Britain to build 300 mn pound airport for 4,000 people
July 23rd, 2010 - 12:17 pm ICT by IANSLondon, July 23 (IANS) Britain plans to construct a 300 million pound airport for a tiny island having a population of barely 4,000 people.
International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell said Britain had an “obligation” to build the airport on St Helena, which is a South Atlantic island and a British Overseas Territory.
The island can only be reached by water on Royal Mail ship St Helena, which now needs to be replaced.
A new ship would cost 64 million pounds and there would be operating costs, The Sun quoted Mitchell as saying.
The previous Labour government dropped its plan for the airport due to soaring costs.
An airport could bring financial independence, Mitchell said and added: “A new ship would provide a costly service, but not a solution to St Helena’s stagnation and perpetual dependence on UK aid.”
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Tags: andrew mitchell, british overseas territory, costly service, dependence, financial independence, labour government, london, obligation, population, royal mail ship, st helena, stagnation, sun, tiny island