Anne-Marie Trevelyan declines to step in to 'rescue' Doncaster Sheffield Airport

Facing a grill from local MPs in the House of Commons yesterday, the Transport Secretary declined to "intervene and safeguard" Doncaster Sheffield airport.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan informed MPs that she would not utilise Civil Contingencies Act powers to keep the airport open or meet with colleagues in Parliament to devise a plan to rescue it. It comes after UK Prime Minister Liz Truss stated that she would do everything possible to retain the employees in the region.

Labour's shadow transport secretary, Louise Haigh, stated: "The Prime Minister vowed in her first PMQs that she would do everything she could to safeguard Designated Safeguarding Assistance (DSA) from closure, yet less than a month before closure, with the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Transport unwilling to lift a finger."



She went on to say that losing the airport would be terrible not only for the area and the greater North of England, but also for the more than 2,900 people who work there. The remarks were made during a heated session of Transport Questions in the House of Commons.

She claimed she joined GMB colleagues and airport workers in delivering a petition to the Department of Transport for the site's preservation. Our struggle continues, and she was encouraging the government to do the right thing, to utilize the authorities at its disposal to safeguard the airport and employment.

She described the Secretary of State's refusal to even meet to explore what further might be done as unusual.

FAQs:

1. When was Anne-Marie Trevelyan named Secretary of State for Transport?
   Anne-Marie Trevelyan was appointed Secretary of State for Transport on September 6, 2022.
2. Where is Doncaster Sheffield Airport?
   Doncaster Sheffield Airport is an international airport located in Finningley, South Yorkshire, England, near Doncaster.