Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of a rail connection to Belfast International Airport on economic growth across the United Kingdom.

Belfast International Airport is vital not just for Northern Ireland’s connectivity but for economic growth across the whole of the UK.

While civil aviation is a reserved matter, the development of airports in Northern Ireland, and the surface transport serving them, is devolved. It is therefore for the Northern Ireland Executive to determine their infrastructure investment priorities, including any potential rail connection, within the record funding settlement for Northern Ireland announced by the Chancellor at the spending review.