In a written statement to Parliament, on 22 June, the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw, announced the outcome of the Foreign Office Travel Advice Review.

To improve the service and maintain the credibility of Travel Advice, the Foreign Secretary has agreed to changes to the Travel Advice service.

The Foreign Secretary said - 'In future, in the case of intelligence-based terrorist threats, we shall advise against travel only in situations of extreme and imminent danger - if the terrorist threat is sufficiently specific, large-scale or endemic to affect British nationals severely. We shall continue to advise against travel in cases of non-terrorist threats (coups, civil unrest, natural disasters) on the same basis as before.'

'Many people continue to travel despite our warnings against all but essential travel. We believe the public will be better served if such warnings are used more sparingly.'

Notes for editors

1. The extensive Review of the Travel Advice service started in December 2003. A wide range of stakeholders were consulted during the Review process. Views on the Travel Advice service and how it might be improved were provided by a number of associations, companies and individuals.
2. In addition, the Foreign Secretary has decided to accept the recommendation to establish a Standing Advisory Council of Travel Advice users. Details of membership, timing and agenda are still to be finalised, but the Council would bring together representatives of the travel and insurance industries, NGOs and others to advise on issues arising from Travel Advice and its implementation.
3. The Foreign Secretary has also asked officials to implement a number of recommendations from the Review, and from the subsequent consultation, to make the Travel Advice pages clearer and easier to use.
4. As previously said by the Foreign Secretary in a Statement on 1 April and reiterated in the written statement today - Travel Advice needs to strike a balance between danger and disruption: making public safety its prime concern while minimising the disruption which terrorists want to cause. Advice must inform people of the threat from terrorism. And, when the threat is acute, it will inevitably lead to some disruption in travel in the interests of public safety. But at the same time we must make sure we do not do the terrorists' work for them by causing too much of the disruption which they seek.
5. A copy of the Written Statement is available both on this website and in the Library of the House.
6. The Foreign Office website provides Full Foreign Office Travel Advice

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Foreign Secretary's Written Statement of 22 June on the outcome of the Travel Advice Review.

Statement by the Foreign Secretary on Review of Travel Advice, 1 April 2004.

Jack Straw's written statement to Parliament announcing Travel Advice Review, 10 December 2003

Command Paper No. 6158: Travel Advice Review (PDF)

Notes for Editors

 

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