Holidaymakers who 'chose to take risks' by travelling during pandemic should not get taxpayer support, Tory baroness says

Holidaymakers in Spain forced to quarantine on their return should not get taxpayer support as they chose to risk travelling in the middle of a global pandemic, a Tory former minister has said.

Labour calls for publicly-funded help for Britons having to self-isolate on flying home were criticised by Baroness Buscombe, who argued the opposition “love spending other people’s money”.

The Conservative peer made her intervention as Labour tackled the Government over providing financial assistance for those forced to quarantine, arguing its current guidance was “not acceptable and irresponsible”.

It comes after it was announced that travellers from Spain will be required to quarantine for 14 days on their return to the UK, after a spike in coronavirus cases.

Responding to an urgent question by Labour in the House of Lords, transport minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton said: “We encourage employers to show flexibility by allowing employees who return from Spain to work from home where possible while self-isolating or offering paid leave.

“We expect many employers will have their own policies for self-isolation. Some may continue to offer full pay for all or some of the isolation period.”

She said those people in need of urgent support may be entitled to benefits.

But Labour leader in the Lords, Baroness Smith of Basildon said: “The government has failed to understand the practicalities and the financial impact of self-isolation.

“In the letter sent out by the minister there was only guidance for office workers if they were being forced to go back to work — saying it was ‘encouraging employers to be understanding’ and later added that staff ‘could go to ACAS’.

“It’s just not acceptable — and it’s also totally irresponsible.

“She and I are working from home today, but for millions of people, usually in the lowest paid jobs, that just isn’t possible.

“Even if employers are understanding, landlords and others may not be. Pricing people out of self-isolation is dangerous — for all of us.

“So will she report back on what action ministers are taking to provide financial support, including statutory sick pay, for those the government says must self-isolate?”

Lady Vere said: “The government has been absolutely clear that there is urgent support available for those who need it.”

She told peers the travel corridor had to be removed from Spain after the infection rate “increased at an alarming rate”.

The minister said: “It was absolutely essential that we put in place the measure that we did in order to keep our public safe.”

Branding Labour’s urgent question as “extraordinary and wrong”, Lady Buscombe said: “The trouble with Labour and the Liberal Democrats is they love spending other people’s money.

“They complain about austerity and then want to spend yet more of taxpayers’ money on people who have chosen to take risks by travelling, mostly for pleasure, in the middle of a worldwide pandemic.

“Isn’t it time for everyone to stop treating people as if they are incapable of taking proportionate risks and accepting the consequences?

“Will the minister reassure her colleagues that they are doing absolutely the right thing in very difficult and ever-changing circumstances.”

Lady Vere said: “Whenever one travels during a pandemic or otherwise there are always risks … that are simply not present when one is at home.

“At the moment with the pandemic, the risks are certainly much higher — but they can be mitigated by travel insurance, but also by looking at those travel providers who offer travellers flexibility.”

Press Association

Source: UK Politics - www.independent.co.uk