Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the final Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement will require applications for the necessary rail infrastructure to be submitted before, or alongside, an application for development consent for Heathrow expansion.

The draft Heathrow Expansion National Policy Statement (HENPS) does not require that applications for any new rail infrastructure must be submitted before, or alongside, an application for development consent for Heathrow expansion. Instead, any promoter seeking development consent would be required to demonstrate clearly the rail enhancements it proposes to deliver and a credible plan for their delivery as part of a wider, credible and deliverable surface access strategy for an expanded Heathrow. The consultation on the draft HENPS has now closed and the Government will review responses before setting out next steps.