BOLTON West MP Ruth Kelly has urged the Foreign Secretary to improve access to information on the safety of foreign travel dest- inations.

The Labour politician acted after she heard accounts of British holidaymakers who became caught up in Kenya's Civil War - despite first being told by their tour operators that reports of violence were "overblown."

The MP claims confidence about the reliability of information released by the Foreign Office is low and says several of her Bolton constituents have expressed their concerns to her.

She said: "Many were worried about what they had read in the national press, especially as the Foreign Office still maintained it was safe to travel to Kenya. This, despite the decision by the US State Department to warn its citizens to stay away.

"It seems that in countries like the United States holidaymakers are provided with much more information on the safety of their travel destination and if the risk is deemed too high they are provided with alternative holidays.

"I have written to the Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, urging him to look into this matter and have asked if it is possible for British people to gain access to the advice offered by other Governments.

"We must ensure that the advice given to British citizens before they travel can be relied upon and is as accurate and comprehensive as that issued by other Governments."

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