MP Challenged over Burghfield

8.19.51am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 28th May 2008

"Did he know, and, if not, why not?"

That is what Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Spokesperson for Newbury, David Rendel, wants to find out about the current MP for Newbury, Richard Benyon, in relation to the dramatic cessation of work on nuclear missiles at AWE Burghfield last July. He has written to Mr Benyon to ask.

"There are only two possibilities", commented Mr Rendel. "One is that our MP knew about the problems but appears to have done little or nothing to make sure that his constituents also knew. The second is that he did not know, and did not bother to find out, even when the worries of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate began to receive publicity.

"It was left to my colleague, Mike Hancock, the Liberal Democrat MP for Portsmouth South to ask the relevant Parliamentary question which eventually gave this situation the prominence it deserved".