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Chernobyl: Children

Volume 482: debated on Tuesday 4 November 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department will take steps to facilitate arrangements for children from Chernobyl to be able to travel to the UK in accordance with the motion passed at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 13 October 2008. (231290)

The Government support the motion of the Council of Europe calling on the Belarusian authorities to end the travel ban for children who participate in various assistance programmes. The British ambassador to Belarus has been in close contact with the authorities in Minsk, raising our concerns. UK arrangements have worked well, with a high standard of care and safe return of the children to their guardians. We hope to find an amicable resolution of the issue to allow the resumption of these programmes.