Cameron to chair key cabinet committee on Heathrow expansion

Campaigners against Heathrow expansion have claimed critics of a new runway have been "excluded" from a new cabinet committee which will decide the issue.

Justine Greening, Theresa Villiers and Philip Hammond will not attend meetings to be chaired by the prime minister.

The Airports Commission recommended a new runway earlier this month but it faces widespread political opposition.

The Cabinet Office said ministers with the "greatest policy interest" in the decision had been asked to attend.

The Conservatives ruled out building a new runway at Heathrow during the last Parliament but it is now back on the agenda after an independent commission concluded last month it was the best option to address the need for new capacity in the south of England.

Speaking on Tuesday, Chancellor George Osborne insisted a final decision on whether to expand Heathrow or to plump for a new runway at Gatwick - also deemed feasible by the commission - will be made by the end of the year.

The make-up of the new cabinet airports sub-committee, which will consider the issue, has been disclosed in a written ministerial statement.

Its terms of reference are to "consider matters relating to airport capacity in the south east of England in the light of the Airports Commission's report".

Aside from David Cameron, other attendees include Mr Osborne, Business Secretary Sajid Javid, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, Environment Secretary Liz Truss, Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd and Chief Whip Mark Harper.

But neither Home Secretary Theresa May, the MP for Maidenhead or foreign secretary Mr Hammond, the MP for Runnymede - both of whose constituencies are under the flight path - have been invited to attend.

Neither Ms Greening, the international development secretary and Putney MP who has been a vocal critic of Heathrow expansion nor Chief Secretary to the Treasury Greg Hands, who represents Fulham, feature on the committee.

The Northern Ireland secretary and Chipping Barnet MP Ms Villiers is not on it either, but Scottish Secretary David Mundell is.

None of the committee members represent London seats or constituencies that would be directly affected by the construction of a new runway at Heathrow or the extension of one of its existing runways.

Conservative MPs who oppose expanding Gatwick have urged the government to bar any cabinet minister with "explicit and expressed constituency interests" connected to either Heathrow or Gatwick from taking part in the decision.

In a letter to Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood last month, they said to do so would breach the ministerial code.

Hacan, an umbrella group of campaigners opposing Heathrow expansion, said critics of a new runway at the UK's largest airport had effectively been "sidelined" from ministerial discussions.

Both Mr Osborne and Mr Javid are believed to be in favour of expanding Heathrow.

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: "The decision will be based on the evidence. That's why the committee membership is made up of those whose departments have the greatest policy interest in the decision, as you would expect, including the chancellor, the transport secretary, the business secretary and the energy and climate change secretary."

Prominent opponents of Heathrow expansion within the Conservative Party also include London Mayor Boris Johnson and Zac Goldsmith, the Richmond Park MP who is hoping to succeed him.