AIRPORT FOR THE ISLAND OF ST HELENA

That this House deplores the decision of the last Government to delay still further the building of an airport on the island of St Helena, announced in a Written Statement on 15 December 2009 by the then Secretary of State for International Development; points out that residents of this remote island in the South Atlantic are British citizens and should be treated on the same terms as residents of the other South Atlantic islands of Ascension and the Falklands, both of which have airports; further points out that the economic case for building an airport on St Helena would transform the island's economy from being dependent upon an ever-increasing annual subsidy to one of self-sufficiency within 10 years, thus making its construction the most cost-effective option; and therefore calls on the Government to honour past pledges to the people of St Helena to proceed without further delay on the construction of the airport which was due to start in early 2009.