Letter to the Head of the Parliamentary
Relations and Devolution Team, Foreign and Commonwealth Office
from the Clerk of the Committee
The Committee yesterday received copies of the
NAO Report on FCO consular services.
It has also obtained from the NAO copies of
a joint NAO-FCO document, entitled Joint findings on lessons
to be learned from the handling of the response to the Indian
Ocean tsunami. As you know, the Committee has taken a close
interest in the response to the tsunami, and the FCO has previously
supplied us with helpful material on this.
A number of points arise from initial study
of the NAO/FCO joint report and the Chairman of the Committee
has asked me to write requesting further information, for the
Committee to take into account when it comes to make its report
on the FCO Annual Report 2004-05.
1. Does the FCO intend to implement all
the recommendations made in the joint report on the response to
the tsunami? If not, why not?
2. The box following para 3.20 of the joint
report sets out the assistance package for victims of the tsunami,
which covered repatriation of remains, travel by family members,
emergency medical assistance and other expenses. Para 3.22 effectively
recommends that such a package be made a permanent feature of
the FCO's crisis response strategy. When will this recommendation
be implemented?
3. Para 3.23 suggests that the costs of
the tsunami response "might partly be met by the Treasury."
What is the latest information on the extent to which the Treasury
has met or will meet these costs? How will the remaining costs
be met?
4. What discussions has the FCO had with
the Treasury about whether the Treasury would in principle fund
all or part of the response to a comparable future crisis?
If possible, I would appreciate a reply on each
of the above points not later than 12 December.
The Committee notes that a further report by
the Zito Trust, presented from the perspective of victims and
their families, will be published by the NAO next year. The Committee
may have further questions arising from that Report.
Steve Priestley
Clerk of the Committee
25 November 2005
| 
