Are the huge queues at Heathrow airport a problem for Britain’s reputation overseas?
YES
Willie Walsh
London rightly aspires to be the business capital of the world. And the government keeps telling us that the UK is “open for business”. Why, then, are ministers apparently content to see potential overseas investors, and UK business people returning from securing vital job-creating contracts, frequently queue for over an hour just to get through passport control? The government fools no-one but itself by relying on complacent Border Force statistics that are refuted by the personal experience of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The UK should know how to provide both a secure border and an efficient welcome, like other countries. Ministers must appreciate the scale of the problem and urgently put in place real and lasting improvements. This is not about the Olympics. It is about the everyday functioning of UK plc, and provision of a business infrastructure that supports economic recovery.
Willie Walsh is chief executive of International Airlines Group.
NO
Sam Gyimah
We need a secure border but we also need speedy and efficient immigration controls: we have to show the world we are open for business. Some of the queues at Heathrow last weekend were too long. Better organisation of the UK Border Agency’s resources is key to tackling this challenge – and it is right that the government has made this the focus of its efforts. From this month, mobile teams of immigration officers will be on hand to respond at peak times and 80 additional staff made available on the busiest days. A new control room for the Border Force at Heathrow will mean better operation across all terminals. The government has re-established the Border Force as a separate operational command, with its own ethos of law enforcement. With the Olympic Games coming this summer, these are exactly the robust improvements we need. They will mean a safer and more efficient border.
Sam Gyimah is Conservative MP for East Surrey.