Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the economic benefits to regions outside of London and the south east of England of an expansion of Heathrow airport over the next three decades.

The Department has undertaken an economic assessment of the impact of a new runway at Heathrow at a national level, taking account of all areas of the UK.

Regions across the country should benefit from new destinations, extra seats and increased frequency of service created by increased capacity at Heathrow. Enhanced access to international connectivity will be important in supporting regional economic growth. In addition, for regions where domestic air connections to London remain crucial, such as Scotland, expansion will create space for increased frequencies and new links.