The Government is fully behind a third runway at Heathrow, Chancellor John Healey has insisted, after Andy Burnham refused to back the airport's expansion. Speaking to the Treasury Select Committee on Wednesday, Mr Healey said he was "frustrated" at how long the controversial project was taking to get started, suggesting it was delaying economic growth in London.
Chancellor's remarks on Heathrow expansion
Asked what assessment had been made of the benefits of the scheme at the west London airport, Mr Healey told the committee: "So the Government is behind a third runway at Heathrow, I'm part of the Government."
He added: "Our experience in recent decades, is it not, is that successful airports are very often an engine for economic growth in the wider area? That's as true in Manchester as it is true in parts of London and elsewhere."
Assessment process and infrastructure delays
Mr Healey noted that the assessment following the consultation period is not led by the Treasury but by the Department for Transport, which is working through the responses and further update information received. He said it was still taking Britain "too long" to approve and build large infrastructure projects, adding: "I think you have seen over the last couple of years a determination from this as a Government to speed those up."
Heathrow Airport earlier this year warned that a third runway could be delayed by four years due to planning and regulatory issues.
Burnham's position and investor concerns
Andy Burnham, who previously opposed the project as Mayor of Greater Manchester, refused to say whether he backed the scheme. He told the BBC in September: "I think principally, it's a matter for London and Londoners." He added: "I think we ought to hear the voice of people there first. It's not right for me to just jump straight in on the back of the consultation."
Heathrow's chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, has set a December deadline for the Government to give the runway the green light. He warned that unless the company's investors — which include the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore and China — received final reassurance it would go ahead, they would pull out of the £33 billion scheme.
