Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure British (a) embassies and (b) consulates are adequately resourced to support British citizens when abroad.

Ensuring that we have the right people in the right places to support those who require consular services is a top priority for the UK Government. We regularly review how we resource consular services to ensure we are providing the right support to British people overseas. Our Consular staff are contactable 24/7, 365 days a year, providing help to more than 25,000 British people a year around the globe, and issuing more than 30,000 emergency travel documents.