Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to paragraph 11 of the Foreign Affairs Committee report, Flying Home: The FCO's consular response to the covid-19 pandemic, published on 28 July 2020, for what reasons British citizens stranded abroad during the covid-19 pandemic have been advised to crowdfund for support for their repatriation and have not all received support from the Government's £75 million allocated to fly people back to the UK.

I was pleased to meet with the Honourable Lady on 19th October to discuss the FCDO's consular work. Advice on financial assistance for British Nationals abroad is longstanding and sets out all possible options British nationals may explore given the FCDO is not funded to provide financial assistance. We have recently reinforced to consular staff that while individuals may choose to crowdfund this is not an option we require them to explore before they seek an emergency loan to return home. The £75 million referred to was a maximum limit, not a target. We do not accept the Foreign Affairs Committee's suggestion that unspent funds meant those in need did not receive the repatriation support that they needed. The FCDO spent against the funding limit where needed to keep HMG charter flights affordable, in particular where there were fewer British travellers and where there was a need for connecting flights or significant ground transport. Our policy meant that we subsidised flights where it was necessary.

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