stern report reinforced the importance of taking action on climate change but also of ensuring that there is international commitment to doing so. Stern also stressed the importance of using pricing mechanisms to ensure that users pay the full environmental costs of their actions while allowing the economy to continue to grow. The Government's aviation policy is fully consistent with this approach, and we continue to support industry paying for its environmental costs over time. The progress report sets out in more detail how the Government is taking account of the most recent information on climate change impacts, and how its aviation policy fits with the approach to tackling climate change across the economy as a whole.

Our progress report demonstrates how we are tackling the climate change impact of aviation, in particular, taking a lead in Europe on the inclusion of aviation in the established EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Following the publication of the European Commission's legislative proposal on the 20 December 2006, we will now continue to press for aviation's inclusion as soon as is practicable. The EU ETS is a major policy measure that aims to reduce CO2 emissions at the least cost to industry. Participants are allocated tradable emissions "allowances" (similar to quotas) that they can trade to help them in meeting their emissions reductions targets.

In the Pre-Budget Report on 6 December 2006, the Chancellor announced that the rates of Air Passenger Duty would double with effect from 1 February 2007. APD was increased in recognition of the environmental costs of air travel and to ensure aviation meets its environmental impacts. It is thought that by doing this, APD will achieve emissions savings equivalent to three quarters of a million tonnes of carbon per year by around 2010.

With regard to your reference to levels of pollution around Heathrow Airport, the Project for the Sustainable Development of Heathrow (PSDH) was set up to assess whether further development at the airport is likely to be consistent with the environmental conditions laid down in the Air Transport White Paper, including EU limit values for air quality. The Air Quality Technical Report, published in July 2006, confirmed that EU limit values are currently being breached in the immediate vicinity of Heathrow and adjacent to the M4, M4 spur and the A4. The potential for introducing mixed mode operations and/or a third runway are subject to our being able to show that levels of NO2 emissions at Heathrow can be managed within the EU limit as soon as possible. EU negotiations are underway on a new Ambient Air Quality Directive, if agreed, it will contain the possibility for Member States to postpone compliance with the EU limit values for NO2 for up to five years providing that a comprehensive action plan is produced and submitted for approval.

I hope you find this information helpful, and thank you once again for taking the time to write to the Secretary of State for Transport. Further information on the Government's aviation policy, and The Future of Air Transport progress report, are available on the Department for Transport website, www.dft.gov.uk.

Yours sincerely,



Emily Robertson