Yes Stephen... this is why we describe some things along the lines of the 'Social'. We look after each other so that when we do occasionally fall down, there is someone to pick us up. Together we are better.

Mark, London,

"...Taxpayers will pay £20 million...": taxes are collected to be spent - and travellers have always been a deserving cause: you should love for others what you love for yourself and you should help your neighbour, whether oppressor or oppressed (Muhammad).

Abdul Majeed, Bradford, West Yorkshire, UK

For a creature that exists by sheer and rare luck (no other inhabited planets known) it is funny to say that it cannot rely on luck.

Diouf, Jakarta,

There is an old saying: good luck is the residue of careful planning and hard work. This notion is quaint in the 21st century, where the new credo is courtesy of the 19th century's Karl Marx: from each according to his means to each according to his needs.

Jim Silberman, New York, NY, USA

While other posters are correct that few companies provide for scheduled airline failure, the reason is that it is actually rare apart from present circumstances. I have always had travel insurance but never thought of including this aspect until now.

Alan Ward, Cullompton, England

We'll your clearly rich and stupid enough to believe this. A more sensible solution would be merely to increase the ABTA surcharge from £1 a journey to £2 a journey.

The ABTA guarantee means that people who can't afford to can get home when something entirely beyond there control happens.

Joel Stobart, London, UK

In most cases, part of an "XL-ticket" paid into the "ATOL insurance scheme". The "premium" may have been mispriced, but the idea that Mr Pollard would ever refuse to claim on his house insurance because the premium had been mispriced or other innocent policy holders would suffer is risible.

John Smith, Staines, UK

Whilst it would be good if the government hadn't needed to spend the money, the stranded holidaymakers are citizens of this country who find themselves in unusual circumstances. Are we to abandon them because they can't afford the flight home? How ruthless should we be with our fellow citizens?

Mike, Southport, UK

My mother, who would be 98 were she still with us, pocketed her winnings but had my father, a perfect gentleman, settle losses with the bookie.

Nicholas Wibberley, El Contador, Chirivel, Spain

while we still have the CAP and the NHS we will still have this mindset. the NHS guarantees everybody healthcare even if they have never paid 1p towards it. the cap encourages farmers to produce more food than we will ever need and yet get paid a premium price. the xl flights are no surprise.

will, grimsby, uk

You've been talking up free markets for years. Now you're calling for - what? Socialist regulation of the market? Beautiful. "And thus the whirligig of time brings in its revenges."

Bob, London,

Most travel insurance policies do NOT offer Schedule Airline Failure as part of the contract and it is unlikely that the benefit will be provided as standard in the future.

Anyway ,with people just wanting the cheapest price for a policy you can't expect insurers to provide good cover can you?

John Wood, Hull, UK

Didn't all the Holiday Makers travelling with XL have travel insurance? If not then make them stay there until they find the money for the ticket home!

Why should I pay for their stupidity?

All Holiday Makers are advised to take out travel insurance for any trip outside the UK

Phil C, Rugby, England

Erwin in London, what do you mean by a proper job, one that pays fortunes but contributes little to the greater good. In fact it might make the world a worse place but you wouldn't care because you are on holiday in Singapore.
Many people on low incomes have proper jobs, please don't insult them.

J Whiteside, Lytham,Lancashire, England

Who is responsible for the compensation scheme being in deficit? Surely the industry should have had to pay more in when the financial sun was shining. Would maybe reminded them stormy times usually turn up eventually and they could have prepared better for hard times.

Diana, Derby,

What's £20m compared to the billions the government wastes every year. I'd rather help people get home, than waste this money on politicians going on some pointless 5 star holiday (sorry business trip).

Jan, London, UK

I welcome the end of cheap package tours abroad; most of my favourite destinations have been ruined by hordes of people I should walk a mile to avoid back Home. Now I can hope to go abroad again, certain that when I arrive, I shall not find myself apologising constantly for my compatriots.

Robert Douglas, Princes Risborough, UK

People are different, that is how society works.
If you're smart you go to university, if you get an A-level in cooking, you don't.
If you have a proper job you holiday in Singapore, if you don't you go to Blackpool.

For somebody to have good luck, somebody else has to have bad luck.

Erwin, London, UK

About time someone said this - better if these are abolished. If you are stranded in Singapore and you have not taken insurance and can't pay to get back, you should not go there.

Boyd, Oxford, UK

If you cannot afford to have adequate travel insurance, you cannot afford to leave home.
Travel insurance costs less than paying cash fares on London Transport for the same period of time.

Redmond McDonagh, Adelaide, Australia

If you can afford a holiday in Singapore, you can afford to get yourself home if you forgot to buy travel insurance. I agree with Stephen here. This is a cultural thing now -- I was too stupid to pay attention at school so the taxpayer should support me as I can't get a decent-paying job.

M smith, Bangkok, Thailand

I tend to agree on most of this.

However - check your facts please - most holiday insurance doesn't cover airline insolvency, although I bet those who had cover would have thought it did.

Tanya, Derby,

no, but buying your own flight home would be...

Somerset, London, UK

My pension fund is currently in its umteenth year of poor performance. However I am paying handsomely for the public sector's pension. The last time my business went badly no-one bailed me out. However, I am now paying large sums to failing banks. You have barely scratched the surface, old boy.

Andrew Forbes, Thames Ditton, Surrey

Um, well, at least if you got a puncture you might thumb a lift, or phone a friend for a ride home, or even walk it. I'm not sure any of these options would be available if you were stranded in Singapore!

Janet Davis, Sydney, Australia