Coronavirus: FCDO response

Foreign Affairs Committee Closed Inquiry
Opened: 12 Mar 2020 Closed: 23 Oct 2020 Parliament page
8 Recommendations
5 Conclusions
2 Reports
3 Oral sessions
5 Letters
3 Events
Activity timeline 12 events
10 Feb
2021
Correspondence
23 Oct
2020
Report published
28 Jul
2020
Report published
22 Jul
2020
Correspondence
30 Jun
2020
Oral evidence
16 Jun
2020
Report published
23 Apr
2020
Correspondence
21 Apr
2020
Oral evidence
21 Apr
2020
Correspondence
6 Apr
2020
Report published
30 Mar
2020
Correspondence
17 Mar
2020
Oral evidence
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
30 Jun 2020
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Foreign Affairs Committee
Jennifer Anderson · Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Nigel Adams Simon Manley · Foreign and Commonwealth Office
21 Apr 2020
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Coronavirus: FCO response
Andrew Sanderson · Foreign and Commonwealth Office Menna Rawlings · Foreign and Commonwealth Office Sir Simon McDonald · Foreign and Commonwealth Office
17 Mar 2020
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Coronavirus: FCO response
Professor David R Harper CBE · Chatham House
Recommendations & Conclusions
13 results
1 Conclusion Acknowledged
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO…
We recognise the hard work of many FCO staff and diplomats who worked around the...
We recognise the hard work of many FCO staff and diplomats who worked around the clock and did an excellent job helping UK citizens get home. However, some posts performed more effectively than others and there are areas where efforts fell short.
Government Response
The government acknowledges the report's observations, highlighting the positive feedback on staff efforts and recognising concerns regarding areas where efforts fell short, stating the FCDO has reviewed its performance and established a Repatriation Taskforce.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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2 Recommendation Rejected
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO…
The FCO was given £75 million to help UK citizens return home.
The FCO was given £75 million to help UK citizens return home. However, only £40 million of this was spent. While no one would advocate waste, these funds were allocated to rescue British citizens and the amount unspent suggests that … Read more
Government Response
The government rejected the premise that unspent funds meant insufficient support, stating they will find funds if needed for further repatriations. They also clarified that they have not supported the repatriation of British nationals who permanently reside overseas, except for acutely vulnerable individuals on planned flights.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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3 Conclusion Rejected
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO…
The Government placed too much reliance on commercial carriers at the start of the crisis.
The Government placed too much reliance on commercial carriers at the start of the crisis. We were surprised that the Permanent Under-Secretary and the Minister gave different explanations for their Department’s decision to rely upon commercial flights. This decision was … Read more
Government Response
The government defends its reliance on commercial carriers, explaining that it was necessary due to overwhelming demand, to avoid undercutting airlines, and to leverage existing air links, rather than being solely driven by cost-saving.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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4 Conclusion Rejected
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO…
Whilst reliance on the commercial system may have been the most cost effective and convenient...
Whilst reliance on the commercial system may have been the most cost effective and convenient way to help the majority of travellers return to the UK, for some people this was not a practical solution. This included travellers who were … Read more
Government Response
The government rejected the idea of parallel chartered repatriation flights for vulnerable travellers, explaining that a dual approach with commercial routes was necessary to handle demand, avoid undermining airlines, and that financial assistance was provided to those in need.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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5 Recommendation Accepted in Part
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO…
The FCO advised UK citizens to make use of commercial flights, but they did not...
The FCO advised UK citizens to make use of commercial flights, but they did not do enough to help people access those flights. The Government needs to offer support that factors in the reality that for many, just because commercial … Read more
Government Response
The government defends its approach to commercial flights and highlights its provision of emergency loans to cover flight tickets, food, and accommodation. However, it does not specifically address the recommendations to provide more advice for remote areas, options for airport travel, or the inclusion of specific advice points on Gov.uk for future crises.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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6 Recommendation Accepted
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO…
Whilst a relatively large financial package was developed for those suffering from COVID-19 related financial...
Whilst a relatively large financial package was developed for those suffering from COVID-19 related financial hardship in the UK, little was done to provide help for those UK citizens stuck abroad. The FCO had emergency loans available, but both take … Read more
Government Response
The government agreed to remove crowdfunding advice, stating that the reference has been removed from all guidance. They also confirmed that the availability of repatriation loans was widely publicized on gov.uk, social media, and through marketing.
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7 Recommendation Not Addressed
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO…
Given the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people may need to seek extensions...
Given the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people may need to seek extensions to the FCO’s travel loans. The FCO has advised that there may be some flexibility in repayment timetables for those genuinely committed to repaying, but … Read more
Government Response
The government describes the availability and publicity of emergency repatriation loans, and confirms the removal of advice to seek crowdfunding. However, it does not directly commit to offering loan extensions for those in financial difficulty or explicitly communicate greater flexibility in repayment terms.
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8 Recommendation Not Addressed
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO…
There were real communication problems, particularly early on in the crisis–many people’s calls were not...
There were real communication problems, particularly early on in the crisis–many people’s calls were not answered and many were left waiting on the phone for long periods of time. The FCO successfully scaled up their operation during the crisis, but … Read more
Government Response
The government's response details emergency repatriation and subsistence loans, including repayment terms and debt management, but does not address the committee's recommendation to develop contingency plans for scaling up communication or exploring new platforms like WhatsApp Business.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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9 Recommendation Not Addressed
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO…
The FCO may have been able to communicate more effectively and proactively had it established...
The FCO may have been able to communicate more effectively and proactively had it established a logging system to record the location and contact details of UK citizens abroad. This could have proved particularly helpful for those without access to … Read more
Government Response
The government did not address the recommendation to look into establishing a logging system for UK citizens abroad, instead detailing improvements to their communication systems, including increased staffing, training, and expanded channels like webforms and social media.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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10 Conclusion Accepted in Part
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO…
The move to using social media for mass communications was partially successful.
The move to using social media for mass communications was partially successful. However, accessing online information was particularly difficult for elderly people and those with certain disabilities. The FCO placed too much reliance on this generic advice and this approach … Read more
Government Response
The government explained they discontinued the LOCATE system and described the three main mechanisms used during COVID-19 to record British nationals' locations. They are exploring ways for British nationals to request more granular information and updates, including via text for those without internet access.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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11 Recommendation Accepted
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO…
The failure of the FCO to provide clear advice on what would happen on arrival...
The failure of the FCO to provide clear advice on what would happen on arrival to the UK caused many travellers a great deal of unnecessary anxiety. The FCO should give clear advice on the situation on the ground in … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledges initial difficulties but states it already provides extensive advice and individualised support through social media, general travel advice pages, and consular staff, which address the concerns of returning travellers.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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12 Recommendation Not Addressed
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO…
Automated answerphone messages told travellers around the world that our embassies and consulates were closed.
Automated answerphone messages told travellers around the world that our embassies and consulates were closed. It is extraordinary that the FCO had no control over the answerphone messages of its own embassies. This oversight prevented many from accessing the advice … Read more
Government Response
The government discusses general communication efforts for foreign travel and information on arrival in the UK, but does not address the specific recommendation about centrally controlling embassy answerphone messages.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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13 Conclusion Accepted
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO…
We know that many FCO staff went above and beyond to deliver admirable service in...
We know that many FCO staff went above and beyond to deliver admirable service in extremely difficult circumstances. However, there were areas where efforts fell short. By not adapting quickly to changing circumstances the FCO appeared out of touch with … Read more
Government Response
The government acknowledged past shortcomings in adapting quickly, committing to implement a 'pre-agreed' process with its telephony supplier by the end of October 2020 for a swifter response in future emergencies, and is investigating cloud-based telephony solutions.
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
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Government Response AI assessment · 13 of 8 classified
Accepted 3
Accepted in Part 2
Acknowledged 1
Not Addressed 4
Rejected 3
Total 8 recs + 5 conclusions
Correspondence 5 letters
10 Feb 2021 Correspondence with the Foreign Secretary on the Committee’s inquiry into "Flying Home: The FCO’s consular response to the COVID-19 pandemic", dated 03/02/2021 and 14/01/2021
Parliament page
22 Jul 2020 Correspondence from Nigel Adams, Minister of State, regarding FCO consular response to COVID-19, dated 16/7/2020
Parliament page
23 Apr 2020 Correspondence from Permanent Under-Secretary of State, FCO, on Diplomatic Immunity, dated 23/04/2020
Parliament page
21 Apr 2020 Correspondence from Permanent Under-Secretary of State, FCO, on the EU Ventilator Procurement Scheme, dated 21/04/2020
Parliament page
30 Mar 2020 Correspondence to the Foreign Secretary regarding the repatriation of UK Citizens during the Covid-19 pandemic, dated 27/03/2020
Parliament page