E-CLEAR MOVE MUST BRING BACK CUSTOMERS CASH

E-CLEAR MOVE MUST BRING BACK CUSTOMERS CASH

QUESTIONS CONTINUE OVER ROLE IN GLOBESPAN COLLAPSE

SNP MSPs have welcomed moves to put E-clear, who reportedly owe collapsed airline company FlyGlobespan up to £35 million into administration as part of efforts to recover money owed to Globespan customers.

However they have urged greater protection for online customers and raised concerns that this situation could have led to the loss of hundreds of jobs unnecessarily.

SNP MSP and Transport Committee member Shirley-Anne Somerville said:

"This is a welcome step forward in recovering money owed to Flyglobespan. Unfortunately it will bring no comfort to those who worked for the Edinburgh based firm.

Globespan was clearly in difficulty but it looks increasingly like the actions of E-Clear were the final straw.

"Former employees and the former owners must get satisfactory answers as to why and how E-clear was able to withhold such a large sum of money."

SNP MSP Brian Adam called for online customers to get more protection from the industry. Mr Adam who has a motion lodged on this issue at the Scottish Parliament and has written to the UK Transport Minister said:

"If the administrators can recover money from E-Clear it may repay credit card firms who have paid out to their customers, but the people who have really lost out are those who booked online with debit cards.

"The current system gives them no insurance and no support.

"It is these people that are dependent on money being recouped by the auditors and I hope sufficient funds are available to help them.

"They deserve greater protection and I am calling on the UK Government and the travel industry to look at including debit customers in the same insurance scheme that is available to everyone else."