Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
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Contact Norman at:
Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
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2003 (and previous) press releases
100 Years After The First Flight, Local MP Raises Environmental Concerns About Air Travel
Lewes MP and Liberal Democrat Shadow Environment Secretary, Norman Baker has today welcomed the decision by the Secretary of State for Transport, Alistair Darling to hold to the date of 2019 before which expanded capacity at Gatwick Airport is prevented. Speaking on the floor of the House of Commons during a debate on the Government's newly published Airports White Paper, Norman also raised concerns about the potential serious implications that the proposals to facilitate a growth in air travel would have for the environment.
After the debate Norman said:
"I welcome the Government's decision not to press ahead with expanding capacity at Gatwick Airport which is the correct environmental decision in terms of noise and air pollution.
"I am however concerned by the wider environmental implications of his statement. Alistair Darling assured us in his statement that the full environmental costs of airport expansion will be met yet he did not specify how or when. In response to my question during this debate he failed to give a clear indication of what the implications will be for the levels of Carbon Dioxide emissions.
"It's 100 years ago today that the world saw the first powered flight by man - however whilst this has brought us great new freedoms it has caused us significant environmental problems. Now, at a time when tackling climate change has never been more pressing, the Government is failing in its duty to address this now rather than leaving a unsustainable legacy for future generations to clean up. Any growth in aviation must be sustainable. This can only be guaranteed if the Government ensures the full environmental cost of aviation is reflected in the ticket price. It has to be the right that the principle of polluter pays is applied to the aviation industry."