Government fully behind Heathrow third runway, insists Chancellor after Burnham refused to back expansion

John Healey added that he was “frustrated” at how long the controversial project was taking to get started, suggesting it was delaying economic growth in London. Asked what assessment had been made of the benefits of the scheme at the west London airport, Mr Healey told the Treasury Select Committee on Wednesday: “So the Government is behind a third runway at Heathrow, I’m part of the Government.Heathrow Airport has warned a third runway could be delayed by four years due to planning and regulatory issuesPA Archive“Our experience in recent decades, is it not, is that successful airports are very often an engine for economic growth in the wider area? “That’s as true in Manchester as it is true in parts of London and elsewhere.“In terms of the assessment following the consultation period, that’s not led by the Treasury. “That’s led by the Department for Transport, and the Government is working through the responses and the further update information we’ve got from that.”Mr Healey said it was still taking Britain “too long” to approve and build large infrastructure projects. “I think you have seen over the last couple of years a determination from this as a Government to speed those up,” he added.Heathrow Airport earlier this year warned that a third runway could be delayed by four years due to planning and regulatory issues. Chancellor John HealeyGettyAs the Mayor of Greater Manchester he opposed the project. He told the BBC in September: "I think principally, it's a matter for London and Londoners." He added: "I think we ought to hear the voice of people there first. It's not right for me to just jump straight in on the back of the consultation." Thomas Woldbye, Heathrow’s chief executive, set the deadline of December for the Government to give the runway the green light. He warned that unless his company’s investors — which include the sovereign wealth funds of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore and China — received final reassurance it would go ahead, they would pull out of the £33 billion scheme.