Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimates he has made of the level of financial support from the public purse that would be necessary to facilitate the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.

The Government has always been clear that any scheme for additional airport capacity should be financed by the private sector. The Airports Commission concluded that all three of its shortlisted schemes were financeable without public support.

As set out in the revised draft Airports National Policy Statement, independent financial advisers have undertaken further work for the Government, and agree that all three schemes are financeable without on that basis.

Heathrow Airport Limited would also pay in full the cost of any surface access required for airport expansion. Where there is a surface access scheme that is not solely required to deliver airport capacity and that has a wider range of beneficiaries the Government, along with relevant stakeholders, will consider the need for a public contribution alongside an appropriate contribution from the airport on a case-by-case basis.