Yesterday I had the opportunity to participate in a general debate on the aviation, travel and tourism industries and how they have been affected by the ongoing pandemic.

In particular, in my speech I focused on how the ongoing pandemic-induced interruptions in international travel have affected the business travel industry, which in a normal year accounts for over 6.4 million journeys and 32 million transactions across the UK, which contribute an estimated £220 billion to UK GDP. This industry, which includes those who strike business deals, humanitarian aid workers, engineers, scientists, education providers and researchers, is undergoing a dramatic collapse in revenue and requires UK Government aid.

You may find a transcript of my speech on Hansard, or a video of it on Parliament TV.