Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary has called on the Government to publish assessments
of the potential impact of its decision to exempt ‘high-value’
travellers from Covid quarantine restrictions.
In a letter to Transport Secretary , he asks for a regional breakdown of the effects the
policy could have on both the economy and public health, as well
as the full criteria used to determine who falls into the
so-called ‘high value’ category.
He also asks the Transport Secretary to press Chancellor
to deliver the aviation sector deal he promised nine
months ago to protect nearly 250,000 jobs. In the letter, McMahon
said:
“What message does the Government feel it is sending, at a time
when following Covid rules is critical, when there are one set of
rules for those it considers ‘high-value’ and another for
everyone else?
“If the Government is serious about supporting businesses and
saving jobs, it must set out a proper plan to support everyone
through this crisis. Labour has been clear we must protect jobs
in every part of the country and rebuild business with a support
package that reflects the level of need and severity of
restrictions in different areas.”
Ends
Notes to Editors
-Grant Shapps announced on December 3 that from 4am on Saturday,
December 5, ‘high-value’ business travellers would no longer need
to self-isolate when returning to England from a country not in a
Covid travel corridor https://twitter.com/grantshapps?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
[Full Text of the Letter below]
The Rt. Hon MP
Secretary of State
Department for Transport
33 Horseferry Road
London SW1P 4DR
6 December 2020
Dear Grant,
I am writing to you regarding the Government’s exemption for
so-called ‘high-value’ business travellers from the current
international travel quarantine measures.
Can I begin by raising my disappointment that neither of your
department’s two major announcements last week – on this issue
and plans around Christmas travel – were the subject of a Commons
statement. While I am grateful for the cordial relationship we
share, I feel strongly Parliament should be afforded the
opportunity to scrutinise and challenge Government
decision-making, which hasn’t happened in either of these cases.
We all want to see our economy get back on its feet and
businesses properly supported. But this announcement raises
several questions:
1. Has the Government undertaken full assessments on the impact
this announcement will have on both the economy and public
health? If so, have these been carried out on a regional basis?
2. Will your department publish the scientific evidence
supporting this announcement, particularly around continuing to
drive down cases of Covid-19?
3. How did the department decide which travellers would be
classed as ‘high-value’? Will you publish the full criteria?
4. What assessment was made of the impact of previous quarantine
rules - which applied equally to ‘high-value’ travellers and any
other visitors - on investment and business?
5. The Government has promised to roll out airport testing,
months after Labour called for it, on 15 December. Is this an
indication airport testing won’t be ready, or have the capacity
to meet demand?
6. The Government press release notes that the Joint Biosecurity
Centre and Public Health England have made the decision not to
add or remove any countries from the travel corridor list this
week. Is this new announcement a political decision, not taken in
conjunction with those two public bodies?
There may well be very practical reasons for this decision, which
a statement to the House could have helped clarify. But what
message does the Government feel it is sending, at a time when
following Covid rules is critical, when there are one set of
rules for those it considers ‘high-value’ and another for
everyone else?
If the Government is serious about supporting businesses and
saving jobs, it must set out a proper plan to support everyone
through this crisis. Labour has been clear we must protect jobs
in every part of the country and rebuild business with a support
package that reflects the level of need and severity of
restrictions in different areas.
As you’ll know, it’s been nearly nine months since the Chancellor
promised an aviation deal. It has still not materialised. The
Government must deliver on its promise for the aviation sector
and its supply chain that supports almost a quarter of a million
jobs and protects the environment. I hope you’ll be able to again
urge the Chancellor to act.
Yours sincerely,
Jim
