Ministers launch yet another Heathrow consultation

MINISTERS announced yet another consultation on plans to expand Heathrow yesterday – but insisted it won’t delay the project.

Proposals for a third runway at the airport have suffered years of setbacks since first being proposed in 2003.

Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said yesterday that the Whitehall shutdown caused by the snap election meant the most recent air pollution data had not been available for people to comment on.

In a written statement to MPs, he said this necessitated a short period of extra consultation to give Members the opportunity to consider the new findings.

But he insisted the timetable for Parliamentary scrutiny of the plans would not be affected, meaning MPs

are still expected to vote on the plans in the first half of 2018. Later, the Prime Minister’s spokesman said: ‘We have been clear on our commitment to moving ahead with Heathrow.’

But in June, Government sources said it was unclear whether they could push the plan through after the Conservatives lost their Commons majority. One senior source said: ‘Heathrow ... is one of those issues where we may struggle for numbers.’

Tory whips have warned that as many as 40 Conservative MPs could vote against the plans.

Labour’s position on the issue is unclear. Privately, ministers believe the party will oppose the Heathrow expansion plan in a bid to force an embarrassing defeat on the Government.

‘We may struggle for numbers’