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Government must look again at airport strategy - Thurso

9.18.07pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 21st Feb 2005

easyJet Airbus A319 Aeroplane flying (photography: Courtesy of easyJet Airline Company Limited - www.easyjet.com)

Commenting on the High Court's ruling that residents near Stansted Airport will be consulted on expansion plans, Liberal Democrat Shadow Transport Secretary, John Thurso MP said:

"The ruling that residents near Stansted Airport must be given a say over where any additional runways are sited is welcome, but does little to end the uncertainty they face.

"Any growth in aviation must be sustainable, yet the government have chosen to follow a policy of predicting demand and then attempting to provide facilities for this future demand. As anyone involved in building infrastructure knows, demand will always grow to meet provision. Therefore "predict and provide" is a self fulfilling prophesy which must be discarded.

"The Government must begin managing the demand for air travel by improving transport alternatives for travel within the UK. This could be met through the provision of High Speed Rail which would reduce demand for short haul slots freeing them up for long haul use."

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Previous news story: Nuclear industry must explain plutonium loss - Baker (Thu 17th Feb 2005).
Next news story: Blair fails to tackle Bush on climate change again - Baker (Tue 22nd Feb 2005).

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