Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they undertake country-specific risk assessments for countries in Africa before deciding whether visitors to the UK from those countries have to self-isolate due to COVID-19.
Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)
Decisions on International Travel Corridors, and therefore whether visitors to the UK from specific countries have to self-isolate, are currently informed by risk assessments provided by the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC), working closely with Public Health England (PHE), using methodology endorsed by the four Chief Medical Officers (CMO) of the UK.
JBC and PHE monitor over 250 countries, territories and islands to inform these risk assessments. This includes African nations. Factors taken into consideration include:
Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 26 November (HL3704), whether they have completed their review of the possibility of resuming direct flights to Sierra Leone, and if so, whether they are currently processing any permissions for flights to begin.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government has now lifted the restriction on direct, scheduled, commercial air services between Sierra Leone and the UK. The Department is aware of one company that has applied for, and been issued, a Foreign Aircraft Operating Permit by the Civil Aviation Authority to operate services between Sierra Leone and the UK.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, following the World Health Organisation's designation of Sierra Leone as free from Ebola, they plan to support the resumption of direct flights from the UK to that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Given the improved situation in Sierra Leone, the resumption of direct flights is currently being reviewed by the Government. Subject to the outcome of this review, we are prepared to process the appropriate permissions for flights to begin.
Asked by: Baroness Hayman (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan urgently to consider the restoration of licences to fly direct to Sierra Leone.
Answered by Baroness Kramer - Liberal Democrat Lords Spokesperson (Treasury and Economy)
In responding to the Ebola outbreak, the Government’s first priority is the safety of the British people. The decision not to permit direct scheduled air services between Sierra Leone and the UK is part of the Government’s overall strategy to mitigate the risk of Ebola entering the UK and on this basis, the Government’s strategy remains unchanged at this time.
Should the assessment change sufficiently, for the Government to become content for direct scheduled services to resume, it would then be for the airlines to decide whether and when they wish to operate, subject to them requesting the appropriate operating permission from the relevant authorities.