MPs deplore government restrictions on international travel

A week after the “no travel” order was eased, MPs from across the political divide have condemned the government’s continued approach to international travel.

In a Westminster Hall debate on Covid travel restrictions, Conservative and Labour members criticised the lack of transparency on the government’s “traffic light” system and the failure to capitalise on the success of the vaccination programme.

The debate took place a week after the 19-week ban on international leisure travel was lifted and replaced by red, amber and green categories for deciding measures on return to the UK.

Ben Bradshaw, Labour MP for Exeter, said the government was being “over-cautious” given the success and advanced state of the UK vaccination programme.

He said: “We were promised and led to expect a vaccine dividend, but when it comes to foreign travel, we have the opposite. The British are not only under tighter travel restrictions than our European neighbours; we are more restricted than we were last summer, despite having the most-vaccinated population in Europe after Malta.

“A number of countries, including Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal – yes, they are popular holiday destinations for British people, but they are also countries with which people living here have many family and other ties – are already welcoming British people with open arms.

“They are at most requiring proof of vaccination or a negative antigen test, or, in the case of Spain from today, neither, but for most people in Britain, the fact that those other countries are ready to welcome us is meaningless because, with the exception of Portugal, all are on the government’s orange list, requiring quarantine on return as well as multiple expensive PCR tests.

“The Germans and other Europeans are already on the sunbeds in Spain, Greece and Italy. The British, by and large, are not.”

He was backed by Huw Merriman, Conservative MP for Bexhill and Battle and chair of the Transport Select Committee.

Mr Merriman said: “For far too long we have been told that people should not be able to go on holiday. I profoundly disagree.

“What has become of our country that we seek to demonise those who wish to go on holiday?

“For a lot of people, this is about a trip abroad to see their loved ones and those they are in a relationship with, whom they have not seen for over a year.

“It is essential that we get moving and give people back their liberties and freedoms—not just for them as individuals, but so as to employ the 500,000 people in our economy who rely on international travel.

“If we take the view that we can never unlock because there might be a risk of a mutant strain, we will never be able to fly again.

“There has to come a point when we look at the proportionality, the health risks involved and the mitigation in place against those health risks, which is testing and quarantine, and we then look at what is good for the economy and for people’s individual freedoms.”

But Justin Madders, Labour MP for Ellesmere Port and Neston, called for tougher restrictions – and criticised the government for allowing people to go to “amber list” countries.

He said: “The ambiguity over amber has to end. People should not travel to particular countries.

“Do not let them – it is not difficult.”

The SNP has also urged tougher travel restrictions. Martyn Day, the Nationalist MP for Linlithgow and East Falkirk, said: “We have made so much progress in suppressing the virus and we must not put that at risk now by enabling new variants to enter the country too easily.

“Everyone should continue to limit their travel abroad, and when it comes to holidays we should be playing it safe by holidaying at home and supporting our local tourism sector as much as we can this year.

In response to MPs, the junior health minister, Jo Churchill, said: “We are taking a cautious approach to opening up international travel, given that the risk from those travelling back from countries with high prevalence or where there are variants of concern is not only to the individual, but to wider society.

“Border measures, including testing and quarantine, continue to help manage the risks. That includes the requirement for international arrivals, except those from green list countries, to take a pre-departure test and isolate for 10 days, either at home or in a managed quarantine hotel if they have come from a red list country, and to take a post-arrival test on day two and day eight.”

In response to calls to reduce the cost of tests to provide them free, she said: “Is the British taxpayer meant to pay for the test for leisure purposes and travel?”

She added that travel agents “are supported by Her Majesty’s Treasury”.