To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many British nationals, whose holiday provider had gone bankrupt, received compensation under EU Regulations in (a) total and (b) each year since the coming into force of such regulations; and if she will make a statement.

The EU Package Travel Directive, implemented in the UK through the Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 (the PTRs), requires organizers of package holidays, amongst other obligations, to provide sufficient evidence of security for the refund of money paid over and for the repatriation of the consumer in the event of insolvency.

For package holidays including a flight, package holiday organisers meet this obligation by holding and complying with the requirements of a licence issued under the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (ATOL) scheme. Between 23 December 1992, the date the PTRs came into effect, and 31 March 2011, 202,216 passengers were repatriated and 933,624 passengers received a refund under the ATOL scheme. Details of the number of passengers that received refunds and repatriation assistance under the ATOL scheme for the years between 23 December 1992 and 31 March 2011 are in table 1 as follows.

Package holiday organisers for package holidays that do not include a flight cannot be part of the ATOL scheme but have a choice of other ways to provide insolvency protection for consumers. The Government do not hold figures for the number of passengers that have received refunds or been repatriated under these arrangements.