Source · Select Committees · Transport Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Paragraph: 33
The Government must build international travel into its future pandemic resilience planning, developing a transparent...
Recommendation
The Government must build international travel into its future pandemic resilience planning, developing a transparent and predictable system that can be used to facilitate safe international travel during potential future health crises. The Government’s strategy for the recovery of the aviation sector must include a commitment to developing such a plan.
Paragraph Reference:
33
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
The Government agrees with this recommendation. The COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented, and governments worldwide have had to balance competing objectives. We adapted our approach over time, learning lessons and taking a more targeted and time limited approach where possible, whilst focussing on protecting public health. Whilst the government intends to be as transparent as possible about future pandemic resilience planning, future health crises are unpredictable. A key lesson from the response to COVID-19 is that an open border with international travel measures in place can only slow down the importation of a variant or a public health threat, not completely prevent importation. As set out in the Living with COVID-19 strategy, the Government recognises that border measures have carried very high personal, economic, and international costs. The Government will only consider implementing new public health measures at the border in extreme circumstances where it is necessary to protect public health. The Government is committed to ensuring any health measures are proportionate, flexible and regularly reviewed. The Department for Transport is working closely with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and other government departments at the forefront of resilience planning to develop robust, flexible capabilities that can be adapted to outbreaks of different scales and characteristics. The Government will continue to work closely with industry on its resilience to ensure operators and transport infrastructure can respond well to any future public health emergencies. Furthermore, the Department for Transport committed in the recently published ‘Flightpath to the Future’ that we will learn the lessons from COVID-19 and build resilience to future pandemics and threats to public health. As the aviation sector recovers from the pandemic, the Government is committed to working in partnership with all aspects of industry to support growth and drive forward a successful recovery to pre- pandemic levels of demand and profitability.