Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport

Members were delighted once again to attend the annual AOA/BATA Summer Reception, kindly hosted by Stewart Jackson MP (Con, Peterborough).

This popular annual event was attended by around 200 people and over 50 parliamentarians, including the Secretary of State for Transport, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport, Shadow Aviation Minister, members of the Transport Select Committee and the Chair of the Aviation All-Party Parliamentary Group.

Mr Jackson spoke about the importance of aviation in creating £50 billion GDP, supporting more than a million jobs and contributing £8 billion in tax.

AOA Chairman, Ed Anderson, gave a short speech expressing our support for the Aviation Policy Framework and urged all political parties to act on the recommendations of the Airports Commission. He also urged the Secretary of State to cut APD and set up an independent study to look into the effects of the tax on the UK economy.

Simon Buck, Chief Executive of BATA, retiterated these remarks before handing over to the keynote speaker, Rt. Hon Patrick McCoughlin MP, Secretary of State for Transport.  The Minister affirmed that APD is ultimately a Treasury matter, but he did speak about the government’s support for growth in the aviation sector, as set out in the Aviation Policy Framework and welcomed the AOA’s submission, which emphasised the importance of aviation to jobs, growth and connectivity with emergng markets.

Maria Eagle MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Transport

Date for the diary:  Next year’s Summer Reception will take place on Tuesday, 17th June, 4-6pm, on the House of Commons Terrace.  Further details in due course but members are urged to put the date in their diary now.