Thomson Holidays

EDM number 429 in 2003-04, proposed by John P Smith on 14/01/2004.

That this House notes with regret the decision by Thomson Holidays to redraft its terms and conditions of service so that in future, holiday-makers can no longer claim for damage to their health suffered whilst on board an aircraft; believes that, by choosing to hide behind the outdated Warsaw Convention of 1929, this is an abdication of the company's responsibilities to the well-being of their customers who have purchased a service from them in good faith; calls upon the tour operator to re-think its decision to change the contract that enabled seventy people to claim compensation for damage to their psychological health following the terrifying crash landing of a Britannia Airways plane in Gerona in September 1999; congratulates leading transport lawyer Mr Mark Harvey of Hugh James Solicitors in successfully bringing this case to court; endorses his view that this decision is deplorable, especially as there is nothing passengers can do to protect themselves as travel insurance does not cover such injuries; shares the view that such a policy adopted by this company could be construed by some to be immoral; and calls upon her Majesty's Government, as a matter of urgency, to place the same basic responsibilities in law on airlines as any other passenger carriers.

This motion has been signed by a total of 43 MPs, 1 of these signatures have been withdrawn.