RAF Northolt: Commercial Flights — Question
3:15 pm
Lord Astor of Hever (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Defence; Conservative)
My Lords, I pay tribute to the noble Lord as a very distinguished president of BALPA. Heathrow currently operates at around 99 per cent capacity, and we cannot let it grow out of control, but the Government are committed to developing a new policy framework for the whole of UK aviation which supports economic growth and addresses aviation's environmental impact. We want to see a successful and competitive aviation industry that supports economic growth and addresses the environmental impacts. Aviation should be able to grow, but to do so it must play its part in delivering our environmental goals and protecting the quality of life of local communities.
Annotations
John Byng
Posted on 11 May 2011 1:42 pm (Report this annotation)
Lord Astor asssumes that the economy would benefit if aviation is permitted to grow.
But he overlooks the fact that aviation has already grown more than can be justified economically, as a consequence of the stimulation provided by tax concessions. Aviation pays no fuel taxes nor VAT and these concessions, even when reduced by the Air Passenger Duty (APD) payments, add up to £9 billion a year in the UK. Every other sector of the economy and hard working families pay for these concessions and their removal would benefit both the economy and the environment. Alternatively APD should be increased so as to provide a more level playing field within which aviation can find its own level.