Pre-Election Flurry On Aviation

24th March, 2005

In the run-up to the election, there has been media coverage about whether the Conservatives would tax aircraft fuel and an aviation report launched by the Green Party.

On 24 March Caroline Lucas, MEP, and Darren Johnson, London Assembly, launched a Green Party report on aviation. The report heavily criticises the government for allowing a huge increase in flights Heathrow while ignoring World Health Organisation standards for noise and refusing to do proper research into noise nuisance.

A report appeared in the Guardian on 21st March which said that the Conservatives were in favour of a tax on fuel. However, their environment spokesman, Tim Yeo, has apparantly denied this.

This follows an interesting statement by the Conservatives to the effect that they will not allow any new runways until aviation is included in the EU ’emissions trading scheme’. [Note: Emissions trading is process whereby industries which emit large quantities of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2), have to buy or be allocated permits. By controlling the total supply of permits, the volume of greenhouse gases can be controlled.]