Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the timetable is for repatriating all UK citizens awaiting repatriation to the UK from India.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Our repatriation effort from India is a priority for the UK Government and is one of our largest COVID-19 repatriation operations, based on the number of British travellers there and the absence of commercial options. As of 12 May, more than 14,000 people have been repatriated from India on 60 flights. We are working around the clock to return more on daily flights from across India. We announced an additional five flights on 7 May, departing from Amritsar and Ahmedabad between 12-15 May. Our top priority is to help the most vulnerable British nationals return to the UK and we reserve as many seats as possible for these individuals on all flights. The addition of these upcoming flights is expected to return almost all of those who are eligible to fly from our waiting lists, and the small minority of those who are unable to travel are currently being looked after by our consular teams in India.
Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many (a) women and (b) men his Department has appointed to each of its non-Departmental Public Bodies in each of the last five years.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Commissioner for Public Appointments completes and publishes an annual data survey of all new appointments and reappointments made to boards of public bodies by Government including the overall gender diversity.
Data on the gender diversity of new non-executive appointees to public boards for 2012 to 2015 are published on Gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/diversity-in-public-appointments
In the last five years, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office has appointed 27 people (11 women and 16 men) to its five Non-Departmental Public Bodies (Wilton Park, British Council, Westminster for Democracy, Great Britain China Centre and Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission).
Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much was spent by his Department on private school fees for children of staff who are based (a) in the UK and (b) overseas in 2016-17.
Answered by Alan Duncan
Members of the diplomatic service must be prepared to serve anywhere in the world throughout their career, sometimes at very short notice. It is long-standing practice that the FCO provides clearly defined and limited financial support to staff for their children's education in the UK.
Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department spent on private school fees for children whose parents are stationed (a) in the UK and (b) overseas in 2015-16.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The total cost of 179 diplomatic officers stationed in the UK in receipt of school fees is £6,005,124. The total cost of 173 diplomatic officers stationed overseas in receipt of school fees is £6,403.938. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office pays and supports a further 1108 children who are stationed with their parents and educated locally with a total cost of £14,207,444.Asked by: Rachel Reeves (Labour - Leeds West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many of his Department's staff are in receipt of support for private school fees for children whose parents are stationed (a) in the UK and (b) overseas.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The number of diplomatic officers stationed in the UK in receipt of school fees is 179. The number of diplomatic officers stationed overseas in receipt of school fees is 173. The FCO supports a further 1108 children who are stationed with their parents and educated locally.