Parliament to debate school holiday prices
MPs are to debate the issue of travel companies raising prices during school holidays following a disgruntled father’s Facebook rant.
After Paul Cookson’s comment on the social media site attracted national interest he set up a Facebook group called Holiday Price Increase, including a link to an e-petition calling for a Commons debate.
Since the link was posted on his FB page, the e-petition has gained more than 160,000 signatures.
Commons Backbench Committee has now agreed to debate the issue in Westminster Hall on February 24.
Lib Dem MP John Hemming, who proposed the debate, said it was a "big issue".
Cookson’s initial FB post, entitled "school holiday rant", asked why parents should be "penalised" for not taking their children away during term time.
Prior to his post, the e-petition – originally set up by mum-of-two Donna Thresher in Essex in March 2013, had only a few signatures.
Hemming, MP for Birmingham Yardley, told the BBC school holiday price increases had not been debate enough in Parliament. He said: "It’s a big issue for parents and my concern is that they haven’t been heard."
He added: "The problem is half-terms all tend to be the same, leading to a very big demand for holidays all at the same time. And reducing the flexibility of people to take their children out of school adds to that."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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