Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Covid-19 Quarantine: International Travel

Thursday 22 October 2020 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The global travel taskforce is considering how to implement a testing regime for international arrivals to reduce self-isolation.
  • I very much understand the pressures that the coach industry in particular is under, as I mentioned in a previous response.
  • My hon Friend is absolutely right, reducing quarantine to seven days and using testing capacity at major airports are steps to get the economy going.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Flick Drummond Con
NHS
Context

The MP inquired about reducing the duration of quarantine after international travel due to its impact on the economy and personal lives.

Question

What steps is his Department taking to reduce the duration of covid-19 quarantine required after international travel?

Answer from Grant Shapps

The global travel taskforce is considering how to implement a testing regime for international arrivals to reduce self-isolation.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify concrete steps or timeline for reducing quarantine periods.

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Q2 Paul Howell
Economy Employment Business & Trade
Context

Coach operators like J&C Coaches in Sedgefield constituency have been facing significant financial challenges as travel restrictions ease but support remains inadequate.

Question

The restrictions on air travel have had many further consequences, not least for coach operators. When the pandemic first struck, the Government introduced a very generous package for coach operators that saved many businesses and jobs. Now that coach operators such as J&C Coaches in my Sedgefield constituency are back up and running again, the Government's package has stopped. However, fleet insurance is back to normal, the vehicles all have to be taxed and the drivers are back to work. All the coach operators have to fund these expenses on very basic school contracts. There are no swimming baths, no Beamish, no Hadrian's wall, no excursions, no football and no nights out in Darlington, Durham or Newcastle. Will the Secretary of State please encourage his right hon Friend the Chancellor to find something from somewhere to support this industry that is part of the glue that connects our citizens?

Answer from Grant Shapps

I very much understand the pressures that the coach industry in particular is under, as I mentioned in a previous response. It is a fact that those parts of the economy, many of which my hon Friend described, are not up and functioning right now, so the Government need to do things to provide support to the sector, which we have been doing across all UK businesses—in particular, through the 24 September winter economy plan from the Chancellor—to try to assist, while also recognising that the Government do not have a magic-wand solution.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Acknowledged challenges but did not provide specific new support measures for coach operators.

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Q3 Flick Drummond Con
Transport Business & Trade
Context

The MP inquired about creating testing facilities at smaller regional airports like Southampton to aid the travel and tourism industry.

Question

I have heard from a number of constituents in the travel and tourism industry who are very concerned about staying in business over the next six months. I therefore welcome my right hon Friend's recent proposal to reduce quarantine to seven days and on the use of testing capacity at major airports such as Heathrow. What can the Government do to help smaller regional airports, such as Southampton, to create their own testing capacity?

Answer from Grant Shapps

My hon Friend is absolutely right. That links to the previous question inasmuch as we have to get this economy going if we are going to have to live with coronavirus for quite some time. We need to do that by ensuring that economic activity can continue and that people can continue to travel by coach, covid-safely, and by air. The global travel taskforce is working on the implementation of some really quite complex issues related to testing at airports.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify concrete actions for regional airports like Southampton.

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