Government responds to the Transport Select Committee's recommendations.
Government Response
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Introduction
The Government welcomes this opportunity to respond to the Transport Select Committee's recommendations on smaller airports.
House of Commons - Smaller airports - Transport
A brief summary and commentary :
Air Passenger Duty
Recommendations 2 - 5.
Response: Decisions on taxation, including APD, remain a matter for the Chancellor and the Treasury. The Treasury has confirmed that there will be a review of potential options to support regional airports and mitigate the impacts of APD devolution. As part of this review, a discussion paper will be published during the summer examining
Public Service Obligations
Recommendations 6 - 9.
Recommendation 9.
Response:
“…. Department for Transport guidance published in December 2013 clarified how the Government would ordinarily expect to interpret these criteria when assessing applications for PSOs to protect existing regional air services to London. …..”
“The tender process must make it clear that the PSO being considered is about serving the London region rather than a specific airport in London.”
"For the purpose of this policy a London airport has been defined as any airport that can access London transport zone 1 within 60 minutes by rail - (i.e. : Gatwick, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Southend and Stansted airports)."
Actually you cannot get to Southend in an hour by rail - it takes same / longer than Manston !
Manston by rail ( 1h 15m at quickest) is same time as Southend ( 1h 15m at quickest). (National Rail)
Lydd, at 1hr 50m (Google) does not qualify as a London Airport by the Government's criterion.
Case study: Manston
Recommendation 15. That the DfT judged it necessary to intervene in the Manston case shows the extent to which Kent County Council failed to fulfil its strategic oversight role. (Paragraph 53)
Response: County Councils only have limited planning functions, mainly in relation to minerals, waste and planning applications for their own development. The Government does not therefore consider that a county council has a duty to provide strategic planning oversight for a district council. The primary responsibility for planning the future of strategically important assets, such as Manston Airport, rests with the local planning authority.
Recommendation 16.
Response: ………
The National Planning Policy Framework refers to local planning authorities setting out strategic priorities in local plans for the provision of various things including jobs, commercial development and infrastructure. Furthermore district and county councils have a statutory duty to cooperate with each other in the preparations of plans by a local planning authority The National Planning Policy Framework also instructs local planning authorities to work with other authorities and providers to assess the quality and capacity of infrastructure for transport. . The Government expects local authorities within an area to work together in this, as in other contexts.
Recommendation 18. The DfT should review what powers it has to intervene in cases where strategic transport assets are at risk and whether those powers are fit for purpose. (Paragraph 56)
Response: As we advised the Committee, our view is that we have the powers that we need to intervene in cases where strategic aviation assets are at risk. With regard to strategic transport assets more generally, common law powers are generally available to Ministers in any department to take steps to promote and pursue government policy. These powers are always subject to any statutory and other constraints which may happen to apply in a specific context. We do not consider that there is evidence that a review of the scope and fitness of these powers is necessary.
Lots more detail in the full response.
Dr. Beau Webber
Save Manston Airport association.