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Civil Aviation Bill

The hon. and learned Gentleman is perhaps a little unfair to the newly appointed press officer. We have criticised airports for lack of an environmental perspective, but the appointment is an attempt at recycling. Earlier, he contrasted the Government’s approach with earlier Conservative approaches. Would he be surprised to learn that a Conservative Secretary of State for the Environment—I believe that it was Tom King, who was then Member of Parliament for Bridgwater—declined to include conditions on planning permission for a runway extension to east midlands airport? That has been the root of all our problems in the subsequent 15 or 20 years.