UK Covid travel rules were arbitrary and disproportionate, say MPs

theguardian.com:

International travel should be protected in future pandemics, MPs have urged, describing the Covid restrictions imposed by the UK government as confusing, arbitrary and disproportionate.

The Commons transport select committee said the government should learn lessons from the coronavirus pandemic to create a predictable and transparent system for future public health crises, to support travellers and the aviation industry.

In a critical report, it said the curbs on foreign travel during the pandemic were “disproportionate to the risks to public health”.

The cross-party committee said restrictions should be comparable to those applied domestically, and international travel should not be “singled out”.

The report concludes that the “decision-making process was not transparent or consistent, nor based on scientific consensus”, resulting in rules that caused “a severe financial shock to the sector”.

The committee also criticised ministers for abdicating all responsibility for the queues, cancellations and delays seen this Easter as airlines and airports struggled to recruit staff in time for a resurgence in passenger demand, after the sudden lifting of all Covid isolation and testing requirements.

It said the government was attempting to “lay the blame on an aviation sector decimated by restrictions and a lack of certainty offered by ministers”, but should review its own recruitment and training processes. Airlines and airports have complained of delays in government security checks for job applicants.

The committee’s chair, Huw Merriman, said: “Government action was inconsistent. It left industry and passengers confused and unable to plan ahead. This resulted in a severe economic deficit for the aviation sector.

“Ministers must get