Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what timeframe is envisaged by the ministerial use of the word "shortly" when Parliament seeks to determine when a decision will be (1) taken, and (2) announced, on a new runway at an airport in the South of England.

The Government remains fully committed to delivering the important infrastructure projects it has set out, including delivering runway capacity on the timetable set out by Sir Howard Davies.

In the coming weeks the Government will carefully consider all of the evidence and should be in a position to announce a preferred scheme in the autumn.