Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what further steps she plans to take to help British Council staff trapped in Afghanistan to come to the UK under the ARAP scheme.

The former British Council employees who sought resettlement have already arrived in the UK, together with their dependents. In August the Government also agreed to resettle more than 50 British Council contractors. Many of these too have already arrived in the UK with their families. Travel within and out of Afghanistan remains difficult. We continue to urge the Taliban to allow safe passage, and wherever possible are in touch with those who are still in Afghanistan and eligible to come to the UK so that we can assist them.