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Civil Aviation Bill

I am grateful to my noble friend. We have had in microcosm the national debate that we had when we went out for consultation. Before we published The Future of Air Transport, we sought views on the extent to which local authorities should have a role in determining non-designated airports’ noise amelioration measures. We got responses not dissimilar to those we had in Committee this afternoon. I recognise the interest of local authorities in the environment that an airport creates; that goes without saying. They represent local people who often bear the significant external costs of the operation of the airport. As my noble friend Lord Smith first articulated, supported by both my other noble friends, there is a real problem if one suggests that a local authority should have some kind of veto over an issue of such significance. I rather like the point made by my noble friend Lord Soley—that is probably the last time that I shall utter those words. I agree that airports are not local; significant airports are at the very least regional in their economic impact. That is why there is a genuine problem, as my noble friend Lord Smith indicated, of who to consult. Who is most affected? How do you define that within this framework? It is difficult, although I recognise what the noble Lord, Lord Hanningfield said. If they had any sense, local authorities with a common interest would get together on consultation and put up a joint front. We are all too well aware that the four local authorities involved with Stansted do so. We see local authorities having a role to play when an airport applies for planning permission that is not of sufficient strategic importance for the Secretary of State to call it in. They have the statutory right to be included in the consultative arrangements made by airports designated under Section 35 of the 1982 Act. They will have an opportunity formally to make their views known to airport management. I hear what the noble Lord, Lord Bradshaw, said, and he was supported by the noble Lord, Lord Hanningfield, that airport managers are not elected. They are executives with a job to do, and there are wider community interests to which they need to relate. Consultative procedures are in place, which is necessary to condition the way in which airport executives reach decisions on proposals. I emphasise that we had a thorough debate about this issue. The problem was, when it came down to the final point, that developments at any airport of any size are likely to be of such significance that to give a veto to a local authority—and, in a sense, it would be almost arbitrary which local authority it was—did not on balance meet the needs of the nation as a whole or the region that each airport affects, or often of local authorities. I hear what the noble Lord said. I predicted when preparing for the Bill that I would come under fairly heavy challenge on the local authority position. After all, who is better equipped on that than the noble Lord, Lord Hanningfield—apart from all the other Members in Committee who also have great local government experience? No, my Lords, I cannot follow him down that road and enter into a debate about the future of local authorities.