Day: June 30, 2018

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Press release: New measures to protect 10 million extra holidays a year

  • government has today introduced new consumer protections that will protect an extra 10 million package travel holidays a year and save consumers tens of millions of pounds a year
  • the Package Travel Regulations ensures consumers that book package holidays through travel websites enjoy same rights as those who book with a travel agent
  • online bookings have transformed the way many people buy holidays, with 83% of Brits booking a holiday online in 2017 compared to 76% in 2016

The government has today (Sunday 1 July) introduced new measures that will protect an extra 10 million UK package holidays a year and help save British holidaymakers tens of millions of pounds a year with strengthened rights for consumers and new protections.

Online bookings have transformed the way many people buy holidays, with 83% of Brits booking a holiday online in 2017 compared to 76% in 2016. According to ABTA, the Travel Association, changes to how we book travel – such as using online booking sites – have created a gap in consumer protections, with 50% of holidays not currently financially protected if a company fails.

To address these gaps, close loopholes and protect more types of holidays, the Package Travel Directive enacted today includes new measures that will:

  • ensure people who book holidays online through travel sites enjoy the same rights as those who book with a traditional travel agent
  • broaden the definition of package holidays to capture modern booking models such as online and via mobile
  • require that travel providers and operators provide better information to travellers, making it clear what their rights to refund are
  • make online sites which enable consumers to put travel packages together responsible for the entire holiday, even if services are performed by third parties

Business Minister Andrew Griffiths said:

Britain is a nation of travellers and we each put aside around £23.10 per week to go towards package holidays. Given that commitment, when we are booking holidays it is reasonable for all of us to expect that if something goes wrong we are protected financially.

The measures that come into effect today will ensure holidaymakers are properly compensated if things do go wrong, removing the risks for consumers and building on our long, proud history of high standards when it comes to travel protections.

Since announcing the new protections earlier this year, the government has worked with travel industry leaders to develop guidance for businesses to help them comply with the new regulations which was published today. Alongside this, ABTA have also published detailed guidance for both consumers and businesses on the updated regulations.

The new measures follow the government having launched its Modernising Consumer Markets green paper in April, a key part of its modern Industrial Strategy, which will hold companies who fail consumers to account and looking to strengthen consumer protections.

Link: Press release: New measures to protect 10 million extra holidays a year
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: NIO Ministers mark 102nd anniversary of the battle of the Somme

The Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP will represent the UK Government in France, whilst her Ministerial colleague, Shailesh Vara MP will attend the commemorative service at Belfast City Hall.

The Secretary of State will lead tributes at the Royal British Legion service at Thiepval and the Somme Association services at the Ulster Tower and Guillemont. She will pay tribute to those soldiers from the volunteer Divisions raised in Ireland who made the supreme sacrifice on the battlefields of the Somme in 1916.

Ahead of travelling to today’s ceremonies in France, Karen Bradley said:

I am truly honoured to be in this most beautiful part of France to represent Her Majesty’s Government at today’s ceremonies to commemorate the Battle of the Somme. It is important that we remember all those from across the island of Ireland who gave their lives for our freedom during the First World War. The Battle of the Somme in particular has an indelible link with Northern Ireland given the remarkable bravery shown, and the scale of the sacrifice made, by the 36th (Ulster) Division and the 16th (Irish) Division.

We are indebted to organisations such as the Royal British Legion and the Somme Association and Somme Heritage Centre who work tirelessly to ensure that their heroic contribution is always remembered.

Across the UK and Ireland we continue to commemorate the wider decade of centenaries, in which we have learned about our shared history, in a spirit of mutual respect and inclusivity. This year in November we will mark the centenary of Armistice and the ending of the Great War, and we will take a further step on our path towards a shared future.

It is difficult for us to comprehend the horror that these men faced as they went forward into battle, but their contribution and sacrifice was immense and we should never, ever forget it.

Link: Press release: NIO Ministers mark 102nd anniversary of the battle of the Somme
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: UK Government calls for more international support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

Minister Mark Field and Joanna Roper have held talks with senior ministers in Dhaka and have called for greater humanitarian assistance for the Rohingya refugee community, particularly to help support the provision of education for refugees and host communities.

Over 706,364 people have fled from their homes in Burma’s Rakhine State into Bangladesh since August 2017, joining around 340,000 Rohingya who had previously fled.

In a visit to Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar, where over a million refugees are living in crowded and unsafe refugee camps, Minister Field and Joanna Roper met refugee families and community leaders to learn about the persecution they suffered in Rakhine, and to hear about the challenges that life in the camps presents. They saw first-hand the damage caused by recent monsoon rains, and the work of the Government of Bangladesh and humanitarian agencies to protect the refugees.

They visited a UNICEF child-friendly site where they saw the efforts being made to keep young people safe and heard about efforts to provide education for refugee children. They also visited community and health centres, and met with a site management team to hear about the UK’s contribution to monsoon preparedness. Joanna Roper was invited to see a safe space for women at the camp, and heard about their experiences of displacement.

Tomorrow (1st July) in Dhaka, Minister Field and Joanna Roper will hold talks with senior ministers on the Rohingya crisis, and the wider situation in Bangladesh. They will hear how Bangladesh is making strong inroads into providing twelve years of quality education for women and girls, and visit a factory where they will speak to the female workforce about labour rights.

Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field MP said:

What I witnessed today was truly heartbreaking, and only redoubles my determination to support the refugees and keep up the pressure on the Burmese authorities.

I call on the international community to work with Bangladesh to step up support for the refugees, both during this monsoon season and in the longer term through the provision of education and livelihoods.

The UK remains a leading donor to the crisis, committing £129m since September last year to support the refugees and vulnerable host communities.

We will continue to use international pressure and dialogue with the Burmese authorities to make progress, including through our support for the EU sanctions measures announced on 25 June.

UK Special Envoy for Gender Equality Joanna Roper said:

The stories we heard in the camps of violence against the Rohingya in Burma are deeply disturbing, but I was moved by the efforts being made to provide support to women and girls in the camps, as well as the learning centres for Rohingya children, displaying a thirst for education despite all that they have endured at such a young age.

Girls’ education is the right thing to do: women and girls have the right to be educated, equal, empowered and safe. As the Foreign Secretary said at the UN Human Rights Council on 18 June, we must leave no girl behind and enable all girls to receive 12 years of quality education. That message is equally important for Rohingya girls to hear.

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Link: Press release: UK Government calls for more international support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: Armed Forces Day 2019 to be held in Salisbury

The announcement will come as over 300 events are set to be held today to mark this year’s Armed Forces Day, from the national event in Llandudno to street parties and military parades across the country to say thank you to our sailors, soldiers and airmen and women.

Following the nerve agent attack, military teams worked tirelessly, alongside the emergency services, to help ensure the city is safe and can return to normal for visitors, businesses and everyone to enjoy. Their work to safely remove contaminated vehicles, testing the nerve agent and their ongoing efforts supporting the recovery, has enabled the city to return to the vibrant and welcoming place it is.

As well as this heroic response, Salisbury is a city steeped in military history, home to many Army bases including Bulford Camp and Tidworth Camp. While Salisbury Plain, one of the UK’s biggest military training areas, has been used for more than a century.

Prime Minister Theresa May is due to say:

Armed Forces Day is a way to thank our incredible servicemen and women for their dedication, for the many sacrifices they make and for their extraordinary service and courage. I can think of no more suitable a place than Salisbury to show our gratitude next year.

The military response to the nerve agent attack here has been remarkable. In the days immediately following the attack, expert military teams helped to safely move contaminated vehicles, the Defence Science and Technology Library at Porton Down then expertly tested the nerve agent and today around 200 specialist military personnel from the Army and RAF continue to support the recovery.

By holding Armed Forces Day here next year, we are also celebrating the tremendous resilience and great spirit of Salisbury and showing clearly it is open for business. It’s a great city, enriched by military history and a wonderful place to visit.

It is expected hundreds of thousands of people will descend on the city for the day, supported by a £25,000 grant from the Ministry of Defence to host the event. This is on top of the £2.5m given to support businesses, assist with tourism and meet unexpected costs involved in the recovery effort in Salisbury.

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson is due to say:

Salisbury was a natural choice to host Armed Forces Day in 2019.

The city has a historic link with our Armed Forces and our troops demonstrated once again their bravery, dedication and skill during the central role they played following the reckless nerve agent attack here this year.

Our extraordinary service men and women continue to help Salisbury and the people of this beautiful cathedral city through the clear up and investigation, and it’s extremely fitting that next year the city and the entire nation will be able to thank them here for their commitment and unwavering service to protecting our nation from the deadliest of threats.

Baroness Scott of Bybrook OBE, leader of Wiltshire Council, is due to say:

I am absolutely delighted that Salisbury has been selected to host the Armed Forces Day national event next year. Wiltshire is proud to be a military county and the armed forces and their families make up a significant proportion of Wiltshire’s population. This is a fantastic opportunity, on behalf of the whole country, to recognise and celebrate what they do.

It will also be an opportunity to all say thank you for the work they have undertaken in Salisbury to ensure that the city is safe and can return to normal.

The event is the national focal point for celebrations and recognises the hard work and sacrifice of those that serve this country.

During recent months in Salisbury, we have seen how strong the links are between the city and our armed forces community. To be selected to host the national event in 2019 is a wonderful way to thank our service men and women for their contribution and for the job they do to keep us all safe.

Link: Press release: Armed Forces Day 2019 to be held in Salisbury
Source: Gov Press Releases

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Press release: British athletic games launched for wounded Armed Forces

Organised in partnership with Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion, this will see over 400 British veterans and personnel participate, helping those with injury or illness overcome mental and physical hurdles.

Participants will be able to take part in sports including athletics, wheelchair basketball, powerlifting, swimming and sitting volleyball.

The Prime Minister will make the announcement while attending Armed Forces Day, held in Llandudno this year. At the event, she will meet with men and women from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, both regulars and reserves and cadets and veterans.

Prime Minister Theresa May is due to say:

I am proud to be in Llandudno for Armed Forces Day, celebrating our brilliant servicemen and women. Speaking on behalf of the nation, I want to thank them for their dedication, for the many sacrifices they make and for their extraordinary service and courage.

As our brave armed forces face dangers on our behalf, it is only right that we do everything we can to help their recovery when they suffer injuries or illness during combat or training.

Through these new British athletic games and the rehabilitative power of sport, we can help those who have sacrificed so much for our country to lead full and rewarding lives.

Now in its 10th year, this year’s Armed Forces Day will see a record number of flypasts and displays. The crowds will enjoy air shows from the Red Arrows and the Typhoons, while HMS Somerset will be docked in Llandudno Bay and Challenger battle tanks and Warrior armoured vehicles will be displayed in the military village.

The event in Llandudno is just one of over 300 events across the country to mark Armed Forces Day. From street parties to military parades, these events will say thank you to our sailors, soldiers and airmen and women.

At sea, on land and in the air, at home and around the globe, there are over 5,000 members of the British armed forces deployed currently in over 20 operations in 30 countries. From fighting against terrorism in the Middle East to providing peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance in Africa and the Caribbean while also being ready to defend our homeland in the event of a crisis 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Link: Press release: British athletic games launched for wounded Armed Forces
Source: Gov Press Releases