§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for health what structures are in place to ensure that when(a) the Association of British Travel Agents or (b) the Federation of Tour Operators are advised of possible health and safety hazards to tourists at a resort overseas, customers are informed. [18306]
§ Mr. HoramI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 11 December 1995,Official Report, at column 529, which gave details of the Department of Health's agreement with the Association of British Travel Agents about notifying it of outbreaks of disease. The Department now has a similar agreement with the Federation of Tour Operators. Once in receipt of the information, it is for the travel industry to decide when it is appropriate to inform customers.
745W
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to ensure that British tour operators' staff working abroad have training in control procedures concerning legionnaires and other infectious diseases; [18311]
(2) what plans he has to review communications concerning outbreaks of serious diseases, between the United Kingdom Government, British tour operators and holiday resort hotels used by United Kingdom tourists; [18312]
(3) what discussions he has had with United Kingdom tour operators in respect of the factors underlying the delay in informing British tourists of the occurrence of legionnaires disease in the Hotel Imbat, Kusadasi, Turkey. [18313]
§ Mr. HoramOfficials from the Department of Health and the Public Health Laboratory Service are liaising with the Association of British Travel agents and the Federation of Tour Operators to review communications between organisations and clarify what action needs to be taken in response to future reports of travel-related legionnaires disease.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will initiate an inquiry into the role of(a) ABTA and (b) the Federation of Tour Operators in allowing customers to travel to the Hotel Imbat, Kusadasi, Turkey in September 1995. [18314]
§ Mr. HoramThe Department of Health will follow the recommendations of the Public Health Laboratory Service's report, copies of which are available in the Library, into the recommendations into the outbreak of legionnaires disease at the Hotel Imbat, and will review, with United Kingdom tour operators, the exchange of information on outbreaks associated with tourist hotels abroad.
§ Mr. HinchliffeTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what action he is taking to monitor whether Public Health Laboratory Service recommendations relating to the Hotel Imbat, Kusadasi, Turkey, in 1995 are carried out by the Turkish authorities; and if he will make a statement; [18307]
(2) what steps he is taking to ensure that the results of recommendations made by the Public Health Laboratory Service in its report dealing with an outbreak of legionnaires disease at the Hotel Imbat, Kusadasi, Turkey, in 1995 are relayed to potential British visitors. [18308]
§ Mr. HoramThe Public Health Laboratory Service's report, copies of which are available in the Library, into the outbreak has been sent to the travel industry. The PHLS is in contact with the Turkish authorities through the European working group for legionalla infection to monitor that the recommendations are being followed up. A member of the PHLS investigation team is planning to revisit the Hotel Imbat to monitor that all of the recommendations relating to the hotel itself are carried out. It is for those tour operators who have contracts with the Hotel Imbat to ensure that the hotel has taken the relevant steps to safeguard the health of tourists.