To move—that this House:

(1) Notes that the Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre, an air museum located at Newquay Airport, is at risk of closure after the Cornwall Council terminated its lease effective 31 March 2023;

(2) Further notes that Cornwall Council have reneged on promises made to the museum to assist in relocating to another site;

(3) Regrets the loss of 20 historic aircraft that the museum’s closure would entail;

(4) Calls on the Government to intervene in the museum’s closure or provide an alternative site for the museum.

This motion is moved in the name of Her Grace the Duchess of Essex on behalf of the Labour Party and is co-sponsored by the Conservatives.

Mr Speaker,

The Cornwall Aviation Heritage Centre is a very important resource for preserving several aircraft from the earliest days of jet propulsion. It is the South West’s only aviation museum and it is an invaluable resource for the aviation community and Cornwall at large.

The decision by the Cornwall Council to terminate the lease is as baffling as it is upsetting. This is a museum that provides jobs and tourism to the area, as well as doing great work in preserving and maintaining these aircraft. Equally disappointing is the council’s refusal to work with the museum to find an alternative site, reneging on promises made to the museum.

I urge the Government to urgently intervene in this situation and I commend this motion to the House.

This reading ends on the 22nd at 10PM