Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has told north-east MPs that the UK Government will “stand by” Thomas Cook holidaymakers currently stranded abroad.
The travel firm ceased trading in the early hours of Monday morning after failing to secure a last-ditch rescue deal.
An estimated 150,000 tourists are being brought back to the UK by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in a flight programme costing £100 million.
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine MP Andrew Bowie, speaking in the Commons yesterday, asked the Department for Transport to ensure all holidaymakers are brought home.
Mr Shapps said: “Of course, we’ll stand by people who are already out there and will get them home.”
Moray MP Douglas Ross later raised concerns over those back in the UK who had lost their jobs as a result of the collapse.
He said: “Moray had two branches prior to the collapse, so can the Secretary of State reiterate what the government is doing to support, advise and help former employees of this company both in high streets across Moray and the UK?”
Mr Shapps said there was a “rapid job centre plus service ready and mobilised to assist” former staff, adding: “If any of his constituents walk in and find that is not the case then I certainly will want to know about it.”
Argyll and Bute MP Brendan O’Hara asked Mr Shapps if, given the chance, he would take the same course of action in not bailing out the firm.
Mr Shapps said spending public money would have been “throwing good money after bad” and the Government was concerned it would have had to pay for the repatriation of holidaymakers anyway.
He said that the Government will focus its efforts after the repatriation on looking at how airlines can be wound down in a more orderly way.