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Mr. Blunt: Will the Secretary of State give way?
Mr. Robertson: At 28 minutes past 3, even my generosity would be stretched to the limit. I apologise to the hon. Gentleman for not giving way.
Our guiding principle is, and will continue to be, the military effectiveness of the alliance. It will be important to assess the process of absorbing the three new countries and the practical military implications of the current enlargement before making decisions on further invitees.
Much has been made of the cost of enlargement, but the new figures presented by NATO have been accepted by all major countries, including the Americans, as well as by the invitees. The figures form a solid, sensible basis for moving forward into enlargement.
I should like to close the debate with a statement which I think expresses the feelings of the House and this country. This decision is a landmark in our relationship with the three fellow European countries which have suffered so much from the turbulence of this century. Their commitment to NATO represents--
It being half-past Two o'clock, the motion for the Adjournment of the House lapsed, without Question put.
NORTHERN IRELAND BILL (PROGRAMME)
Ordered,
Supplementary
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
Ordered,
Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.--[Ms Bridget Prentice.]
Mr. John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington):
I am grateful for the opportunity to introduce a debate on the subject of limiting the environmental impact of airport developments.
In the next week, the Government will publish a White Paper setting out their proposals for an integrated transport policy. The House and large sections of our community await with considerable interest the Government's statement. Most of the publicity heralding the White Paper has focused on how my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister and his team will tackle the damage to our environment caused by the unfettered use of the car, and the largely unplanned expansion of the road transport system over the past century.
It is now well over 20 years since society began to take seriously the need to limit the environmental impact of the car, yet it is only in the last few years that there has been a growing realisation that the massive expansion in air traffic, and the associated development of airports, cannot be left to a combination of free market forces and the isolated planning inquiry decisions which have often permitted incremental environmental devastation.
My hope is that the White Paper will start in earnest the debate on how we can plan the future of air transport in this country in line with the Government's manifesto commitment:
Until now, airport growth has been almost totally reactive to air traffic demand, and extremely little account has been taken of the long-term environmental impact of any development. The corollary of that approach is that the aviation industry has generally dominated policy making over airport expansion, while the wishes of communities and environmentalists have largely gone unheeded. If the preservation and improvement of our environment is to be among the core guiding principles of our integrated transport strategy, we can no longer simply react to the demands of the BAA, or any other section of the industry.
Instead, we must be proactive and set environmental standards and limits in advance of any proposed airport development or expansion. In that way, we should establish set criteria against which any development proposals would be judged and clarify an environmental cap placed on any particular airfield.
If anyone doubts the need for a new and proactive approach, I would simply draw to their attention the historical development of Heathrow, located in my constituency. Heathrow is a classic case study of the reactive incremental expansion of an environmental nightmare.
The history of Heathrow has been drawn together in a fascinating book by Phillip Sherwood, a local historian. He describes the small, picturesque villages and hamlets that existed in the south of my constituency before the second world war, including Heathrow, Longford, Harmondsworth, Sipson and Harlington. The fields near what was then Heathrow village became the location for a small civil airfield, which was brought into military use during the war. It is now clear that, at the end of the war, the Government decided that the Heathrow airfield should expand into a major airport for London.
For the following 30 years, the creeping development of the airport obliterated Heathrow village and began to erode the quality of the environment of the remaining villages and beyond. In the late 1970s, a proposal was submitted for a fourth terminal at Heathrow; itwas eventually agreed to after an inquiry. However, Iain Glidewell, the inspector at the inquiry, made a firm recommendation to the then Secretary of State:
That in the following provisions shall apply to proceedings in the Northern Ireland Bill.
Second Reading
Committee stage
1. Proceedings on Second Reading shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at Ten o'clock on Monday 20th July; and when the Bill has been read a second time it shall, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order No. 63 (Committal of bills), stand committed to a Committee of the whole House without any question being put.
2. Proceedings in Committee shall be taken in the following order, namely, Clause 1, Schedule 1, Clauses 2 to 4, Schedules 2 and 3, Clauses 5 and 6, Schedule 4, Clauses 7 to 13, Clause 23, Clause 14, Schedule 5, clause 15 to 22, Clauses 24 to 32, Schedule 6, Clause 33, Schedule 7, Clauses 34 to 54, Schedule 8, Clauses 55 to 59, Schedule 9, Clauses 60 and 61, Schedule 10, Clauses 62 to 69, Schedule 11, Clauses 70 to 76, Schedule 12, Clauses 77 to 80, Schedule 13, Clause 81, Schedules 14 and 15, Clause 82 and new Clauses and new Schedules.
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3. Proceedings in Committee of the whole House shall be completed at the four sittings specified in the following table, and peach part of the proceedings shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at the end of the allotted period (calculated from the commencement of proceedings on the Bill on that day) or at the time specified in the following table--
Remaining stages
Sitting Proceedings Allotted period of time
Wednesday 22nd July Clauses 1 to 13 Schedules 1 to 4 three hours
Thursday 23rd July Clause 23 three hours or Seven o'clock (whichever is the earlier)
Clauses 14 to 22, Schedule 5 six hours
Friday24th July Clauses 24 to 53 Schedules 6 and 7 six hours
Monday 27th July Clauses 54 to 82, remaining Schedules, new Clauses and new Schedules six hours
4. Proceedings on Consideration and Third Reading shall be completed at the two sittings on Thursday 30th and Friday 31st July and shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at half-past Two o'clock on Friday 31st July.
Conclusion of proceedings
5.(1) For the purpose of concluding any proceedings which are to be brought to a conclusion at a time appointed by this Order, the Chairman or Speaker shall forthwith put the following Questions (but no others):--
Miscellaneous
(a) any Question already proposed from the Chair;
(b) any Question necessary to bring to a decision a Question so proposed;
(c) the Question on any Amendment moved or Motion made by a Minister of the Crown; and
(d) any other Question necessary for the disposal of the business to be concluded.
(2) On a Motion made for a new Clause or a new Schedule, the Chairman or Speaker shall put only the Question that the Clause or Schedule be added to the Bill.
(3) Proceedings under sub-paragraph (1) shall not be interrupted under any Standing Order relating to sittings of the House and may be decided, though opposed, at any hour.
(4) If two or more Questions would fall to be put under sub-paragraph (1) (c) on Amendments moved or Motions made by a Minister of the Crown, or under sub-paragraph (1) (d) in relation to successive provisions of the Bill, the Chairman or Speaker shall instead put a single question in relation to those Amendments, Motions or provisions.
6. Standing Order No. 82 (Business Committee) shall not apply to proceedings on the Bill.
7. No Motion shall be made, except by a Minister of the Crown, to alter the order in which proceedings on the Bill are taken.
8. Standing Order No. 15(1) (Exempted business) shall apply to proceedings on the bill at the sittings on any of the days specified in paragraph 3 above for any part of the allotted periods which falls after Ten o'clock or (where Standing Order No. 11 (Friday sittings) applies) after half-past Two o'clock.
9. (1) If a day specified in this Order is one to which a Motion for the adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 24 (Adjournment on specific and important matter that should have urgent consideration) would, apart from this Order, stand over to Seven o'clock--
(a) that Motion shall stand over until the conclusion of any proceedings on the Bill which, under this Order, are to be brought to a conclusion at or before that time;
(b) the bringing to a conclusion of any proceedings on the Bill which under this Order are to be brought to a conclusion after that time shall be postponed for a period equal to the duration of the proceedings on the Motion; and
(c) paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 15 (Exempted business) shall apply to the proceedings on the Bill for the period after Ten o'clock for which sub-paragraph (b) permits them to continue.
(2) If a day specified in this Order is one to which a Motion for the adjournment of the House under Standing Order No. 24 stands over from an earlier day
(a) the bringing to a conclusion of any proceedings on the Bill which under this Order are to be brought to a conclusion on that day shall be postponed for a period equal to the duration of the proceedings on the Motion; and
(b) paragraph (1) of Standing Order No. 15 (Exempted business) shall apply to the proceedings on the Bill for the period after Ten o'clock for which sub-paragraph (a) permits them to continue.
10. (1) If a Motion is made by a Minister of the Crown to amend this Order and if an effect of the Motion would be to provide a greater amount of time for proceedings on the Bill, the Question on the Motion shall be put forthwith and may be decided, though opposed, at any hour.
(2) If a Motion is made by a Minister of the Crown to supplement the provisions of this Order in respect of further proceedings on the Bill, the Motion may be proceeded with, though opposed, at any hour and the proceedings, if not previously concluded, shall be brought to a conclusion three-quarters of an hour after they have been commenced.--[Ms Bridget Prentice.]
That, at the sitting on Monday 20th July, the provisions of paragraph 1 of Standing Order No. 16 (Proceedings under an Act or on European Community documents) shall not apply to the Motion in the name of Mr. Secretary Dewar relating to the Food Protection (Emergency Prohibitions) (Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning) (No. 2) Order 1998 and the Question thereon shall be put forthwith.--[Ms Bridget Prentice.]
17 Jul 1998 : Column 755
2.30 pm
"The guiding principles of our aviation strategy will be fair competition, safety and environmental standards."
Central to the debate will be the question of how we can limit the environmental impact of airport developments. There is a growing body of opinion which says that we need a new approach to the development of airports. Before the last general election, the Deputy Prime Minister argued that it was time to think afresh about airport policy.
"all possible steps should be taken to satisfy those living around Heathrow that this is the last major expansion at the airport."
Initially, that was accepted by the Government. The then Under-Secretary of State for Trade, now Lord Tebbit, assured the House that the Government would not permit a fifth terminal at Heathrow. I regret the fact that, within six years, that commitment had been discarded and the inspectors' conditions ignored. As hon. Members will know, applications to construct a fifth terminal were submitted; they have been the subject of a public inquiry that has now entered its fourth year of deliberations.
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