§ Mr. ThorneTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in giving protection to British tourists travelling abroad by making tour operators responsible to British courts for statements made in their brochures.
§ Mr. ForthNegotiations on a draft EC directive on package travel continue. Meanwhile, the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has recently revised its code of conduct for tour operators in consultation with the Office of Fair Trading.
I welcome the new code. I believe that consumers will benefit in particular from the clear statement of their responsibilities which tour operators will now be required to provide in their brochures and booking conditions.