GOVERNMENT ministers are considering introducing a levy on holidays to fund emergency help for British victims caught up in natural disasters.
The fund would be on the same lines as one already in place to help those affected by terrorist actions.
Calls for the aid package came after the Government was severely criticised for not acting quickly enough after last year’s Asian tsunami.
A joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office and National Audit Office report into lessons to be learned after the tsunami suggests the fund should be based on the Dutch model, which is paid for by a v3 levy on holidays.
Speaking exclusively to Travel Weekly as the Government prepared to mark the anniversary of the tsunami disaster, minister for consular affairs Lord Triesman said all recommendations in the FCO/NAO report would be responded to ‘positively’.
“We are looking into the suggestion of a levy on holidays,” he said.
“There were a number of recommendations made in the FCO/NAO report. We have already responded positively to some and have accepted all the recommendations.”
Federation of Tour Operators director-general Andy Cooper said a levy would be welcome to support a fund, but it should also help victims of airline or company failure.
A levy amount has not been agreed, but work between the FCO and FTO would continue over the next year, said Cooper.
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