To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the potential effects of additional airport capacity in the South East of England on the economies of other regions of the UK.

The Government has established the independent Airports Commission, chaired by Sir Howard Davies, to examine the scale and timing of any requirements for additional capacity to maintain the UK's position as Europe's most important aviation hub.

As part of its interim report the Airports Commission identified the economic impacts associated with constrained airport capacity—this was undertaken at a national level. As part of the Commission's second phase of work it will look at the impacts of the short-listed schemes on the economy in more detail, including at a local and national level. This assessment will consider the needs of other regions in the UK, outside the South East of England.