Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2026 to Question 30328 on Transport: Infrastructure, whether it is the policy of this Government that the proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport tis a matter of national strategic importance.

The purpose of a National Policy Statement is to set out Government policy on nationally significant infrastructure and the need for such development. The draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS) sets out the Government's policy framework against which any application for Heathrow expansion would be considered. The draft HENPS identifies development covered by the HENPS as Critical National Growth Infrastructure, reflecting the Government’s assessment of the economic and other strategic benefits the project could provide.

We have consulted on the draft HENPS, and the Government will carefully consider the views received through the consultation, alongside the Transport Select Committee's recommendations, before setting out its response and any next steps in relation to the HENPS.