Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the business rates relief granted to airports on competition between airlines and Eurostar; and what, if any, assistance they plan to provide to Eurostar to enable them to compete on equal terms.

During the Covid-19 response, the Government has provided unprecedented financial support that has been made available to all sectors of the economy.

On 24 November, the Department announced a financial support scheme to support eligible commercial airport and ground handling businesses by reducing cash burn, enabling businesses to unlock shareholder and lender support. Eligible businesses will be able to apply to the scheme from early 2021. Further details will be published shortly.

The Government has been engaging closely with Eurostar since the outbreak of Covid-19 earlier this year to monitor its ongoing impact and support the company to access available support to address its particular needs, where appropriate, and will continue to do so.