Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to adjust the timings of announcements adding countries to the list of those requiring quarantine for returning visitors in order to allow a longer interval between the announcement of new quarantine measures and their implementation.

As the Secretary of State set out in the House on 7 September, there is a tension between bringing in to force regulations at pace which are designed to protect the health of the public and allowing travellers and operators the chance to consider incoming regulations. Our current approach, a Thursday announcement followed by the regulations coming into force on a Saturday tries to straddle those concerns. It is also an approach that has been agreed across the four nations, and takes on board operational considerations at the border. However, we reserve the right to bring regulations in to force quicker if their strong public health rationale to do so.

As we have consistently made clear, COVID-19 has profoundly changed the nature of international travel, and those who chose to travel should do so with their eyes open. It is right that we prioritise the health of the public.