Exposure to carbon monoxide is an ever-present issue, wherever you are in the world. Policy Connect was pleased to support Dr Al Pinkerton MP’s Westminster Hall debate on 11 February, an important milestone in our work to improve public policy and communication around the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Carbon monoxide risks abroad

Following the All-Party Parliamentary Carbon Monoxide Group’s (APPCOG) Voicing CO Victims’ Stories parliamentary showcase in December 2024, Dr Al Pinkerton MP secured a parliamentary debate to push for better government advice on carbon monoxide safety while travelling abroad.

Stories told in the December event, including that of Hudson Foley, who passed away from carbon monoxide poisoning while travelling in Ecuador, remind us that carbon monoxide poisoning is a threat present worldwide. Standards for gas safety are generally lower abroad and furthermore awareness about carbon monoxide is low across populations. This makes misdiagnosis and misattribution of the cause of death common, particularly in countries that do not require a post-mortem toxicology report. 

Official numbers of deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning are known to be unreliable indicators of the risk of death – Hudson Foley for example was only confirmed to have died from carbon monoxide following efforts from his family to uncover the truth – but the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) website uses these figures as a justification for only providing carbon monoxide safety guidance for a couple countries.

There is a pervasive risk of carbon monoxide poisoning; guidance must as such be updated to prevent further lives being lost to the poisonous gas. 

Debate highlights

After Dr Pinkerton’s moving opening address on Hudson’s story, MPs from across party lines, including Edward Morello MP (Lib Dem), Jim Shannon MP (DUP), Mark Francois MP (Con), and Andrew Rosindell MP (Con), called on the Government to better communicate the risks at home and abroad.

Cross-party MPs called in concert for travel guidance to issue explicit warnings about carbon monoxide risks abroad. Each of the country-specific travel pages could easily be updated to highlight fuel safety risks and, importantly, call for Britons to pack a carbon monoxide alarm on their travels. MPs meanwhile called for the Government’s Travelaware programme to outline more specific safety tips on fuel safety and carbon monoxide risk, to make the programme an essential port of call for travel safety guidance.

Future action: Government considerations and policy changes

We welcome FCDO Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Hamish Falconer MP’s response indicating the FCDO’s consideration of the proposal to include carbon monoxide warnings more broadly.  

The debate has set the stage for important potential policy changes that can ensure Britons are safe on their travels. If the Government acts on these recommendations, British travellers can benefit from appropriate guidance on carbon monoxide safety. 

This is also an important opportunity for collaboration across government departments. This newfound political attention to carbon monoxide poisoning must be the catalyst for all relevant government departments, including the MHCLG, DHSC, and DEFRA, to highlight the pervasive risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.  

For more information about the work of the APPCOG, please contact Lavanya Rangarajan at lavanya.rangarajan [at] policyconnect.org.uk (Lavanya[dot]Rangarajan[at]policyconnect[dot]org[dot]uk)