Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department's guidelines on how FCDO staff should respond to allegations of torture by British nationals overseas have been revised since the Guidance for FDCO staff on reporting torture and mistreatment was issued in March 2011.

The Torture and Mistreatment Reporting Guidance of 2011 sets out the process for FCDO staff and other staff working in Her Majesty's diplomatic missions and offices for reporting information about torture and mistreatment. An independent review of the guidance has not been commissioned since its publication in 2011.

There is internal guidance and training for consular staff on what to do in cases involving allegations of torture by British nationals. Internal FCDO guidance for consular staff is regularly reviewed and updated. This includes guidance related to allegations of torture and mistreatment and allegations of fair trial violations from British nationals overseas.