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Archived press release

MPs say air expansion is "irresponsible"

29 July 2003

Friends of the Earth today welcomed a report by a House of Commons expert committee of MPs [1] into the Government's policy on air travel and airports as "spot on and refreshingly honest" [2]. The environmental pressure group endorsed the MPs' view that the Government must start managing demand for air travel.

The committee says the Government "would be irresponsible to sanction major expansion" and that the Department for Transport (DfT) in particular has "significantly distorted and overstated" the economic case for airport and air travel expansion. It accuses ministers of "failing to promote a public debate informed by a thorough understanding of the environmental implications of (air travel and airport) growth" [3].

Instead of catering for more air travel and airport expansion, the MPs say ministers must start "managing the demand" for air travel or risk destroying the Government's recent commitment to curb climate change.

Friends of the Earth aviation campaigner, Paul de Zylva, said:

"This report is spot on and refreshingly honest. This is in stark contrast to the Government's plane crazy obsession with aviation expansion at all costs. More air travel would make a mockery of Government efforts to tackle global climate change.

"The MPs have seen through the Government's flimsy claim that more air travel growth is good for the economy. When the real costs like air and noise pollution, loss of wildlife and climate change are included aviation starts to look like an economic liability. It is not the economic miracle ministers and the industry would have us believe."

Notes

[1] The Environment Audit Committee report, Budget 2003 and Aviation, is published at 11am on Tuesday 29^th July 2003. For details contact: 020 7219 6150.

[2] MPs on the Environment Audit Committee make a number of recommendations including:

• Proposed growth in air travel will produce an "unsustainable and unacceptable" rise in the climate changing pollution. Aviation is the fastest growing source of man made climate change and the rise in greenhouse gases from aviation growth would be likely to "totally destroy" the Government's recently set target to a large 60 per cent cut in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

• The Government must start "managing the demand for air travel" just as it has accepted the need to manage road traffic and road space. The DfT in particular has shown that it is "little interested in sustainability" by refusing to see any parallels between aviation and the way Government is starting to deal with the problems caused by road traffic growth.

• The Department for Transport (DfT) has failed to carry out recent analysis of the economic impact of aviation yet still makes a "significantly distorted and overstated" case for more airport and air travel expansion.

• The Government should take "a leadership role" within Europe and internationally to end the anomaly of aviation paying no tax on the fuel it uses.

• When assessing the claimed economic benefits of more air travel and airport growth, the DfT has expressly failed to take the following into account:

• the substantial economic costs to the UK economy of treating health effects of air and noise pollution, road traffic and congestion, loss of wildlife and countryside;

• the large tax breaks and subsidies given each year from the public purse to the aviation industry, including paying no tax on the fuel used by airlines and airports. This currently totals ?9.2 billion a year; and,

• the annual loss to the UK economy caused when UK residents spend their money outside the UK, and this amount is not replaced by spending by overseas visitors. This `tourism deficit' is currently about ?15 billion a year.

• The Government has "failed to promote a public debate which is informed by a thorough understanding of the environmental implications of (air travel and airport) growth".

• The DfT is "placing a lower priority on environmental objectives" and instead of properly protecting the environment is merely relying on mitigating the damage caused by air travel and airport growth.

• Because aviation does not cover the costs of the damage it causes, and because it is stated Government policy that it should, the Government should raise the level of Air Passenger Duty (APD) and consider introducing VAT on sales of tickets for domestic, internal flights.

• The Government should support moves within Europe to auction airport landing and take off `slots'. This would both help ensure that the cost of flying is reflected more in ticket prices and make best use of existing runway space.

[3] On 23^rd July 2002, the Government launched a public consultation on the future development of air transport in the UK. It did this at the same time as proposing over thirty airport expansions across the UK.

For further information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.

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