Select committee: Transport Committee
Recommendation 6
Fifth Report - UK aviation: reform for take-off
Published 25 Apr 2022
Paragraph 34
Addressed to Department for Transport
Transport Committee Airlines and airports: supporting recovery in the UK aviation sector All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
The Government must set up an international travel toolkit based on the following principles: • International travel restrictions must be evidenced by transparent advice and analysis that the Government makes publicly available. Such analysis must detail the rationale and evidence as to why such restrictions are deemed effective, UK aviation: reform for take-off 47 considering both public health and economic factors. The process must allow for formal representations to be made from affected sectors, primarily the aviation and travel industries. As in Germany, restrictions should be agreed on a cross- departmental basis with an equal voice from the Department for Transport and the Department of Health and Social Care. • Any restrictions on international travel must be proportionate and comparable to those in place across the rest of the UK economy. Where the Government imposes future coronavirus restrictions on the international travel industry, and where such restrictions do not apply on a comparable basis to the domestic economy, the Government must compensate the industry for the economic loss suffered.
From: Transport Committee, Fifth Report - UK aviation: reform for take-off (HC 683), paragraph 34, 25 April 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 11 July 2022 (deadline 25 June 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The Government's response notes most of the Committee's recommendations, agrees with a small number, partially agrees with others, and points to its new strategic framework, Flightpath to the Future, published on 26 May.
- On future pandemic planning, the Government "agrees with this recommendation", and says it "will only consider implementing new public health measures at the border in extreme circumstances".
- On an Airline Insolvency Bill, it "partially accepts" the recommendation: "If a Bill is required, we will work to introduce it as soon as practicable."
- On CAA financial penalties, it has "noted" the recommendation and will set out next steps "in due course" after reviewing responses to its consultation on additional CAA powers.
- It does "not agree" that the CMA needs to review the antigen travel test market, nor that the consultation should be expanded to cover the private travel testing market, saying that market has been dealt with separately.