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Airports expansion decision 'next week' Airports expansion decision 'next week'
(35 minutes later)
A decision on airport expansion in England will be made next week, with ministers allowed to express their own views, Downing Street said.A decision on airport expansion in England will be made next week, with ministers allowed to express their own views, Downing Street said.
Under an unusual special arrangement, ministers opposed to the decision will be allowed to voice their "personal views" for a limited period. In a highly unusual move, ministers opposed to the decision will be allowed to voice their "personal views".
The announcement heightens speculation that the Government will back a new runway at Heathrow. Suspending "collective responsibility" for cabinet heightens speculation that Heathrow expansion will be approved.
The Heathrow option has been strongly opposed by several Cabinet ministers. Developing Heathrow rather than Gatwick has been strongly opposed by several cabinet ministers.
Cabinet discussed the runway issue for more than an hour on Tuesday morning, but the final decision in the long-running process of choosing to expand either Heathrow or Gatwick airports will be made at a Cabinet sub-committee meeting next week, No 10 said. The final decision on whether to expand either Heathrow or Gatwick will be made at a cabinet airports sub-committee meeting next week, No 10 said.
Theresa May's spokeswoman would not say whether the Prime Minister would offer Conservative MPs a free vote on airport expansion when the issue is debated in House of Commons. Prime minister Theresa May told ministers at Tuesday's cabinet meeting that a decision on increasing airport capacity in the South East had been "delayed for too long" and that it was important to now take a decision "in the national interest", her spokeswoman said.
Free vote?
Allowing ministers to speak out could avert resignations by the likes of Education Secretary Justine Greening, who is among the cabinet members opposing any expansion at Heathrow.
The nine members of the airports sub-committee do not include Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, whose Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat is close to Heathrow, Putney MP Ms Greening or any other minister representing a London constituency.
Mrs May's spokeswoman said the decision to give ministers a limited period to voice their personal views was a "mature, common-sense approach reflecting the fact that many ministers have long-held views and that ministers are also MPs and some have specific constituency issues that they have to address".
The spokeswoman would not say whether the prime minister would offer Conservative MPs a free vote on airport expansion when the issue is debated in House of Commons.
As many as 60 Tory backbenchers could vote against expansion at Heathrow, where options include building a third runway, or lengthening one of the existing runways.
Airlines and business groups favour expansion of Heathrow, which offers far more direct connections than Gatwick and handles much more freight.