2Conclusion
41.Decisions on airport expansion in the South East have been delayed time and time again. This should not continue. The case for expansion has been made and accepted repeatedly but no Government has yet been able to reach a decision on expansion that has had any prospect of changing the status quo. The opportunity provided by the detailed evidence-based work of the Airports Commission has been lost. The Secretary of State needs now to have the courage to take a difficult, and for some people unpopular, decision. By doing so he will break a log-jam and allow new opportunities to flow into the UK economy. Nationally significant transport infrastructure projects cannot be seen in total isolation from each other; we will get more return on the investments being made in HS2, railway enhancements and investments in roads if we can connect the people and business that will benefit from the investments with domestic, European and other international markets.
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21 April 2016