Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to Pricewaterhouse Coopers' final report on the closure of Manston Airport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the findings of that report on the powers available to local authorities to support small airports.

The Coalition Government appointed consultants PriceWaterhouse Coopers in March to undertake an independent review of the process on decisions about the future of Manston Airport. PriceWaterhouse Coopers’ report is being finalised and it would not be appropriate at this stage to pre-empt what its findings will be.