Rhodes Wildfires: Repatriation of Holidaymakers

Earl of Courtown Excerpts

Tuesday 25th July 2023 Lords Chamber

[Lord Young of Cookham]

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to assist with the repatriation of holiday-makers from Rhodes following recent wildfires.

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, we are actively monitoring the fires in Rhodes and elsewhere in Greece and are in close contact with the Greek authorities. The British vice-consulate in Rhodes is visiting local evacuation centres. The FCDO has deployed a rapid deployment team of six FCDO staff and four British Red Cross responders to Rhodes to support British nationals, whose safety is our top priority. The team is based at Rhodes International Airport and is assisting with travel documents and liaising with Greek authorities and travel operators on the ground. There are no plans for the UK Government to repatriate holidaymakers from Rhodes as the airport is operating normally.

[Lord Young of Cookham (Con)]

I thank my noble friend for his reply and for the steps being taken. I also commend the citizens of Rhodes on the hospitality they have extended to British holidaymakers fleeing the fires. Looking ahead, some 30,000 holidaymakers have booked to go to Rhodes over the next few weeks. At the moment, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is not advising people not to travel. The Association of British Insurers has said that unless the FCDO advises against travel, there will not be a great deal of policies that will help. Do the Government expect families booked to go to Rhodes over the next few days to go ahead with their plans?

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, we should pay tribute to the people of Greece who have opened their homes to many holidaymakers in their area. The FCDO travel advice should not impact people’s ability to claim insurance for things such as cancelled hotel bookings or flight changes, depending on their policy and level of cover. However, we recognise that some travel companies use FCDO advice as a reference point to their policies. Our travel advice is focused on ensuring the safety of British nationals and is designed to give people the detail they need to make an informed decision. Of course, our travel advice is always under review.

[Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)]

My Lords, can I ask the Minister to rethink this matter in the light of the information from the noble Lord, Lord Young? It seems quite poignant. We are all ready to go off on our summer holidays—last year I went to Rhodes for a week; it is a marvellous place—and our hearts go out to those people who are there and struggling, or are about to go and are worried about the consequences, and the people of Rhodes whose livelihoods rely, in many cases, on a robust and busy holiday season.

When the Minister at the FCDO was asked whether he would go to Rhodes on holiday, he admitted that he would not travel there. The Government’s lack of advice is not helpful to those who are not sure whether they should fly this week, or what the financial consequences could be. With the cost of living crisis, many people make sacrifices for their annual week-long holiday. I ask the Minister to reconsider the reply he gave to the noble Lord, Lord Young. I am not convinced he entirely understands the position of insurance companies and the struggle that many families have faced to pay for these holidays.

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, I quite understand the point made by the noble Baroness, Lady Smith of Basildon. The situation in Rhodes is stabilising at the moment. The vast majority of the island is not affected by these fires and, as I said, our travel advice is kept under constant review. I understand the situation for people taking valued holidays in difficult times; they really want some certainty. I will take that back.

[Lord Purvis of Tweed (LD)]

My Lords, I will inform the House of the current FCDO guidance. Its website says:

“If you are planning to travel to any areas affected by wildfires, please check with your travel operator or hotel prior to travel”.


Is it safe, in the coming days and weeks, for people from the UK to travel to the areas affected by wildfires?

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, as I said, the situation is stabilising—I had a call with the department earlier this morning—and the majority of the island is not affected by these fires. As I have reiterated time and again, the travel advice is kept under constant review.

[Lord Forsyth of Drumlean (Con)]

My Lords, does my noble friend not think that the carriers—the airlines that take people there—have some responsibility? They put up the fares sky-high for the school holidays and so on. If people have legitimate concerns about the safety of their families in going there, should the carriers not be prepared to accept cancellations and take responsibility for getting people back?

--- Later in debate ---

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, my noble friend Lord Forsyth makes a very important point. The first port of call for individuals in Rhodes at the moment is of course the travel operators, which have the responsibility to get them back. More empty planes were sent yesterday—I gather that more are being sent today—and there is a process of repatriating people from Rhodes.

[Lord Alton of Liverpool (CB)]

My Lords, although the noble Lord, Lord Forsyth, is right about the responsibility that falls on the travel companies, the Minister is right to say that they have responded quite speedily and effectively in the circumstances. Does the Minister agree that the number of wildfires, not just in Rhodes but in other places, could reach a point at which it is impossible for the travel companies to deal with the numbers involved? Can he tell the House what contingencies have been put in place in those circumstance for the FCDO to be able to assist in the evacuation of people caught up in the fires?

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

I thank the noble Lord, Lord Alton; he makes a very important point about the assistance to individuals and families on holidays in these areas. There is always consular assistance. We advise travellers in the areas where there are fires to ask for consular assistance, and so far that has been given to a number of individuals.

[Baroness Watkins of Tavistock (CB)]

My Lords, can the Minister tell us what consideration the Foreign Office is giving to the state of the hospitals in Rhodes at the moment? Smoke inhalation and extreme heat are extremely dangerous for very elderly and young people. I wonder what the occupancy levels are, should British citizens need hospital care, and whether the Foreign Office is thinking about that.

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, at present, as I understand the situation, all British nationals are in good health. The noble Baroness makes a very good point about the facilities available to our nationals in Greece at the moment. As I said earlier, there is a small Red Cross team at the airport. If there is anything more that I can add to my answer, I will write to the noble Baroness.

[Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean (Lab)]

My Lords, the Minister referred to the consular staff. Can he tell us how many British consular staff there are in our consulate in Rhodes, as opposed to the locally engaged staff?

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

I do not have the number of consular staff in Rhodes to hand but, as I said, we have sent out a team to Rhodes Airport, including Red Cross personnel. The FCDO has deployed a rapid deployment team of six FCDO staff—who are based, as I understand it, at the airport—and there are four British Red Cross responders there to support British nationals.

[Earl Russell (LD)]

My Lords, I thank the Minister for his answers to these questions. The risk of wildfires is not just confined to Rhodes but present in the Aegean and Crete. Should airspace be closed, can the Minister reassure me that the FCDO has contingency plans for repatriating British holidaymakers?

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

The situation is kept continually under review. At the moment there are no plans for repatriation; it is up to the tour operators to bring back our holidaymakers. This is also a wake-up call as far as climate change is concerned. It is essential that the world recognises that, which is why the Integrated Review Refresh reaffirms that tackling climate change remains the Government’s top thematic priority and why the Government spent £1.4 billion in international climate finance over the course of 2021-22.

[Baroness Foster of Oxton (Con)]

My Lords, I spent many decades in the aviation and travel industry, and we ought to think carefully about this, notwithstanding that these sorts of episodes have taken place for many years. We should also give credit to the airlines and tour operators, because it is difficult for those on the ground to try to assess the situation; until now, they have done an extremely good job. It is extremely terrifying for tourists who are there, but proper support from the Foreign Office and correct information, which should be updated at all times, should help in these situations. I urge my noble friend to ensure that the Foreign Office, the travel authorities and the travel operators are working closely together to ensure that, for those whose holidays may be cancelled, they will change their holidays for them—that is normal practice—and that everyone is kept up to date.

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

My Lords, I bow to my noble friend’s greater knowledge of the travel industry. She is quite right: it is very important that there is continual work with the travel industry on these issues. I can confirm that there have been discussions at senior levels with the travel industry on this issue.

[Baroness Boycott (CB)]

My Lords, I am very glad to hear the Minister accept that climate change is behind these appalling fires. World Weather Attribution said this morning that it was virtually impossible that they could happen without climate change, so why are the Government still considering giving out licences for more oil and gas exploration in the North Sea?

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

I am afraid that is just a wee bit too wide of the Question. It was a good try, but no—sorry.

[Lord Harris of Haringey (Lab)]

On the point of the Question, is it not the case that many people who travel on holiday to places such as Rhodes and many other destinations do not go via tour operators but book their own accommodation and flights? What support is being given to them, rather than the simple statement that tour operators should be responsible?

--- Later in debate ---

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

The noble Lord makes a very good point; that puts people in a slightly different situation. As I said, we are advising people in a vulnerable position without back-up to seek consular assistance.

[Lord West of Spithead (Lab)]

My Lords, rescuing people from beaches is in the Royal Navy’s DNA, be they British soldiers or British civilians. For two centuries, the Royal Navy was there when there was a disaster in the Mediterranean. Does the Minister not agree with me that it is rather sad that over the last 10 years or so we have not had a British ship available in the region, should there be some requirement to assist our nationals?

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

I am glad that the noble Lord, Lord West of Spithead, lives up to his reputation. The serious points are, first, that the fires in Rhodes are in an area in the centre of the island, and, secondly, that the situation is stabilising. I note what the noble Lord said.

[Lord Scriven (LD)]

My Lords, the editor of Which? has pointed out that, unless the Government give advice not to travel, people who are travelling on airlines such as Ryanair, which is continuing its flights, will have a choice. What would the Minister advise British nationals heading out: either to head to wildfires or to lose all the money they have paid?

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

The noble Lord’s question revolves around travel advice issued by the FCDO, which I mentioned earlier. That is always kept under review.

[Baroness Smith of Basildon (Lab)]

My Lords, I bring the Minister back to a point I made at the beginning, which he did not respond to. If individual insurers and independent travellers are looking for travel advice, does he think that the Minister’s comment that he would not travel to Rhodes will assist them in any claims they make?

[The Earl of Courtown (Con)]

I am not aware that this would affect any claim that may or may not be made. Every individual has their own choice of where they go on holiday; I will be staying at home over the next six weeks. I understand the point the noble Baroness made, but the advice given to travellers is always to check the FCDO to see what its travel advice is.