Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions she has had with the operators and management of each UK Airport on the increase in costs of passenger drop-offs and pick-ups; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of this on the livelihoods of people in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme, (b) Staffordshire and (c) England.

Most airports in the UK are managed and operated as private businesses, and parking arrangements are subject to contractual agreements between airport operators and car parking companies covered by consumer laws.

The provision and charging of car parking at airports (including drop off and pick charges) is a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify.

Officials regularly engage with commercial airports on a large number of matters such as surface access, which includes the use of drop off charges, to improve access to airports whilst taking into account associated environmental impacts.