Heathrow Airport: Pollution Control
Transport

Justine Greening (Putney, Conservative)

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport

(1) what recent discussions his Department has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on measurement of (a) nitrogen oxide and (b) carbon dioxide in the area surrounding Heathrow airport;

(2) what records his Department keeps of carbon dioxide levels in the area surrounding Heathrow airport; and what estimate he has made of projected levels should the capacity of the airport increase to 720,000 movements per year;

(3) what records his Department keeps of nitrogen oxide levels in the area around Heathrow airport; and what estimate he has made of projected levels should the capacity of the airport increase to 720,000 movements per year.

Gillian Merron (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport; Lincoln, Labour)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 May 2007, Hansard, column 470W. Data on carbon dioxide is not disaggregated by geographical area. The carbon dioxide impacts of additional aircraft movements at Heathrow are being assessed. These will be reported as part of the public consultation later this year, along with figures on local pollutants, including oxides of nitrogen.