Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of introducing public service obligation routes for air travel on regional connectivity.

Existing policy to support domestic connectivity provide public service obligations (PSOs) to protect routes into London that are in danger of being lost. The Government jointly funds three routes from Newquay, Dundee and Derry/Londonderry. In addition, 17 PSOs operate entirely in Scotland connecting the Highlands and Islands, funded by the Scottish Government.

The Department continues to consider how PSOs, alongside other policy measures, could help to meet regional connectivity, union connectivity and levelling-up objectives.