Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what her Departments policy is on whether the proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport is a matter of national strategic importance.

The Government has been clear that Heathrow plays a critical national role as the UK’s only hub airport.

The Government published the draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS) for public consultation on 18 June, setting out the policy framework against which any future proposal for Heathrow expansion would be assessed. Following the closure of the public consultation on 1 September, the Government will carefully consider consultation responses and scrutiny of the draft HENPS by the Transport Select Committee, before setting out Government’s response and any next steps in relation to the HENPS.