---

Heathrow

I hope that that is true. I have heard similar stories over the past 25 years, when I have been frequently travelling by air, yet in all those years of representing my area I have not been able to fly from Cardiff regional airport to any place where I want to go. Some 2.5 million journeys use other airports, with increased journey times, mainly by road, to and from non-Welsh airports, and 800,000 Welsh passengers use Heathrow. One can imagine the movement up and down the M4; in fact, I know it, because I take part in it most weeks. That route is becoming increasingly congested. About 10 per cent. of the south Wales traffic going to Heathrow is to destinations already served by Cardiff airport, but people go to Heathrow because the service is more frequent. A further 40 per cent. of the south Wales traffic lost to Heathrow goes to European destinations that Cardiff could and should serve. Half the market that Heathrow gets from south Wales is not long haul. All those passengers access flights via road because there is no direct Cardiff-Heathrow flight. The additional surface journeys also add to the CO2 signature of those journeys compared with using the local airport in Cardiff. Unfortunately, airlines have little incentive to serve the south Wales market directly via Cardiff while they can concentrate demand via Heathrow. High-speed rail alternatives do not exist for the south Wales market to any destinations that the airport serves or would wish to serve. That is another deficiency. In March 2006, Cardiff airport published a master plan setting out the case for the airport and the economic benefits that it generates for the surrounding community. The airport’s location permits the scale of development required to optimise its potential to be undertaken with very low environmental impact and with the opportunity to protect against future noise impact on people. That creates a competitive advantage for Wales relative to many other regions. It is recognised that aviation could make a significant contribution to the Welsh economy and social welfare. As we have heard so often today, air services play an important role in attracting inward investment and in stimulating and supporting the growth of local businesses in an increasingly global marketplace. They are also a means by which people can enjoy the benefits of leisure travel and by which Wales can, and should, attract more direct tourism. CBI Wales has said that it is"““concerned by the lack of strategic importance attached to Cardiff International Airport and the business community strongly supports development of the airport and access to it.””" It also points out the necessity of air freight facilities for many hi-tech manufacturing companies and says that such companies would not locate in south Wales unless airport access and capacity were improved. Wales TUC said in response to the Department for Transport’s consultation on air transport in Wales that it saw the"““development of Cardiff International Airport as a key strand within any economic development strategy for Wales””." The Government’s own forecasts acknowledge that an unconstrained Heathrow would adversely affect regional airports, including Cardiff. Heathrow takes significant numbers of short-haul European passengers from south Wales. As I understand it, the third runway would be aimed at maintaining the frequency of flights in the short-haul markets that might otherwise be capped or constrained at Heathrow. Constraint in the short-haul markets at Heathrow would encourage greater use to be made of regional airports such as Cardiff, thereby also reducing emissions arising from journeys by road. I thank my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for sitting in the Chamber all afternoon—it is much appreciated. He will have heard the arguments from all parts of the House. However, let me say finally that Cardiff airport is ready and able to take up the opportunity that a constrained Heathrow airport would present, and it enjoys widespread support for growth. I am sorry to say that the Government’s support for the third runway flies in the face of the commitment that they made in their own White Paper:"““A key priority is to increase the choice of routes and services at airports outside the South East, to promote regional development, relieve pressure on the more overcrowded airports, and cut down on the need for long-distance travel to and from airports, thereby reducing emissions.””" I rest my case.