Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the oral contribution of the then Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of 14 September 2017, Official Report, column 1091, what the work of that joint officials unit has been since its establishment; and what the budget of that unit has been in each financial year since 2014-2015.

The Joint Officials Unit established in 2015 to provide support to British victims of the Sousse attack has now been stood down. As recommended by the Ministerial Committee at the time, we established the cross-HMG Victims of Terrorism Unit, in March 2017, to co-ordinate support to UK citizens directly affected by terrorist events at home or overseas.

The unit receives no direct funding but prioritises existing departmental resources to ensure that support to victims of terrorism is comprehensive, co-ordinated and clearly communicated. The unit works across Government, including with third sector and private sector organisations, to improve and strengthen the support available so that victims receive the best possible support, now and in the future.