New plan for “disaster aid"

The UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw has reportedly announced plans for a “disaster aid” system for British travellers caught up in trouble overseas. According to The Times, Straw has promised the publication of a handbook that outlines British travellers’ rights and to “define levels of calamity at which Government help will be available. The politician is quoted as admitting that the recent Indian Ocean tsunami had shown “where consular efforts had to improve” – such as the emergency telephone line set up in the wake if the tsunami only to crash under the strain of some 40,000 calls. Straw is quoted as saying: “The time has come to set out a clear statement of what travellers can expect in terms of consular services. It started before the tsunami but we suddenly found ourselves managing the consequences of the tsunami when we did not anticipate there would be a disaster on this scale.” Report by Tim Gillett, News From Abroad Ltd www.newsfromabroad.com