Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the implications for his plans for meeting the net-zero by 2050 decarbonisation target as set out in the Climate Change Act 2008 of the judgement of 27 February 2020 on R (Friends of the Earth) v Secretary of State for Transport and others.

Last week, the Court of Appeal ruled that the designation of the Airports National Policy Statement did not take account of the Paris Agreement, non-CO₂ emissions or emissions post-2050, and therefore has no legal effect unless and until the Government carries out a review under the Planning Act 2008.

The Government has taken the decision not to appeal the Court’s judgment. We take seriously our commitments on the environment and reducing carbon emissions. This is a complex and important judgment, which the Government will need time to consider carefully.