Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government has offered assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina following recent flooding and landslides.

I [Minister Doughty] was in contact with the Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on 5 October and expressed the UK's condolences for the loss of life and damage caused by flooding and landslides. On 4 and 5 October, British search and rescue specialists (in BiH as a short-term training team arranged by the British Embassy in Sarajevo) provided advice and expertise to BiH armed forces and emergency services on the ground. The UK's Ambassador to BiH visited the worst affected sites on 5 October, meeting the UK team and local mayors. The UK Government is considering, with BiH authorities and international partners, how it might support further responses.