Welcome to the first of my regular columns with Asian Voice. I am delighted to be contributing to this excellent source of news, views and community stories for people up and down the UK. I plan to raise issues of national importance but also those issues our community cares about, sometimes that might mean being a little more local.
This month I want to talk about the international and the local. As Member of Parliament for Ealing Southall many of the millions of people of Indian origin in this country have come through my constituency staying for only a few weeks or still today they have roots in this area. Part of this is because Heathrow Airport, Britain’s global hub, stands right on our doorstep. Heathrow is a major employer across London and the South West and its supply chain comes from all across the country, but growth has stopped now that the airport runways are full.
Thankfully the government made up its mind and is supporting a new runway at Heathrow. Now there is a consultation on Expansion and on the flight paths planes will take. This consultation marks the first formal opportunity for local residents to get involved in the process.
I believe that Heathrow have made accommodations and commitments that ensure expansion will benefit not just my constituency or West London, but London and the whole country. The new settlement will deliver significant benefits to the economy, while minimising the impact on the airport’s neighbours. Heathrow has already accepted – and in most cases exceeded – all of the stringent, binding conditions recommended by the Airports Commission – including a world class property compensation scheme, the pledge to introduce a 6.5 hour ban on scheduled night flights and the promise to release new capacity only if air quality limits can be met.
A new runway will mean more capacity in the long-run, which means more flights across the world, to India, Canada, New Zealand and China. Businesses will be able to export more, and direct flights will take people to where they want to go, not just to the right country. Heathrow’s commitment to providing skills and training for thousands of people and the number of apprenticeships across the airport will double to 10,000 with a new runway. The airport also supports local unemployed people through the Heathrow Academy with pre-employment training, advice and guidance. All of this is enormously beneficial to young people in the local area. It means security for another generation not just of workers at Heathrow, but for people all the way up the supply chain.
Please take this opportunity to contribute to the consultation, millions of people are eligible, don’t miss out on your chance. If you live outside the consultation zone, don’t waste this opportunity write to your MP, they will be voting again on this soon. https://www.heathrowconsultation.com
Virendra Sharma MP
Labour MP for Ealing & Southall
