Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they will make of the environmental impact of additional flights if Heathrow Airport is expanded, and whether they will publish that assessment.

The government supports expansion at Heathrow Airport and has received proposals for a third runway at Heathrow. Once proposals have been reviewed, the government will review the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), which provides the basis for decision-making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. This will include expectations on environmental impacts of an expanded Heathrow, including the likes of carbon, noise and air pollution.

The Planning Act 2008 requires that before amending the ANPS, the Secretary of State must carry out an Appraisal of Sustainability of the policy, which will be published alongside any amended ANPS.