Tonge Clashes With Clasper

10.48.21am GMT Wed 29th Oct 2003

Jenny Tonge, Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park

Jenny Tonge, Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, has once again crossed swords with British Airports Authority Chief Executive Mike Clasper.

At a meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Aviation Group on Tuesday October 28th in Committee Room 18 of the House of Commons, Mr Clasper gave his opinion that lengthy public enquiries - such as the one on Terminal Five - were a "waste of public money" and "only filled the pockets of lawyers." Money would be better spent, Mr Clasper told the meeting, on paying compensation to local residents.

Dr Jenny Tonge asked Mr Clasper to put a figure on any such compensation - which Mr Clasper declined to do.

Dr Tonge said: "I am challenging BAA on this. My constituents who live under the Heathrow flight-path certainly deserve the "massive compensation" Mr Clasper is talking about. But why doesn't BAA start putting some serious money into the community - by sponsoring schools?"