Heathrow Airport

(asked on 10th January 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will amend the Airports National Policy Statement to include any change in the evidence base that supports expansion at Heathrow Airport.


Answered by
Paul Maynard Portrait
Paul Maynard
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 20th January 2020

The Airports National Policy Statement was designated, following a vote in the House of Commons, in accordance with the Planning Act 2008 (the Act). The Act recognises that once a national policy statement has been designated, there may be a change in circumstances on the basis of which the policy was decided.

Section 6 of the Act imposes a duty on the Secretary of State to review each national policy statement whenever they think it appropriate to do so. Under the Act, in considering whether or not to review a national policy statement the Secretary of State must consider: 1) whether there has been a ‘significant change’ in any circumstances on the basis of which any of the policy set out in the national policy statement was decided; 2) whether this change was not anticipated; and, 3) whether the policy would have been materially different if that change had been anticipated (“section 6 considerations”). After review, a Secretary of State must either: 1) amend, 2) withdraw, or 3) leave the national policy statement as it is.

Ultimately, the decision on when, if ever, to review is a matter of judgement for the Secretary of State, who will consider any changes in the evidence base as part of the section 6 considerations.

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