UK Cabinet to issue preferred airport expansion option next week

A preferred option on whether to expand either Heathrow or Gatwick airports will be issued by a Cabinet sub-committee next week, reports say.

A final decision would not be taken for another year after that, preceded by public consultation, both the BBC and Reuters have reported.

Prime Minister Theresa May has told her Cabinet colleagues that a ruling on the matter would be issued in the winter of 2017-18.

The decision on whether to expand either Heathrow or Gatwick -- respectively to the west and south of London -- has been debated for more than 25 years.

An expansion of Heathrow, the busiest airport in the UK and Europe, has been opposed by some cabinet ministers.

However, following next week's meeting, ministers would be allowed to make their views known, albeit after securing Brexit-engaged May's permission.

They would not be allowed to neither criticise the government in the Commons, nor to actively campaign against the government.