Today the Transport Select Committee launched its 160-page report on its scrutiny of the plans for Heathrow expansion. I’ve read it. And if you get the chance to do so you’ll probably come to the same clear conclusions I have.

The Select Committee, chaired by Lilian Greenwood (below), believes that aviation expansion is important for our country and it also believes that the north-west runway at Heathrow is the right place to put it. The Committee also makes a series of recommendations that it feels would make the scheme better and reduce any likelihood of a legal challenge to it. That’s a Select Committee doing its job and doing it well.

The Secretary of State Chris Grayling (above) has been around for a while and we’re confident that he will see the report for what it is – a good piece of analysis that is supportive of the country’s need to expand Heathrow. So much so, that on Radio 4 this morning he could not have been clearer. He said that once the Committee’s report has been considered, he will bring it back to Parliament - as originally scheduled before the Summer recess, possibly in June.

There is excellent cross-party support for expansion at Heathrow – our event with Labour MPs and the Unite trade union (below) showed that the numbers really do stack up on the Labour benches. That’s before we add the support of parties like the SNP and the DUP. We also welcome the fact the Select Committee has been able to marry up its support for Heathrow with real recommendations to ensure that local people will see the environmental benefits of the project.

Over the years we have seen scrutiny and debate improve this project – whether it’s been the pledge to increase respite at night or the crucial commitment to write in to law the environmental regulations on clean air that must be met before additional capacity at the airport is released.

Today we have reached a key milestone, with a vote on the outline planning permission now within touching distance. I’m confident that MPs will ensure that hurdle is cleared, and we will then move to a period of even greater scrutiny before a detailed planning application is put in and considered. We welcome that scrutiny too because we want the best possible scheme.

But crucially, we want to see it within a timeframe that sees the UK benefit from 180,000 new jobs, 10,000 apprenticeships and a much-needed boost to our country’s economy.

Thankfully, after this report and the government’s response to it, we can be confident that the timetable is still on track.

Parmjit Dhanda

Back Heathrow Executive Director