ABTA and the FTO hosted the first of a series of health and safety roundtables last week in the House of Commons.  Members of Parliament and a member of the House of Lords were presented with a report by Corgi, the gas safety specialists commissioned by the FTO, which contains recommendations for a consistent, European wide approach to the safety of gas appliances.

Former Consumer Affairs Minister, Nigel Griffths MP, who chaired the meeting, said that there was a broad consensus from attendees that the problems arising from faultily installed and maintained gas appliances needed to be addressed at source. He and Lord Foulkes agreed to raise awareness of the report with key decision makers both in the UK and in Brussels. Nigel Griffiths agreed to write to the European Commission asking for action on gas safety and commended the FTO initiative to raise the awareness of the need for increased levels of safety in tourist accommodation.

Speaking on behalf of the FTO, Andy Cooper, Director of Government and External Affairs, Thomas Cook Group, said “These roundtables are an essential tool in our lobbying function. Today’s meeting has helped place the FTO and Corgi’s report at the heart of ensuring consistent gas safety standards for the 57 million UK leisure travellers who go abroad each year and we will continue this process in Brussels next month.”