Third runway is a health risk, admits Hoon

A THIRD runway at Heathrow will damage people's health, Geoff Hoon admitted today.

The Transport Secretary accepted in a letter a bigger Heathrow would have an impact on health as MPs began debating the expansion. Government whips were trying to defuse a backbench revolt ahead of voting on the proposals today, though rebels were not hopeful of a victory.

In his letter to shadow London minister Justine Greening, Mr Hoon insisted that research, partly using government methods for assessing air quality changes, had found "marginal physical health impacts of an expanded airport in 2020".

They include very slightly lower life expectancy and a small number of extra hospital admissions.

The Tories accused the Government of failing to protect its citizens, branding it a "disgrace" for pressing ahead with the expansion plan. Ms Greening said: "The Secretary of State has now confirmed the fears of many Londoners and the Environment Agency. People's health will suffer as a result of a third runway."

In the letter, Mr Hoon stressed that the report by AEA Energy & Environment, which the Government used to argue for expansion, suggested fears over increased mortality and illness from another runway had been "greatly exaggerated." But Labour MP John Grogan said: "This is an amazing admission. We now need to know the full facts about the risks to public health." John Stewart, of anti-expansion group Hacan ClearSkies, said: "At long last a government minister has admitted what local people have been saying for years."

A third runway could see flights increase from 480,000 a year to more than 700,000. But a BAA spokesman said a third runway "will not go ahead unless strict environmental limits are met" on noise and air quality. Ministers also revealed that planning permission would not be given before the next general election, expected in May 2010. Rebels thought some 30 MPs would defy the Government, not enough to defeat it. Andrew Slaughter, MP for Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush, quit as parliamentary private secretary to Lord Malloch-Brown to vote against the Government.

Lib-Dem Heathrow spokeswoman Susan Kramer accused Mr Hoon of encouraging illegal protests by refusing to give MPs a vote in government time on the expansion plan.