By Ned Simons - 10th March 2011
The government has again denied paying bribes to Colonel Gaddafi in order to evacuate British citizens from Libya.
Foreign Office minister Lord Howell told the House of Lords this afternoon that the government had no choice but to pay money to Libyan authorities and that this was normal.
"The payment of handling fees at airports, including for the landing and departure of planes, is an established practice," he said.
"Like all countries and carriers, HMG had to pay them. These charges increased at Tripoli airport as the situation in Libya deteriorated.
"Paying these fees was essential to be able to evacuate British and other nationals by plane."
He added: "Her Majesty's Government do not pay bribes".
Accusations of bribery surfaced after David Cameron admitted Britain had paid "facilitation payments" in order that British passenger aircraft be allowed to land and take off from Tripoli airport as foreigners attmempted to flee the country.
Lord Howell was responding to a question from Lord Davies of Stamford, who asked whether any of the payments could constitute bribes under the Bribery Act 2010.
The former Labour defence minister said "facilitation payments" was a "bizarre" way of describing regular airport handling fees and asked whether any of payments made which were "in any way irregular".
But Lord Howell said the situation was one in which these fees were rocketing because there was a "desperate queue of aeroplanes".
"There is absolutely no doubt that the fees went whizzing up," he said. But insisted "nothing irregular was done of any kind".
He added: "We all recognise the need, in a desperate situation, for large payments to be made."
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