Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with the Civil Aviation Authority on working together with owners and managers at Heathrow Airport to develop a plan for landing slots until 2030.

Under European Union regulations airport slot allocation in the UK is managed by a designated co-ordinator independently of the Government, the Civil Aviation Authority and other interested parties.

However, the Secretary of State for Transport made clear in last week’s statement on airport capacity that the Government will take all necessary steps to enhance the UK’s domestic air connectivity including, where appropriate, ring-fencing a proportion of new slots for routes supported by public service obligations.