Two decades after the world's most serious nuclear accident, the towns near the Chernobyl plant remain semi-abandoned. Work on a new 'safe confinement structure' has begun in order to prevent further contamination
Roger has expressed dismay at the decision by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to end the Chernobyl Children's gratis visa scheme which, for a number of years, has helped thousands of children every year to travel to the UK for respite care without having to fund the cost of visas.
The charities who arrange the trips for the children have been informed that the gratis visa scheme will cease to operate after 31st March 2013 and that the Foreign & Commonwealth Office don't have any plans to reconsider this decision.
Roger said: "Visas for Chernobyl Children from Belarus have been offered free to the charities and, until now, the government has born the costs. I know that the government is cutting back on expenditure but I really feel that this is an area where humanitarian interests should take priority."
The news that the Chernobyl Children's Charities would lose free visas came in a letter to Roger from the Minister for Europe, David Liddington MP, after Roger had written to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.
The Minister also announced that as a goodwill gesture in the final year of free visas, that the government had agreed to cover the cost of Chernobyl children's visas obtained in Ukraine as well as Belarus, up to a ceiling of £200,000 overall for the year.

This article appeared in the December edition of Roger's newsletter 'Postcard from Parliament'