Business Leader Accused of "misleading the public” on Heathrow

Staying "suspiciously silent" on numbers of companies backing alternatives

A top business leader has been accused of "staying suspiciously silent" on the numbers of businesses backing alternatives to Heathrow expansion, according to council leaders.

More businesses back green initiatives, such as working from home, than Heathrow expansion according to a new survey by the British Chamber of Commerce. But David Frost, the Chamber's Director General, has ignored these findings and used the research to back his calls for a third runway at the airport instead, say critics.

Cllr Barbara Reid, lead member for aviation and the London Borough of Hounslow, said, "It is hard to understand why a respected business leader would mislead the public in this way.

"It appears that David Frost has used this new research to support his calls for a third runway when the survey didn't even ask businesses whether they supported expansion or not.

"What the survey did reveal was that three quarters of larger companies have introduced green alternatives to business travel, such as working from home and video conferencing, while 60% of all businesses favour better alternatives to the road network such as high speed rail.

"In contrast, only a third of respondents said that Heathrow was important to their business and a previous survey by the London Chamber of Commerce found that four out of five London firms are actually against expanding Heathrow.

"The hundreds of thousands of people who say NO to Heathrow expansion will be wondering why businessmen like David Frost are staying suspiciously silent on the number of businesses who actually oppose expansion.

"The important thing that the public should be told about this survey is that it shows that many British businesses are flexible and adaptable. The majority are finding innovative ways to cut down on unnecessary business travel and they support greener alternatives to Heathrow expansion such as high speed rail.

"When you look behind the spin, what this survey reveals is that businesses want a transport system that is better for the environment and better for the economy. We believe that this can be achieved by investing in high speed rail and making Heathrow better, not bigger.”

"The Congestion Question: A Business Transport Survey 2008" was published by the British Chamber of Commerce.

Its key findings include:
• 73% of larger companies (250 or more staff) have introduced green initiatives such as home working and e-business solutions that reduce travel (eg video conferencing)
• 60% of all businesses want better alternatives to the road network
• 40% of businesses have introduced home working compared to 36% who think Heathrow is important to their business.

In the executive summary of the report, David Frost, Director General of the Chamber of Commerce also called for the development of a high speed rail network, which could cut flights to Heathrow by more than 60,000 a year, should be brought forward.

Building a high speed rail network that could connect the UK with a growing network of European cities that include Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Lyon is the most popular alternative to increasing Heathrow's capacity.

Last summer the 2M Group of local authorities that say NO to Heathrow expansion unveiled plans for a £30bn rail network that could reduce the need for domestic and short haul flights.

Since then, the government has set up a new National Networks Strategy Group that will look again at the viability of high speed rail.

In addition the Conservatives have proposed a £15bn line linking London St Pancras, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds that they say would cut Heathrow flights by 63,200 a year.

More recently, a delegation from the London Borough of Hounslow was invited to give evidence to the Scottish Parliament on behalf of 2M on the proposal to connect London to Edinburgh and Scotland by high speed rail.

A Government decision on Heathrow expansion is expected later this month.

December 4, 2008