Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the number of British nationals who are resident in Syria.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Since 2012 the FCDO has advised against all travel to Syria and we advise British Nationals in Syria to leave by any practical means. Consular support to British nationals is not available from within Syria. Nevertheless, each request for consular assistance is considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all relevant circumstances. The FCDO does not collect data on the number of British nationals residing overseas, and there is no requirement for British travellers or residents to register with us when they go overseas. Consular data on assistance provided to British nationals worldwide is published on gov.uk.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many British nationals requested consular assistance in Syria in each of the last five years.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Since 2012 the FCDO has advised against all travel to Syria and we advise British Nationals in Syria to leave by any practical means. Consular support to British nationals is not available from within Syria. Nevertheless, each request for consular assistance is considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all relevant circumstances. The FCDO does not collect data on the number of British nationals residing overseas, and there is no requirement for British travellers or residents to register with us when they go overseas. Consular data on assistance provided to British nationals worldwide is published on gov.uk.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many British nationals were kidnapped in Syria in each of the last five years.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Since 2012 the FCDO has advised against all travel to Syria and we advise British Nationals in Syria to leave by any practical means. Consular support to British nationals is not available from within Syria. Nevertheless, each request for consular assistance is considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all relevant circumstances. The FCDO does not collect data on the number of British nationals residing overseas, and there is no requirement for British travellers or residents to register with us when they go overseas. Consular data on assistance provided to British nationals worldwide is published on gov.uk.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, If he will make it his policy to provide consular support to British nationals detained in North East Syria.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The FCDO continues to advise against all travel to Syria. The Embassy closed in 2012 and therefore we have no consular presence within Syria.

This makes it extremely challenging to provide direct help to British nationals located there. But we carefully consider every request for consular assistance on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all relevant circumstances.