Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of plans to expand Leeds Bradford airport in view of the recommendation in the report by the Committee on Climate Change The Sixth Carbon Budget: Aviation, published in December 2020, that "there should be no net expansion of UK airport capacity unless the sector is on track to sufficiently outperform its net emissions trajectory and can accommodate the additional demand"; and what steps they are taking to ensure that data are held on all proposed expansion plans at UK airports.

Proposals should be judged by the relevant planning authority taking careful account of all relevant considerations, including environmental impacts and proposed mitigations. The Government cannot comment on specific planning applications, such as that for Leeds Bradford airport, so as not to prejudice any consideration of proposals should they come before Ministers in the future.

The Government is carefully considering all the Climate Change Committee’s advice, including on aviation emissions, ahead of setting the sixth carbon budget.