Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 July 2021 to Question 27268 on Prisoners: Torture, what the criteria were for the selection of his Department's sample for review of 124 open cases in December 2019; what the criteria are for each of his Departments such periodic reviews; and for what reason all open cases are not so reviewed on an annual basis.

In December 2019, the FCDO reviewed all of the 124 cases of torture and mistreatment which were open at that time. Annual reviews of all open torture and mistreatment cases include stakeholders from across the FCDO. These reviews provide feedback to staff managing cases, and identify broader themes and trends in reported torture and mistreatment cases. The reviews and summaries of the findings of those reviews contain sensitive personal data and are not published by the FCDO. The FCDO is committed to identifying what we do well and what we could do better in relation to supporting British nationals who have reported torture and mistreatment. We aim to provide effective assistance to victims of torture or mistreatment based on their individual circumstances and local conditions.