Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Foreign Affairs Committee Report: Consular Response to Covid-19

Tuesday 2 May 2023 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • John Spellar inquired about the steps taken by the Department in response to the Foreign Affairs Committee's report HC 643.
  • The Department highlighted its consular and crisis strategy for 2022, emphasizing ongoing improvements in crisis response systems.
  • John Spellar questioned why the FCO did not learn from past crises, citing examples like the Sudan situation.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 John Spellar Lab
Foreign Affairs
Context

The Foreign Affairs Committee published a report, HC 643, on 28 July 2020, titled 'Flying Home: The FCO's consular response to the COVID-19 pandemic', which made recommendations for improvement.

Question

What steps has his Department taken in response to the recommendations of the Foreign Affairs Committee's third report of Session 2019-21, HC 643, published on 28 July 2020?

Answer from David Rutley

As set out in our consular and crisis strategy 2022, we have an extensive programme of lessons learned from previous crises. We continue to improve our crisis response capability systems and structures.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify which specific recommendations were addressed or how they were implemented.

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)

Q2 John Spellar Lab
Foreign Affairs
Context

The Select Committee report in 2020 showed that the FCDO was behind other countries in repatriating citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. The recent Sudan crisis seems to demonstrate ongoing issues with lesson implementation.

Question

Why did the FCO fail to learn from previous crises? The committee's report in 2020 revealed how the FCDO lagged behind other nations in evacuating individuals, and the Sudan situation shows that lessons were not applied. When will the Minister take control of his department?

Answer from David Rutley

The safety of all British nationals in Sudan remains our utmost priority. We on the Conservative side, and many across the House, will welcome the successful evacuation of more than 2,300 passengers.

Not addressed: Did not address why lessons from previous crises were not applied or provide a timeline for improvement.

How: Changed Subject To Recent Success

Was this summary accurate? Tell us

How accurate was this summary? (1 = poor, 5 = spot on)