Question
If my Harlow constituency was not brilliant enough, we also have an international airport on our doorstep, with Stansted airport providing jobs for over 1,000 people from Harlow and even more on apprenticeships. With the planning application for the expansion of Stansted airport approved, will the Minister put his backing behind this vital project and agree to work with local partners to ensure it really benefits my constituents of Harlow?
Answer
This Government welcome the £1.1 billion investment into Stansted by Manchester Airports Group, which will transform the airport and provide wider benefits to the local area, including Harlow, for which my hon. Friend is a determined champion. The investment is a great example of the conditions for growth in the aviation sector that this Government have created. It is going to support jobs, local businesses and skills, with the planned expansion of Stansted airport college in collaboration with Harlow college, supported by £5 million of funding by the Department for Education. This shows that the Government have a strategy that is delivering for both the aviation sector more broadly and for communities like Harlow.25% vibes
Verdict: AMBER (62/100)
The Government directly welcomed the £1.1 billion Manchester Airports Group investment in Stansted and presented it as a product of the growth conditions it has created, which clearly backs the expansion. On Harlow, the reply gave concrete existing benefits, including the airport college run with Harlow College and £5 million of Department for Education funding. However, it did not explicitly commit the Minister to working with local partners in future, so the second part of the question is only partly answered.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the Government will put its backing behind the expansion of Stansted Airport, following approval of the planning application. | Addressed | Direct | The Government says it welcomes the specific £1.1 billion Manchester Airports Group investment in Stansted and calls it an example of the growth conditions it has created, which amounts to explicit backing for the expansion following approval. |
| Whether the Minister will agree to work with local partners to ensure the Stansted expansion benefits residents of Harlow. | Partially Addressed | Direct | The reply names concrete Harlow benefits, including the Stansted airport college run in collaboration with Harlow College and £5 million of DfE funding, but it describes existing benefits and partnership rather than explicitly committing the Minister to work with local partners. |