Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate the Government has made of the cost to the public purse of constructing a third runway at Heathrow Airport over the course of the construction period.

The Airports Commission shortlisted three airport expansion schemes, two at Heathrow and one at Gatwick. The Government accepted the Commission’s shortlist in December 2015 and is considering all of the evidence very carefully before reaching a view on its preferred scheme. The Government is not providing a running commentary on this work and nor would it be appropriate to outline specific pieces of evidence before a decision is announced on its preference. Any work to inform an announcement will be set out in subsequent publications and associated consultation.