Lee Pitcher MP: speeches

Speeches

• 8 Apr 2025 · Blair Mayne: Posthumous Victoria Cross · Hansard source

  More

  I thank the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) for securing today’s debate. The award of the Victoria Cross has an extraordinary impact on individuals and their families, friends and communities. I will give an example of my own from the town of Hatfield Woodhouse, where we are proud to have produced Corporal John William Harper VC. Corporal Harper served in the 4th Battalion of the British Army’s York and Lancaster Regiment during the second world war, and on 29 September 1944 he led his section in an assault over open ground against a fortified position. He led from the front, and repeatedly moved forward alone to establish the way forward before exposing his own comrades to danger. Unfortunately, Corporal Harper was fatally wounded in the assault, but his actions secured the success of the attack. Hatfield remembers Corporal Harper by maintaining a twinning arrangement with the town of Merksplas in Belgium, where his gallantry took place. Memorials to him can be seen at the local St Lawrence church and at the site of the war graves, and local children still learn about “Harper VC” at schools in Merksplas and Donny today. Even in the last few years, a new extension to the Hatfield area was named Harpers Heath in his honour, showing that the memory is still important to the people of the town. This is important as part of today’s debate because, as time moves on and new generations are born, the story of the Victoria Cross and the legends who receive it means we never forget their gallantry, and we never forget the gallantry of all the people who have served us. That is why this award of a Victoria Cross could make all the difference in recognising a hero such as Blair Mayne, who sacrificed so much for others, but also for the pride it brings to the community. Regardless of what the Minister says, I am so pleased that the hon. Member for Strangford, whom I call my friend, has been able to raise this today, and Blair Mayne’s efforts will be recognised in the Chamber and remembered forever.

• 8 Apr 2025 · Armed Forces Covenant · Hansard source

  More

  I thank my hon. and gallant Friend for bringing this important report to us today and for the Committee’s work. North Lincolnshire council has established a physical armed forces hub dedicated to providing comprehensive support to all members of the armed forces community, offering assistance on health and housing. Doncaster city council has the veteran’s innovation fund, which provides funds of up to £300 to help with barriers that impact individuals’ wellbeing. That is all amazing, but if our veterans do not know about it in the first place, it cannot help them. They deserve our respect and they deserve our support, particularly when they come out fighting for each and every one of us. Does my hon. Friend agree that, as we go into the Easter recess, there is a need for us to make a priority of promoting the armed forces covenant in every one of our constituencies?

• 7 Apr 2025 · Road Maintenance · Hansard source

  More

  I thank the hon. Member for his intervention. I referred to Mayor Ros Jones, who is leader of the council in Doncaster and knows that area specifically—in her case, she is also called a mayor. Devolved mayors also know their area very well, and they work with their area and their constituencies to ensure that the money goes to the right places at the right time. Our councils have been crying out for help for 14 years. I am pleased to say that Westminster is finally listening. It is listening to the Lister family, who I mentioned, to our constituents and to all the local authorities that desperately need this money to invest. As such, I am almost ready to relinquish the title of “Pothole Pitcher”, but I will be focusing on pavements in the future.

• 7 Apr 2025 · Road Maintenance · Hansard source

  More

  If I could walk 500 miles, Madam Deputy Speaker, and then walk 500 more, it would be a miracle, particularly after all this bobbing. [ Laughter. ] However, I would also have walked the full length of the road network of Doncaster. Unfortunately, due to the pothole crisis facing every authority in our country, the chances are that I would have tripped up and fallen down long before I got to anyone’s door. Such is the state of the roads in Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme and the amount of potholes I have reported and had repaired over the past few years that I am also called “Pothole Pitcher” on social media. Of course, this is no joke; it is a very real issue that affects people’s lives, as the Lister family, who live in Hatfield, in my constituency, are aware. On his 18th birthday, Josh was driving down an avenue when he hit a huge pothole that ripped through the side of his tyre and shot him on to the kerb, leaving a relatively newly passed driver not only in a degree of shock but fearful of driving ever again. He had an 18th birthday he will never forget, but for all the wrong reasons. Just two months later, his mum Gemma fell over a pothole on a footpath, causing her to sustain serious injury to her arms, hands and knees, with the impact lasting many months. Potholes are not a trivial matter; they are hugely serious, and ruin lives. Like most places, Doncaster and Axholme’s roads and their networks are one of their most precious and most expensive assets. Between the more volatile weather, increased traffic and heavier vehicles, the cost of maintaining those assets has risen at the same time as the council’s budget for dealing with them was cut by half by the previous Government. We now have a repair backlog sitting in the hundreds of millions in Doncaster alone, where our council is fighting tooth and nail just to keep it at that, while trying also to resolve the pothole crisis. Thankfully, this Government have recognised the importance of tackling this crisis. They have increased funding to local authorities, with £2.3 million for North Lincolnshire and £6.7 million for South Yorkshire. We are finally giving our mayors like Ros Jones and our councils, who know their area and know where to invest, the tools they need not only to fight to stand still but to really make improvements. This is just the beginning.

• 7 Apr 2025 · Homelessness and Rough Sleeping · Hansard source

  More

  7. What steps her Department is taking to support people sleeping rough in colder months.

• 7 Apr 2025 · Homelessness and Rough Sleeping · Hansard source

  More

  I recently took part in an organised sleep-out event at Doncaster’s Eco-Power stadium. The event was set up by the Club Doncaster Foundation to raise money for projects supporting homeless people. Such fundraisers, and the work done by charities like Shelter and Doncaster’s People Focused Group, are vital, but it is ultimately up to the Government to solve the problem of homelessness. Can the Minister update us on what the Government are doing to fulfil the need for social housing?

• 1 Apr 2025 · Royal British Legion · Hansard source

  More

  In my constituency of Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, the RBL’s integration within the local authority is massively important because it is the voice of the people it represents, and their warmth, passion, consideration and expertise. Does the hon. Lady agree that co-operation with local authorities in providing services around housing and financial management, as well as emotional management, is massively important?

• 27 Mar 2025 · Scunthorpe Steelworks · Hansard source

  More

  My hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe (Sir Nicholas Dakin) is in Scunthorpe right now, supporting our fantastic steelworkers. Many of my constituents work in Scunthorpe; I know that they will be feeling extremely anxious, and my heart goes out to them. Will the Minister confirm that she remains steely in her determination to secure the future of the UK construction and steel industries, and that she will do everything she possibly can to support my constituents who are affected?

• 27 Mar 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

  More

  My remarkable constituent Pat Smith has dedicated 60 years of his life to coaching basketball, football and other sports, including 37 years leading the Hatfield Fliers basketball club. Will the Leader of the House join me in thanking Pat for his exceptional service and for being an absolutely brilliant role model to many generations, and wishing him a happy and fulfilling retirement?

• 24 Mar 2025 · Male Suicide in Rotherham · Hansard source

  More

  In Doncaster last year, 80% of those who died from suicide were men, and we of course have one of the largest numbers of veterans in the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber. Doncaster council has the armed forces covenant. Will my hon. Friend join me in promoting its work, particularly around the veteran-friendly suicide prevention training that makes a huge difference to all the people who take part in it?

• 24 Mar 2025 · Planning and Infrastructure Bill · Hansard source

  More

  I strongly support the Bill because at its heart is a vision for getting Britain building again—in the right way and for the right reasons. That is critical to overcoming many of the challenges we face as a country. It is central to the missions of change that the public have entrusted us with, and it is a call to action that we must answer. The Bill sets out a bold plan to modernise our planning system. As someone who worked for decades with engineers, operational workers and planners, I can tell hon. Members that it is long overdue. It seeks to make the system more efficient and responsive to the demands of a 21st-century economy that is capable of supporting the ambitions that the Government have set forth: solving the housing crisis by delivering 1.5 million new homes; tackling the cost of living by reducing bills and putting more money back in people’s pockets; building a strong, growing economy; making Britain a global leader in green energy and technology; tackling the climate crisis, and creating thousands of high-skilled, well-paid jobs. The housing crisis affects too many families across our country. For far too many, the dream of owning or renting a home in the areas where they live and work is slipping further out of reach. I was asked about that at the New College hustings by young adults who never thought they would get a foot on the housing ladder. I am proud that we are doing something about it. The Bill aims to tackle the challenge by streamlining the planning process, cutting delays and accelerating the delivery of new homes. It introduces provisions that will allow us to build where homes are most needed, while ensuring that development is sustainable and in harmony with the environment. The Bill is about building not just new homes, but affordable homes. For years, waiting lists for social housing have stretched beyond acceptable limits, with families waiting years for a safe and affordable place to live. In my constituency, there is a mum with three children under five living in temporary accommodation because of section 21. She has no kitchen to make food and nowhere to wash her children’s clothes. Worst of all, she has no hope left. The Bill tackles that reality head-on and provides hope. On Friday night, I slept out with 40 other individuals at Donny Rovers to raise awareness of homelessness, and took the time to discuss the housing crisis. That same night, 3,350 children were homeless in Yorkshire and the Humber. That is just wrong. It was wrong in the 1990s, when I became homeless with my mum and sister, and it is absolutely unacceptable in the 2020s. The Bill will make a real difference to communities across the UK. It gives local councils the tools they need to meet housing demands, while ensuring that social housing is built in the right places and to the highest standards. The Bill also recognises the need for infrastructure investment in driving growth and prosperity. From towns to cities, we must invest in transport, digital connectivity and energy systems. The Bill lays the groundwork for large-scale infrastructure projects, making it easier for local authorities and developers to bring forward critical projects, such as new roads, renewable energy solutions and expanded public transport networks. That is important for both rural and urban communities. The Bill is about ensuring that our infrastructure evolves alongside modern needs, enabling more efficient travel, supporting thriving businesses, and fostering growing communities. The legislation is a vital step forward in addressing some of the most pressing issues in our country. I urge all my colleagues, on both sides of the House, to support the Bill. Let us unite in building a more prosperous, sustainable and secure future for the people we serve. No child should go to sleep tonight not knowing whether they will have a roof over their precious head tomorrow. We can solve that together.

• 20 Mar 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

  More

  I pass on my condolences to the shadow Leader of the House, whose father sounds like a modern-day Father Christmas. As a child, together with my mother and sister, I experienced a period of homelessness. It was an incredibly difficult time for all of us. Thanks to the kindness of family and friends, we had a support network to get us through it, but sadly, that is not the case for everybody. This Friday, I will be joining residents from across my constituency at Doncaster Rovers football club for the Snooze in the South Stand event—an initiative that gives participants a powerful insight into the daily reality faced by too many people who are fighting homelessness in our communities. Will the Leader of the House join me in praising those organising and taking part in this important event and recognise the steps the Government are taking to reduce and eventually get rid of homelessness altogether?

• 20 Mar 2025 · Criminal Justice System: Technology · Hansard source

  More

  4. What steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to use technology to help improve efficiency in the criminal justice system.

• 20 Mar 2025 · Criminal Justice System: Technology · Hansard source

  More

  My constituency is home to three prisons: Lindholme, Hatfield and Moorland. Given the challenges faced in our local criminal justice system, particularly in managing caseloads in prisons and capacity, will the Solicitor General outline what specific technological innovations are being prioritised to speed up court processes and improve access to justice for victims and defendants?

• 17 Mar 2025 · Women’s Changed State Pension Age: Compensation · Hansard source

  More

  My apologies, Mr Stringer.

• 17 Mar 2025 · Women’s Changed State Pension Age: Compensation · Hansard source

  More

  One of my constituents fully believed that justice would be done, to the extent that she planned to put the compensation money aside for her own funeral. Of course, compensation has not been given. I have more than 6,000 WASPI women in my constituency, and they all rely on me to speak up for them. I will continue to support them, look out for them and raise their stories in this place so that their voices are heard. Do you agree that we need to find a way to seek justice for these women?

• 13 Mar 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

  More

  In Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme I have been working hard to reconnect our communities. In January I submitted my proposal for the Doncaster East super-loop bus service to the Mayor of South Yorkshire. In February I met Hornsby Travel, a valued family-run bus company serving the Isle of Axholme. This year, it celebrates its 110th anniversary, recognised with a visit from Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating Hornsby Travel, and will she support my efforts to ensure that my constituents have access to the transport links they need?

• 12 Mar 2025 · Rural Communities: Government Support · Hansard source

  More

  It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Dr Murrison, and I congratulate the hon. Member for South Devon (Caroline Voaden) on securing this debate. Representing a rural area and having spent a lot of my career working with rural communities and the land, I am keenly aware of the challenges that the communities in my constituency face. When services fail, it is our rural communities that are hit first and hit hardest. Because of their size, small rural schools and doctor’s surgeries are already working with smaller margins than their urban cousins. When budgets have been cut, those cuts have gone straight to the bone. Rural broadband and phone services lag behind, making it more challenging to set up businesses to work from those areas. I have seen areas where rural bus services have been reduced to almost nothing—when they have not disappeared completely—cutting off communities and massively affecting the lives of elderly and disabled people. The big bus companies have pulled out of many of our rural areas, but I know that those routes can work. Hornsby Travel, a local family company in the Isle of Axholme, is doing amazing work in finding ways to provide vital connections for rural villages. Even roads, the one lifeline to country villages, are falling deeper and deeper into disrepair, as squeezed budgets force local authorities to focus on only the busiest roads. I recently visited Wroot Travis primary school, which has fewer than 30 pupils. The children had sat down and worked out the one thing that they wanted to speak to me, their MP, about: they wanted a sign outside their school, warning drivers about children crossing the road. I was happy to write to the local council to champion their cause, but I cannot help but feel that a school in a town or city would not even have had to ask; it would have been done automatically. That is such a small thing, but it is symbolic of the way that rural communities have been treated as an afterthought or not even thought of at all. If that street sign is a symbol of how things have been, I hope that the steps this Government are taking are symbolic of a new relationship with rural communities. The rural England prosperity fund is one such step, helping to support local businesses to establish, grow or diversify and supporting charities and community groups to enrich their areas. Another is the additional funding brought by the rural community assets fund, which will help to preserve and improve cherished local community facilities. Finally, the Action with Communities in Rural England grant will help rural community groups and others to offer social inclusion activities. I am sure that the Minister will talk about many of those measures and more, but I welcome them, and especially their focus on empowering and developing capacity within our rural communities and working with people to give them the tools they need to make their communities flourish. The knowledge and expertise of generations that have worked and bring great value to our local communities need to be recognised, particularly as we start to meet the challenges that climate change brings. New blue-green engineering will be a huge and vital part—

• 10 Mar 2025 · Crime and Policing Bill · Hansard source

  More

  Ensuring the safety and security of our communities is one of the most fundamental duties of government. When that duty is neglected, the consequences are real, widespread and deeply felt by everyone—especially the most vulnerable in our society. In recent years, that neglect has reached the point where local authorities such as Doncaster city council have had to step in to take up the slack. I recognise the work it has done, which has included funding additional police and expanding CCTV networks to support the police in their work. From walkarounds with the police, councillors and businesses in areas such as Thorne, I know the impact that rampant crime is having on our high streets and town centres. Shop owners and workers feel under constant fear of attack. That is wrong. That is not good enough for the people of Thorne, not good enough for the people of Doncaster East and definitely not good enough for the people of the Isle of Axholme. I am proud to be part of a Government who will clean up our streets and rid them from the thieves and the thugs. I am glad to see that, with the Bill, the Government are taking antisocial behaviour seriously. It is too easy to write off ASB as nuisance or annoyance, but it is very much more than that. Continual antisocial behaviour can go on for months or even years, making people’s lives miserable. It was described to me at a recent surgery as a “living torture”. The introduction of respect orders is a welcome addition to the tools available to authorities to tackle persistent antisocial behaviour and take strong preventive action. I particularly welcome the provisions in the Bill that will allow for the instant seizure of motorbikes without the need for previous warnings. Like many of my hon. Friends, I represent a rural area. I know from speaking to farmers in the Isle of Axholme how unsafe they can feel when they know that help is a long way off. I have heard from farmers in Hatfield about the attacks on animals that they have suffered from recently. The new powers in the Bill to track stolen farm equipment will help both to deter criminals and to stop them in their tracks before they can profit from their crimes. I ask the Government to keep in mind as the Bill progresses through Parliament how those ambitions will be successful in a rural context. Finally, I turn to fly-tipping. Every part of my constituency suffers from fly-tipping, which is often done by organised professional groups making money by passing themselves off as legitimate waste removal companies. They will stop fly-tipping only when it stops being profitable for them. A boost to the use of powers to seize vehicles linked to fly-tipping and to issue fixed penalty notices for fly-tippers is a good step in the right direction and certainly very welcome. At home, at work and at leisure, my constituents in Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme should feel safe and be safe 24/7. For that reason, I hope that every hon. Member in the House will join me in voting for the Bill tonight.

• 5 Mar 2025 · Engagements · Hansard source

  More

  For months, my constituents in Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme have been telling me how fed up they are with not being able to get an appointment because of the 8 am scramble. The last thing they need when they are ill is to have to pick up the phone and wait, and fight again to be first. It is great news that the Government’s new GP contract will start to resolve that, but can the Prime Minister reassure my constituents who cannot use technology that they will still be able to book an appointment?

• 27 Feb 2025 · Grassroots Sport Clubs and Facilities · Hansard source

  More

  Last week, I met the fantastic Thorne Colliery club in my constituency of Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme, which is working with the Football Foundation on potential investment for its pitch, which is based on the Moorends welfare site. While that is a fantastic example of the support available for grassroots facilities, many clubs still face uncertainty due to governance and financial challenges. Will the Minister outline what steps are being taken to ensure that football governance reforms provide greater security for grassroots clubs and the facilities that they rely on?

• 27 Feb 2025 · Grassroots Sport Clubs and Facilities · Hansard source

  More

  13. What steps her Department is taking to help support grassroots sports facilities.

• 27 Feb 2025 · Business of the House · Hansard source

  More

  The Leader of the House will be surprised that I am not talking about Doncaster Sheffield airport today; I would instead like to land some terrific news about primary schools in my area. First, Crookesbroom primary academy has ranked first among the schools in Doncaster for its English and maths results. Secondly, I visited Wroot Travis school on Monday and heard the children read their letters, which made my heart melt. Thirdly, I am really chuffed to hear that Bawtry Mayflower primary school has been selected as one of the first of the 750 schools to offer breakfast clubs as part of the Government’s new scheme. Will the Leader of the House join me in congratulating those outstanding primary schools, and acknowledge the significance of the breakfast club programme?

• 25 Feb 2025 · Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill [Lords] · Hansard source

  More

  I and all my hon. Friends were elected last year on a simple promise: change. It was a promise to rebuild our country, economy, health service and infrastructure, and to lay the foundations for a brighter future where we will overcome the challenges of climate change, see the benefits of a green economy and lead the world in new technology. It will be a future of prosperity and opportunity for all. All of that—every mission the Government have set out—depends on a skilled workforce. I have recently seen the diversity of apprenticeships in my local area, from the National Horseracing College in Rossington, to the SSE business in Keadby, to Jack who cuts my hair, who I am sure hon. Members will agree is supremely talented—a phenomenon. I just ruined his career, I think—sorry, Jack! Everything this Government have promised can be created only by having the right people, with the right skills, in the right place, at the right time. Whether they are in the NHS, energy, house building or security, apprenticeships have been part of the fabric of British society for hundreds of years. They have made us the country that we are today. In the past, modern apprenticeships were met with great enthusiasm by both leaders and businesses. They represented a different way of learning and had great promise, but in recent years that promise has been unfulfilled. Both apprenticeship starts and, crucially, apprenticeship completions have fallen off dramatically. The current system is not working for learners, employers or our country. We need a targeted and strategic system that works for everyone. The system must work with local leaders and businesses to be relevant to the skills gaps that are holding our economy back. We need partnership, but most importantly we need a system that inspires and empowers our teens and young people. Both before and since becoming an MP, I have had the privilege to meet many of the young people in schools in my constituency. Their talent and ambition are outstanding. So many of them are raring to change the world to tackle the climate crisis, harness artificial intelligence and be part of a brighter future. All they need is the opportunity to succeed, and they will make us proud. That is what the Government have promised, and the establishment and progression of Skills England is at the heart of that promise. Creating Skills England was one of this Government’s first acts, and it is already doing important work. This Bill is an important step towards fully empowering Skills England, reshaping the skills landscape and getting our economy growing. This Government’s No. 1 priority is growth and to get the economy working again not just in some places and for some people, but everywhere for everyone—for north and south, urban and rural and all backgrounds and abilities. The fragmented approach we have seen over the last decade has never been so evident in the lack of pipeline for skills that we need right now and in the future. Skills and apprenticeships must be at the heart of that strategy. Too many industries are held back from their potential because of the skills shortages we see. So many of the challenges that this country faces are rooted in the skills gap. Our housing crisis is built on a huge deficit in skilled construction workers, our hospitals and care homes cannot get the staff they need to do much more than hold together a system on the verge of collapse, and our economic productivity crisis is rooted in far too many people who miss out on the opportunity to fulfil their potential, so they neither thrive themselves nor contribute to our thriving economy. I have spent my life working with water and the land. Blue-green infrastructure is absolutely vital, and new, smarter ways to work with nature are developing constantly. As we transition to net zero and sustainable development and growth and develop green energy solutions, we open up a whole sector of future jobs. In the coming decades, jobs and the blue-green economy will be as important as factories and coal mines were in the industrial revolution. We must embrace that opportunity now and use Skills England and the apprenticeship system to get our people ready for jobs in an industry in which we lead the world once again. Britain has never had the biggest population, the most land or the greatest supply of natural resources, but we have been able to lead the world for centuries because of the skill of British people. We lead through technology, innovation and craftsmanship and through our wonderful natural talent. Britain sparked the industrial revolution and became the workshop of the world because of the skill of its workers, and that is why I am really happy to support this Bill.

• 25 Feb 2025 · Doncaster Sheffield Airport · Hansard source

  More

  Most certainly. I have already spoken with the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) about the importance of a regional airport. My hon. Friend is quite right that it would make all the difference globally and internationally, particularly in Bassetlaw, where she lives. Despite the best efforts of Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones, South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard and others, including my right hon. Friend the Member for Doncaster North (Ed Miliband), the airport was closed. To say that was a bitter blow for our community is an understatement. The closure of our airport brought home the reality of the previous Government’s levelling-up programme. It felt back then like there was no levelling up for the people of Doncaster. It was not just jobs that we lost; we lost local pride and a connection to our past. Doncaster Sheffield airport is, apart from anything else, a vital link to our community’s aviation heritage. Before it was the finest international airport in the country, DSA was RAF Finningley, with an aviation history dating back to 1915. During the first world war, planes from Finningley, flown by incredibly brave men, intercepted German zeppelins en route to Sheffield. During the second world war, Finningley served as a bomber base, and was once again at the forefront of protecting British lives and defending our democracy. When Julie Ann Gibson’s plane landed at Finningley in 1991, she trailblazed her way into the history books: for the first time in its 73 years, the Air Force had a female pilot. That heritage remains evident at the site today thanks to the incredible work of the Vulcan to the Sky trust, which is committed to preserving and protecting two of the most iconic aircraft in British history: the Avro Vulcan and the English Electric Canberra. When I visited the trust last year, I was inspired by its work not only to protect those incredible feats of British engineering, but to support and guide Britain’s next generation of engineers through their work, including children and young people in my constituency—a link to our past; a promise for our future. I hope you can tell from my words, Madam Deputy Speaker, how intensely proud we are of our airport, and that you can hear why it is so important to my constituents. Allow me to move on to the business case for reopening DSA. I have spent much of my time since becoming an MP talking to local business leaders, and I have lost count of the number of times I have been asked the same question: when is the airport reopening? Local businesses are as keen as anyone to see our airport reopen. They understand how strong the business case is. With renewed conversation nationally about airport capacity and the importance of bringing back growth, we need look no further than a regional airport practically ready to go. A huge amount of work has been done in the background, led by Doncaster Mayor Ros Jones and her team, to make sure all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed when it comes to demonstrating the viability of DSA. Ros knows better than anyone how vital it is to prove beyond doubt that reopening Doncaster Sheffield airport is not just good for local pride but a brilliant business decision. An independent financial viability assessment has been clear: Doncaster Sheffield airport is absolutely a viable business prospect. The full business case projects more than 5,000 direct and 6,500 indirect jobs from a reopened DSA by 2050; £5 billion in gross value added to the economy; £2 billion in gross welfare benefits; and—the headline that really grabbed my attention—a projected benefit-cost ratio of 9:1. That means for every single pound put in, we get £9 in return. It is no wonder the business community is keen to see the airport back in action. Dan Fell, CEO of Doncaster chamber of commerce, has said: “In addition to creating thousands of jobs, the airport will also act as a magnet for investment, help businesses trade internationally, further develop the region’s capability as a nationally significant hub for freight and logistics, and support inbound tourism.”