Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the importance of hub connectivity for airports and businesses in the North of England; and what steps his Department is taking to encourage growth in (a) the UK domestic network and (b) from London airports to the North of England.

The Government recognised in its 2013 Aviation Policy Framework (APF) the very important role airports across the UK play in providing domestic and international connections and the vital contribution they can make to the growth of regional economies.

However, in the UK airports, and the airlines that use them, operate in a competitive, commercial environment. It is for individual airlines to make market-based decisions regarding the air services that they operate, and form which airports. It is not open to the Government to compel airlines to operate air services between specific airports.