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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| Airports expansion decision 'next year' | Airports expansion decision 'next year' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A final decision on whether to expand Heathrow or Gatwick will not be taken for another year, it has emerged. | A final decision on whether to expand Heathrow or Gatwick will not be taken for another year, it has emerged. |
| Prime Minister Theresa May has told Cabinet colleagues in a letter that a ruling would be made in the winter of 2017-18. | Prime Minister Theresa May has told Cabinet colleagues in a letter that a ruling would be made in the winter of 2017-18. |
| A Cabinet sub-committee will reveal its preferred option next week and a "full and fair" public consultation will follow. | A Cabinet sub-committee will reveal its preferred option next week and a "full and fair" public consultation will follow. |
| Expanding Heathrow has been strongly opposed by some cabinet ministers. | Expanding Heathrow has been strongly opposed by some cabinet ministers. |
| After next week's meeting, ministers will be allowed to make their own views known in a break with convention. | After next week's meeting, ministers will be allowed to make their own views known in a break with convention. |
| However, they will have to ask the prime minister's permission, and will not be allowed to criticise the government in the Commons nor to "actively campaign" against the government. | However, they will have to ask the prime minister's permission, and will not be allowed to criticise the government in the Commons nor to "actively campaign" against the government. |
| Number 10 would not comment as to whether or not MPs would be able to vote freely on the matter. | |
| Allowing ministers to speak out could avert the possibility of resignations from Cabinet. | |
| 'Common-sense' | |
| Earlier, 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. | |
| 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 Justine 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". | |
| 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. | |
| Zac Goldsmith, the Tory MP for Richmond Park, has vowed to resign from the Commons if the government approves a Heathrow expansion. | |
| The Evening Standard reported on Tuesday that the local Conservative party would back Mr Goldsmith if he stood for re-election as an independent. | |
| Airlines and business groups favour expansion of Heathrow, which offers far more direct connections than Gatwick and handles much more freight. | |
| A final decision on which London airport to expand has been years in the making. | |
| In 2009, former prime minister David Cameron pledged that there would be no new runway at Heathrow. | |
| In July 2015, the Airports Commission chaired by Sir Howard Davies backed a new third runway at Heathrow, but did not rule out the option of expanding Gatwick. | |
| Mr Cameron had promised a decision by the end of last year on whether to build a new runway at Heathrow. |