A FLINTSHIRE MP has called for people who have booked holidays to be given the refunds they are entitled to.

Mark Tami, MP for Alyn and Deeside, has submitted a motion to Parliament where he will voice the need for those who have had holiday plans cut down in the wake of coronavirus to receive the refunds they are entitled to.

The MP will ask the that House of Commons recognise the financial pressure that many households are under due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that many of these will be legally entitled to refunds from travel companies.

The Early Day Motion also raises the issue of some companies that are not providing refunds in a timely manner or are making cash refunds difficult to access.

At the same time, Mr Tami’s call also recognises the significant pressure that travel companies are under and calls on the Government to work with the travel industry to ensure prompt refunds are available to customers, in the interest of both consumers and the industry.

Regarding the motion, Mr Tami said “For so many people the loss of income from coronavirus means times are tough. If you have paid for a holiday which has been cancelled, but cannot get at that money, that is even worse. Where travel companies have a duty to refund people, they should be.

“Unfortunately, many of them, especially larger companies, are doing all they can to hold on to people’s cash. It can be very hard to get any refund at all, and nearly impossible with some companies to get the cash refund that travellers are often entitled to.

“I know that times are also tough for the travel industry, and I have previously called on the Government to ensure that travel agencies and tour operators have a future.

“It is often the smaller travel agents who are providing the best service for their customers right now. The Government should be working with the industry to ensure that both travel companies and consumers can get through this challenging time.”