Reading West MP Martin Salter, who is also the Labour Party Vice-Chair on the Environment, today (17 Dec 08) organised a cross-party Early Day Motion calling on the Government not to proceed with the plan for a third runway at Heathrow until the matter had been debated and voted upon in the House of Commons.

The Motion has already been signed by 80 MPs from all parties (40 Labour) and includes Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker, Conservative shadow Treasury Minister Justine Greening, and eight former Labour Ministers including Nick Raynsford who served as Minister for London.

Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon recently announced that a decision on the third runway had been delayed until January. It is understood that the Prime Minister and the Cabinet will be discussing the matter over the Christmas recess.

Martin Salter MP said:

“In the last Parliamentary session many MPs signed EDM 2344 which called for a re-think on the third runway. Since then we have had a Parliamentary debate and seen opposition harden, particularly on environmental grounds. A strong position against has been taken by Chris Smith - the new Chair of the Environment Agency and Government Ministers and backbenchers have been working hard to ensure that the environmental case is heard. Given widespread and growing concerns about the environmental impact of the third runway, especially in light of the fact that Heathrow Airport is already in breach of the European Air Quality Directive to be implemented in 2010, we are calling on the Government to honour the strict environmental preconditions that were set out in the 2003 Aviation White Paper and not to proceed with the third runway and certainly not without giving the House of Commons a chance to debate and vote on the issue”

Mr Salter added:

“There is widespread concern that much of the good work that the Government has done on environmental issues could undermined by this single decision.”

Andrew Slaughter MP (Ealing, Acton, and Shepherd’s Bush) said:

“There is ever-growing opposition to Heathrow expansion and a clear view among many MPs that the Government should go back and look at alternatives.  This is no longer confined to those with local London or environmental objections but includes people from across the country and the political spectrum.”