Bid to accelerate Davies Commission report
We welcome the broad thrust of the Davies Commission and the desire to achieve a political consensus that will result in an enduring long-term decision about the UK’s aviation infrastructure.
We are particularly pleased that the Davies Commission will be adopting a sensible approach by looking at wider topics such as future demand, climate change and noise issues and not just selecting airports where expansion should take place.
It is vital that the Commission takes a view of the wider economic and environmental costs and benefits of aviation and we will be seeking to provide the Commission with robust evidence on these issues. We look forward to constructive engagement with Sir Howard Davies, his commissioners and staff over the coming months.
However, we do have concerns around the length of time before the Commission makes their final report. We argue that such a lengthy period of uncertainty is not at all helpful to businesses seeking to make investment decisions or indeed the wider economy of the UK.
Whilst we recognise the political sensitivities surrounding aviation policy, we believe that the electorate and particularly the residents of West London deserve to know what implications the Commission’s recommendations will have on their lives. Consequently, we the undersigned call upon the Government to bring forward the final report of the Davies Commission to a date before the General Election in 2015 and to ask Sir Howard to lay out very clearly the direction of his thinking in his interim report at the end of this year.
Yours sincerely,
Zac Goldsmith MP
Baroness Sally Hamwee
Baroness Susan Kramer
Mary Macleod MP
Seema Malhotra MP
John McDonnell MP
Andy Slaughter MP
Cllr Nicholas Botterill (Leader, Hammersmith & Fulham)
Cllr Steve Bullock (Leader, Lewisham)
Cllr Ravi Govindia (Leader, Wandsworth)
Cllr Jo Lovelock (Leader, Reading)
Cllr Lib Peck (Leader, Lambeth)
Cllr Raymond Puddifoot (Leader, Hillingdon)
Cllr Roger Reed (Deputy Leader, South Bucks)
Cllr Jagdish Sharma (Leader, Hounslow)
Cllr Lord Nicholas True (Leader, Richmond)
John Stewart (Chair HACAN)
Christine Taylor (Vice-Chair NoTRAG)
Peter Willan (Chair Richmond Heathrow Campaign)