Setting the record straight on night flights

4.23.26pm GMT Mon 19th Feb 2007

A statement by Susan Kramer MP: Many of you may have seen the latest Conservative In Touch which misleadingly claims that my Liberal Democrat colleagues and I voted against a cap on night flights in the House of Commons. I would like to state that this is absolutely untrue and that in fact the opposite is the case.

As you are no doubt aware, I have been campaigning relentlessly against Heathrow expansion and night flights for more than a decade. What we actually voted against was a Clause which enables the Government to increase night flights after 2012 without a vote in Parliament. Before 2012 for technical and international reasons the Government cannot realistically increase night flights but after this date there is little safeguard. Indeed I will continue to support not just a cap on night flights but also press for the end to all aircraft movements at night.

Sadly a few Conservatives voted with the Government on this issue and most abstained. We did not make an issue of the Tory vote because we assumed that late arrivals had simply misunderstood the effect of this complicated Clause in the proposed aviation legislation. Had we won this vote we believe the Government may have been forced to accept a long-term cap, not just until 2012.

I would like to thank all those people who reported this misleading article to me -aware that it was untrue. What is particularly disappointing to me is that the strength of our anti-night flights and Heathrow expansion campaign has always rested on the fact that it has been a cross-party campaign both in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. I am very disappointed that the local Conservatives have now broken this united front and have taken to deliberately misrepresenting our actions.

I do hope you will help set the record straight by spreading the truth. In the meantime, I shall keep you informed of any developments and the proposed consultation if and when they happen.