Airport lounges cost taxpayers
[5th May 2008]
The government is reported to be spending more than £1 million paying for VIPs to use airport lounges at Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
According to the Sunday People newspaper, Conservative party shadow minister Mike Penning has discovered the government has spent £1.273 million on VIP suites at Heathrow and Gatwick.
Penning told the newspaper: “The number of bookings is phenomenal. The taxpayer deserves to know why this is happening. It raises serious questions over whether this is good value for money".
According to the Sunday People, the Foreign Office is making up to 100 bookings a week for airport lounges. The newspaper says the cost of the government’s bookings at Gatwick averages £623, while at Heathrow the government is paying £276 a time for an airport lounge.
The newspaper reports that the Foreign Office said it needed the VIP suites for Cabinet ministers and their officials, heads of state, and the Royal Family.
Airport lounges provide an escape from the hustle and bustle of the airport and typically provide complimentary food and drinks, newspapers and magazines, and increasingly facilities such as WiFi hotspots and meeting rooms.
Generally airport lounges at Heathrow airport and Gatwick airport cost from around £13.50 per person, including complimentary drinks and snacks.
Written by: Nick Purdom
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