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Written Question
Travel Restrictions: Pakistan
Wednesday 8th September 2021

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what criteria Pakistan needs to meet to move to the amber list for covid-19 travel restrictions.

Answered by Robert Courts

Decisions on Red, Amber or Green List assignment and associated border measures are taken by Ministers, who take into account Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) risk assessments of countries and territories, alongside wider public health factors. Key factors in the JBC risk assessment of each country and territory include genomic surveillance capability, COVID-19 transmission risk and variant of concern transmission risk. A summary of the JBC methodology is published on gov.uk, alongside key data that supports Ministers' decisions.

These are intended to be temporary measures and the government keeps data for countries and territories under regular review.


Written Question
Travel Restrictions: Kenya
Tuesday 7th September 2021

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the methodology that led to the Government's decision to keep Kenya on its red list for international covid-19 travel restrictions, as announced on 5 August 2021.

Answered by Robert Courts

The traffic light system categorises countries, based on risk to protect public health and the vaccine rollout from variants of COVID-19. The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) produces risk assessments of countries and territories. Decisions on Red, Amber or Green List assignment and associated border measures are taken by Ministers, who take into account the JBC risk assessments, alongside wider public health factors. Key factors in the JBC risk assessment of each country include:

  • genomic surveillance capability
  • COVID-19 transmission risk
  • Variant of Concern transmission risk

A summary of the JBC methodology is published on gov.uk, alongside key data that supports Ministers' decisions.

The data for all countries will be kept under regular review and the Government will not hesitate to take action where a country’s epidemiological picture changes.


Written Question
Travel Restrictions: Turkey
Tuesday 7th September 2021

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the methodology that led to the Government's decision to keep Turkey on its red list for international covid-19 travel restrictions, as announced on 5 August 2021.

Answered by Robert Courts

The traffic light system categorises countries, based on risk to protect public health and the vaccine rollout from variants of COVID-19. The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) produces risk assessments of countries and territories. Decisions on Red, Amber or Green List assignment and associated border measures are taken by Ministers, who take into account the JBC risk assessments, alongside wider public health factors. Key factors in the JBC risk assessment of each country include:

  • genomic surveillance capability
  • COVID-19 transmission risk
  • Variant of Concern transmission risk

A summary of the JBC methodology is published on gov.uk, alongside key data that supports Ministers' decisions.

The data for all countries will be kept under regular review and the Government will not hesitate to take action where a country’s epidemiological picture changes.


Written Question
Travel Restrictions: Philippines
Tuesday 7th September 2021

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the methodology that led to the Government's decision to keep the Philippines on the red list for international covid-19 travel restrictions, as announced on 5 August 2021.

Answered by Robert Courts

The traffic light system categorises countries, based on risk to protect public health and the vaccine rollout from variants of COVID-19. The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) produces risk assessments of countries and territories. Decisions on Red, Amber or Green List assignment and associated border measures are taken by Ministers, who take into account the JBC risk assessments, alongside wider public health factors. Key factors in the JBC risk assessment of each country include:

  • genomic surveillance capability
  • COVID-19 transmission risk
  • Variant of Concern transmission risk

A summary of the JBC methodology is published on gov.uk, alongside key data that supports Ministers' decisions.

The data for all countries will be kept under regular review and the Government will not hesitate to take action where a country’s epidemiological picture changes.


Written Question
Travel Restrictions: Guyana
Tuesday 7th September 2021

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the methodology that led to the Government's decision to keep Guyana on its red list for international covid-19 travel restrictions, as announced on 5 August 2021.

Answered by Robert Courts

The traffic light system categorises countries, based on risk to protect public health and the vaccine rollout from variants of COVID-19. The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) produces risk assessments of countries and territories. Decisions on Red, Amber or Green List assignment and associated border measures are taken by Ministers, who take into account the JBC risk assessments, alongside wider public health factors. Key factors in the JBC risk assessment of each country include:

  • genomic surveillance capability
  • COVID-19 transmission risk
  • Variant of Concern transmission risk

A summary of the JBC methodology is published on gov.uk, alongside key data that supports Ministers' decisions.

The data for all countries will be kept under regular review and the Government will not hesitate to take action where a country’s epidemiological picture changes.


Written Question
Travel Restrictions: Bangladesh
Tuesday 7th September 2021

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the methodology that led to the Government's decision to keep Bangladesh on its red list for international covid-19 travel restrictions, as announced on 5 August 2021.

Answered by Robert Courts

The traffic light system categorises countries, based on risk to protect public health and the vaccine rollout from variants of COVID-19. The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) produces risk assessments of countries and territories. Decisions on Red, Amber or Green List assignment and associated border measures are taken by Ministers, who take into account the JBC risk assessments, alongside wider public health factors. Key factors in the JBC risk assessment of each country include:

  • genomic surveillance capability
  • COVID-19 transmission risk
  • Variant of Concern transmission risk

A summary of the JBC methodology is published on gov.uk, alongside key data that supports Ministers' decisions.

The data for all countries will be kept under regular review and the Government will not hesitate to take action where a country’s epidemiological picture changes.


Written Question
Travel Restrictions: Pakistan
Tuesday 7th September 2021

Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will publish the methodology that led to the Government's decision to keep Pakistan on its red list for international covid-19 travel restrictions, as announced on 5 August 2021.

Answered by Robert Courts

The traffic light system categorises countries, based on risk to protect public health and the vaccine rollout from variants of COVID-19. The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) produces risk assessments of countries and territories. Decisions on Red, Amber or Green List assignment and associated border measures are taken by Ministers, who take into account the JBC risk assessments, alongside wider public health factors. Key factors in the JBC risk assessment of each country include:

  • genomic surveillance capability
  • COVID-19 transmission risk
  • Variant of Concern transmission risk

A summary of the JBC methodology is published on gov.uk, alongside key data that supports Ministers' decisions.

The data for all countries will be kept under regular review and the Government will not hesitate to take action where a country’s epidemiological picture changes.


Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 19 Jul 2021
International Travel Rules

"It feels a little like groundhog day: I stand before the Minister to ask for sector-specific support for aviation and he reels off figures that bear no relation to the reality of what aviation workers and the sector actually need. UK airports, compared with those in other countries, have had …..."
Sarah Owen - View Speech

View all Sarah Owen (Lab - Luton North) contributions to the debate on: International Travel Rules

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 08 Jul 2021
International Travel

"Not only has the Government’s hotel quarantining policy been an utter mess, but the handling of complaints and of the legitimate calls for exemption has been painfully slow by official channels. I have had toddlers left without milk and kids so poorly nourished in these hotels that ambulances have been …..."
Sarah Owen - View Speech

View all Sarah Owen (Lab - Luton North) contributions to the debate on: International Travel

Speech in Commons Chamber - Thu 10 Jun 2021
Aviation, Travel and Tourism Industries

"Here we are again: MPs from both sides are getting up and asking for a plan for recovery for tourism and aviation, and asking for clarity on the border, and yet we have a Minister unwilling to stump up the support desperately needed to save businesses and jobs under threat …..."
Sarah Owen - View Speech

View all Sarah Owen (Lab - Luton North) contributions to the debate on: Aviation, Travel and Tourism Industries