SASIG 2012/13 Meeting Dates 

Friday 1 March 2013

 

  24-30 November Parliamentary and Government News

Government News

Former Transport Minister Steve Norris has called for a Crossrail 1 spur linking London to Stansted
The ex-Conservative MP said the £5 billion train link would speed passengers to the capital in just 25 minutes, with Heathrow just 65 minutes away on up to eight trains an hour.  Mr Norris told Stansted’s transport forum that the extension could be a “significant solution” to the rail and aviation capacity gaps putting the brakes on the country’s economic growth.  He said he had already pitched the plan to Crossrail chairman Terry Morgan who agreed it was a practical proposition to add the airport link to Europe’s biggest construction project.

Kent island airport ‘best solution’ to meet flight demand claims Bridget Rosewell, former economic adviser to the Greater London Authority
Ms Rosewell says she has “worked up” Mayor Boris Johnson’s island plans and believes a new hub could be built within eight years and be open by 2025 – only a year or so later than a third Heathrow runway would be expected to be in operation.

Global action to tackle aviation now ‘down to political will’ claim International Civil Aviation Organisation

Debates and Speeches

29 Nov. 2012 – UK Air-Rail Conference – Simon Burns, Transport Minister
Mr Burns spoke of the need to make sure UK airports and airlines are safe, secure and competitive while reducing their impacts on the environment and communities; focusing on  the importance of the contribution of air-rail links in boosting the economy.

The Transport Minister highlighted some of the key investments and modernisations including:

  • electrification of the Midland Mainline improves access to Luton
  • Valleys electrification improves access to Cardiff Airport;
  • an extra platform at Manchester Airport, which will allow more and longer trains to serve the airport;
  • a new £500 million rail link will give direct western access to Heathrow Airport and is expected to cut passenger journey times from the Thames Valley, the south-west, Wales and the west Midlands by around half an hour; and
  • HS2 make it much easier for passengers from London and the south-east to get to Birmingham Airport and people and businesses in the Midlands and the north of England get improved access to Heathrow.

Westminster Committees

26 Nov. 2012 – Transport Select Committee – Regional breakdown of transport spending

The Committee heard from:

  • Jonathan Bray, Support Unit Director, Passenger Transport Executive Group
  • Ed Cox, Director, Institute for Public Policy Research North
  • Henry Overman, Professor of Economic Geography, London School of Economics

The Committee heard that there was a “huge” disparity between London and the South East, and the rest of the country.

Ed Cox said that in England, London and the South East had 84 per cent of transport infrastructure spending, including public spending, compared to six per cent in the North. Jonathan Bray noted transport spending of £644 per capita in London, and £243 per capita in the North and the Midlands.

4 Dec. 2012 – The Environmental Audit Committee will hold a public evidence hearing on its inquiry, Energy Intensive Industries Compensation Scheme at 4.40 pm on Tuesday 4 December in Committee Room 8, Palace of Westminster.

The Committee will consider how the Government has addressed its earlier findings on carbon leakage in developing a compensation package for the impact of the EU Emissions Trading System and the Carbon Price Floor on the price of electricity for energy intensive industries.

House of Commons Questions

Reasons why summer 2015 has been set as the time by which the airport commission must publish its final report – Goldsmith, Z –  29 Nov. 2012 (see ‘Commission on Aviation’)

Using competition to resolve capacity issues in London airports– Haselhurst, A – 29 Nov. 2012 (see ‘Commission on Aviation’)

Rail services to Heathrow Airport – Clifton-Brown, G – 29 Nov. 2012 (see ‘Heathrow Airport: Railways’)

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  17-23 November Parliamentary and Government News

Government News

Cardiff Airport welcomes Silk Commission report recommendations for devolution of power for long haul air passenger duty to Wales
Bosses at Bristol Airport have criticised the Silk Commission’s recommendation that air passenger duty on direct long haul flights should be devolved to the Welsh Regional Assembly to set airport taxes in Wales and have claimed that the move will give Cardiff an unfair advantage and may affect the economy in Bristol and the surrounding area.

The Autumn Statement 2012 will be made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, on Wednesday 5 December at 12.30pm. 
In anticipation of the Autumn Statement, the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has published its report: ‘Autumn Statement 2012: environmental issues’ which highlights concerns regarding the lack of significant environmental tax announcements in the 2012 Budget speech.

Airports Commission

The London Assembly’s Transport Committee is investigating airport capacity in London with a view to producing a submission to the Airports Commission
The Committee will seek written submissions and hold two public meetings to gather views and information  to be submitted to the Airports Commission.

The Committee will be investigating the following questions:

  • What are the current levels of airport capacity and the current and future estimates of demand for aviation travel? What is the basis for the estimates?
  • What are the options in the short, medium and long-term for addressing the issue of airport capacity?
  • What issues need to be taken into account when assessing each option for addressing airport capacity?
  • What are the arguments for and against changing existing airport capacity in London? What is the evidence in support of these arguments?

​The Transport Committee welcomes written views and information to inform its investigation by Friday 28 December 2012. Please see the link above for further details on responding to the investigation.

Westminster Committees

19 Nov. 2012 – Transport Committee – Aviation Strategy

The Committee heard from the following witnesses:

  • Michael O’Leary, Chief Executive Officer, Ryanair
  • Dale Keller, Chief Executive Officer, Board of Airline Representatives in the UK
  • Otto Grunow, Managing Director, Finance Europe & Pacific, American Airlines
  • Sian Foster, General Manager, Government & External Relations, Virgin Atlantic
  • Paul Simmons, UK Director, easyJet
  • Simon Buck, Chief Executive, British Air Transport Association

Summary
Ryanair Founder Mr O’Leary called for three new runways to be built in the South East of England. However, he rejected calls for a new airport to the built in the South East.  Mr Keller of the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK that development of regional airports would come at the expense of the UK’s current hub airport at Heathrow.

House of Commons Questions

Publication of research on variant air passenger duty at regional airports – (see ‘Treasury: Air Passenger Duty’) – Goldsmith, Z – 22 Nov. 2012

Plans to amend or repeal rights of airport slots at London airports – Goldsmith, Z – 22 Nov. 2012 (see ‘London Airports’)

Number of Heathrow Airport passengers transferring to short or long haul flights – Goldsmith, Z – 22 Nov. 2012 (see ‘Heathrow Airport’)

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  10-16 November Parliamentary and Government News

Government News

Ipsos MORI poll identifies 46 per cent of MPs back third runway at Heathrow  
46% of MPs surveyed strongly or tend to support the expansion of Heathrow, 42% strongly or tend to support the building of additional runways in Gatwick and 39% in Stansted. The building of a new London Gateway airport in the Thames Estuary was the least popular option among MPs, with only 16% supporting it.

Members of the London Assembly’s Transport Committee ask Londoners to tweet their thoughts on airport capacity to inform the Mayor of London’s report to the Airports Commission

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) board members reappointed
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has reappointed two members of the CAA board for second terms in office. David Gray has expertise in economic regulation including Ofgem. Michael Medlicott has experience in the transport and tourism sectors, including senior roles in the airline and airport sectors.

European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)

European Commission suspends the extension of plane emissions trading rules
The European Commission has postponed a planned extension of rules that require airlines to pay for their carbon emissions to include flights to and from non-EU destinations.  As a result of the delay, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has agreed to set up a high-level group to focus on environmental policy challenges.

Statement by Edward Davey, Energy and Climate Change Secretary on the temporary suspension of the aviation EU ETS
“The UK welcomes the progress made on Friday in the International Civil Aviation 

Organisation (ICAO) and fully supports the establishment of a High Level Group.”

Westminster Committees

12 Nov. 2012 – Transport Select Committee announces its programme of oral evidence sessions for its inquiry into the Government’s aviation strategy
On 13 Sept. 2012, the Committee published its terms of reference and a call for written evidence for a new inquiry into UK aviation strategy.  The Committee will start taking oral evidence next week and plans the following sessions before Christmas:

  • Monday 19 Nov. 2012
    Representatives from: (i) UK-registered airlines, (ii) foreign airlines, and (iii) tour operators and travel trade.
  • Monday 3 Dec. 2012
    Representatives from: (i) airport operators based in the south east, and (ii) environmental groups, including some of those local to existing airports.
  • Monday 10 Dec. 2012
    Representatives from: (i) NATS and the Civil Aviation Authority, and (ii) airport operators based outside the south east.

Further details will be published in due course.

House of Commons Questions

Analysis conducted on the cost of including aviation emissions in carbon budgets – Dr Whitehead – 9 Nov. 2012 (see ‘Transport: Exhaust Emissions’)

Legal powers used to establish the Airports Commission – Freer, M – 12 Nov. 2012 (see ‘Airports’)

Future UK airports capacity – Gillan, C – 13 Nov. 2012 (see ‘Transport: Airports’)

House of Lords Questions

Steps the government will take to reduce delays in decisions on airport expansion – Lord Dykes – 9 Nov. 2012 (see ‘Airports: South-East England’)

Westminster Debates and Legislation

9 Nov. 2012 – Lords Second Reading – Airports (Amendment) Bill

13 Nov. 2012 – Public Bill Committee – Growth and Infrastructure Bill – First & Second Sittings

13 Nov. 2012 – Lords Third Reading – Civil Aviation Bill

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  3-9 November Parliamentary and Government News

Government News

David Cameron rebukes Boris Johnson for attacking airport expansion inquiry

Heathrow bosses call on Airports Commission to examine plans for a third and fourth runway

North-East transport links must improve, says former Transport Minister Lord Adonis

Westminster Committees

Inclusion of international aviation and shipping emissions in carbon budgets – Energy and Climate Change Committee
The Energy and Climate Change Committee has written to the Government to warn that a decision to exclude aviation and shipping from the UK’s carbon accounts would water down the UK’s 2050 climate target set out in the Climate Change Act 2008. This move would not be consistent with an ambition to avoid a global temperature rise of 2°C, internationally recognised as a dangerous threshold.

House of Commons Questions

Removal of westerly preference operations at Heathrow Airport – Goldsmith, Z – 6 Nov. 2012 – (see ‘Heathrow Airport’)

Consultation with the Mayor of London on the establishment of the Airports Commission – Freer, M – 7 Nov. 2012 – (see ‘aviation’)

Earlier reporting date for the Airports Commission interim report – Gillan, C – 7 Nov. 2012 – (see ‘Airports’)

Westminster Debates and Legislation

Westminster Debates – Thursday 22 Nov. 2012 (1:30 – 4:30pm) – There will two debates in Westminster Hall in relation to reports by the Transport Select Committee.  The first will be on ATOL Reform and the second will be on flight time limitations.

1 Nov. 2012 – MPs debate Air Passenger Duty
The debate called on the House to believe that the UK’s air passenger duty APD) acts as a barrier to economic growth and deters inward investment and (inbound tourism.  It also called on the Treasury to commission a study into the full economic impact of APD in the UK and called on the Government to use the evidence from the study to inform future-policy making.

Media

Guardian interview with Sir Howard Davis

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  27 October – 2 November Parliamentary and Government News

Government News

Lord Heseltine calls for the government to speed up the process of solving the airport capacity crunch in the south-east
A copy of the report can be found here.  Specific recommendations on airport capacity in the South East can be found on pages 116-17.

Ambitious plans to transform Cardiff Airport into an ‘Western Gateway’ international hub have been submitted to the UK government

Business Secretary will look again at a failed bid from Durham Tees Valley airport to win a 6 million pounds government grant

Francis Maude states the Government will not give permission for another runway at Gatwick

Press Releases

Confederation of British Industry comments on independent aviation commission announcement

Events and Speeches

Stephen Hammond, Transport Minister – Speech to Place West London conference
Text of the full speech by Stephen Hammond. 

Simon Burns, Transport Minister – Guild of Travel Management Companies conference
Text of the full speech by Simon Burns. 

Airport Commission

Membership of the Airports Commission

A panel of six experts will take forward vital work to examine how the UK’s status as a leading global aviation hub can be maintained.  The Commissioners who will support Sir Howard Davies are:

  • Sir John Armitt CBE, the former Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority and former Chief Executive of Network Rail;
  • Professor Ricky Burdett, Professor of Urban Studies at the London School of Economics (LSE) and director of the LSE Cities research centre;
  • Vivienne Cox, the former CEO and Executive Vice President of BP Alternative Energy and a former member of the BP Executive Management Team;
  • Professor Dame Julia King, Vice Chancellor of Aston University and a member of the Committee on Climate Change, with a background in the aerospace industry; and
  • Geoff Muirhead CBE, the former CEO of the Manchester Airport Group.

SASIG will maintain updates on the Airports Commission via the ‘Latest News’ page on the SASIG website.   This will require membership login.

Work Programme

  • The Commission should report no later than summer 2015 on:
    • its assessment of the options for meeting the UK’s international connectivity needs, including their economic, social and environmental impact;
    • its recommendation(s) for the optimum approach to meeting any needs; and
    • its recommendation(s) for ensuring that the need is met as expeditiously as practicable within the required timescale
  • The Commission should base the recommendations in its final report on a detailed consideration of the case for each of the credible options. This should include the development or examination of detailed business cases and environmental assessments for each option, as well as consideration of their operational, commercial and technical viability.
  • As part of its final report in summer 2015, it should also provide materials, based on this detailed analysis, which will support the Government in preparing a National Policy Statement to accelerate the resolution of any future planning applications for major airports infrastructure.

Full Terms of Reference for the Airports Commission can be found here.

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  Sept. 2011-12 CAA Airport Traffic Stats (Reported in Nov. 2012)