asked the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has held any discussions with the British Airports Authority about extending its powers to purchase property severely affected by his decision to allow the expansion of Stansted airport; and if he will make a statement.

The BAA's powers of acquisition are limited to land which is or might be needed for airport purposes. But once the BAA is reconstituted as a Companies Act company in preparation for privatisation it will be able to acquire properties by agreement with the owners without such restrictions. Moreover, as the White Paper on airports policy (Cmnd. 9542) states, the Government are considering whether owners of properties blighted by aircraft noise should be able to require an airport authority to purchase them.