The Freedom of Information Act

The Freedom of Information Act was introduced into the UK in 2005. It allows citizens and organisations in the UK to gain access to information from Governmental Organisations and Departments that was hitherto difficult to gain.

HolidayTravelWatch has begun the process of using this law to gain access to relevant travel information and the current thinking that can have an affect on the welfare of all travellers.

Previous requests call upon the DTI and the DOH to provide details on the cost to the nation of returning holiday illnesses.

We have requested further details from the FCO about the composition and work of The Standing Travel Advisory Committee.

We have called upon the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and the Health & Safety Executive, to provide details on their enquiries following the recent cruise on board the MV Athena (10/9/06).

Read the latest responses on the MV Athena Cruise, the Travel Advice Review Group (TARG) and the Department of Health’s response on the cost of returning holidaymaker’s illnesses on the NHS.

The purpose of accessing this information is twofold:

To inform the travel consumer as to relevant issues;
To use that information to monitor, assess, provide comment or campaign on behalf of the travel consumer

This section will reproduce each request and reply, where the statutory provisions allow, and where appropriate provide comment thereon.

Where possible, and if resources allow, Holiday TravelWatch will provide legal challenge to any issue that may arise under the FOIA.

The Maritime & Coastguard Agency

Following the appalling cruise on board the MV Athena (10/9/06) from Falmouth in which one man died and many were injured or suffered with extreme shock, we ask what role the Agency has taken in investigating this cruise.

The Health & Safety Executive

Following the appalling cruise on board the MV Athena (10/9/06) from Falmouth, in which one man died and many were injured or suffered with extreme shock, we ask what role the Executive has taken in investigating this cruise.

The Department for Trade & Industry

We have requested that the DTI provides facts and information relating to the cost of returning holiday illness on British Industry since 1995 to the present (18/12/06).

The initial question posed was to seek information about the review of the Package Travel Regulations and consumer input into the same - all letters/response summaries are placed in desending date order:

The Department for Health

We have requested that the DTI provides facts and information relating to the cost of returning holiday illness on The National Health Service since 1995 to the present (18/12/06).

The initial question posed was to seek information about returning holiday illnesses and how the data is collected and how that information is shared - all letters/response summaries are placed in descending date order:

The Department for Constitutional Affairs

The initial question posed was to seek information about whether the department had an input into the review of the package travel regulations - all letters/response summaries are placed in descending date order:

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office

The question posed to the FCO surrounds The Standing Travel Advisory Committee. We ask how is this Committee consituted and request details of their reports.

The initial question posed was to seek information about whether the department had an input into the travel health debate and if it held discussion with tour operators and/or other government or international governments on this issue - all letters/response summaries are placed in descending date order:

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 10th, 2008 at 11:02 am and is filed under News Desk. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.