House of Commons - Support for British nationals abroad: The Consular Service

Support for British nationals abroad: The Consular Service - Foreign Affairs Committee Contents

3 Reforms to the Consular Service

14. Since a widely-criticised response to the Asian tsunami in 2004, and reports by the National Audit Office (NAO) and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in 2005 and 2006, the FCO has put a lot of work at a management level into how best to run the Consular Service and to meet the multiple demands on it. This has resulted in what the FCO terms a "strategic shift" in consular work and how it is done.

Consular strategies

15. As part of the strategic shift, since 2007, the FCO has published three consecutive multi-year strategies for transforming and improving consular services. The 2007-10 strategy focused on creating consistent standards and professionalising the service, following criticism in the NAO and PAC reports of an inconsistent and variable service between posts. There was some emphasis on ending both under- and over-delivery, to achieve greater consistency and fairer expectations, stating "if we regularly offer help beyond our publicly-stated framework we should not be surprised that we are asked to deliver such help again and again, placing extra pressure on our resources".[17] The 2010-13 strategy focused on providing what customers needed via better information management and continued professionalisation, as well as implementing some major organisational changes, such as the transfer of passport responsibility and embedding new technology. The 2013-16 strategy raises ambitions still further, aiming to be "the best consular service in the world" by 2016. It describes a more flexible service focused on identifying and helping the most vulnerable, including more assistance "for customers who need it most, the customers who are most at risk because of who they are, or where they are."[18] The Committee suggests the FCO examine what comparable countries provide in terms of key consular services and also aim to adopt best practice.

16. Taken together, the strategies show the FCO having gone from a service that was often high-quality but inconsistent and unclear, to a more defined but clear set of standard services that are provided transparently at all posts, and is now moving toward additional help focused on the most vulnerable. It also aims to deliver services in a more flexible way, including through the use of better technology and increased use of partner organisations. We welcome the elevation of consular services as a vital part of the FCO's work that can provide unique assistance to British nationals overseas.

Major organisational changes since 2007

CREATION OF CONSOLIDATED CALL CENTRES

17. Between June 2013 and March 2014, the FCO moved to a model in which all phone calls to local consular posts during their office hours are routed to one of three 'Consular Contact Centres' (CCC) based in Malaga, Ottawa and Hong Kong. Urgent out-of-hours calls continue to be answered by the 24 hour London-based Global Response Centre. The three new Consular Contact Centres provide a point of initial contact and aim to resolve many of the standard questions, such as what to do about a lost passport, at this stage. For more complicated or urgent cases that require local assistance, the call centre 'escalates' the call to the consular team at the relevant Post. The FCO told us that the centres allowed tailored training for staff, enabled better information management as repeated requests about the same issue are noticed and addressed by providing better information online, and most importantly, they freed up consular officers in post to spend time on consular cases.

18. The FCO told us that many calls are not related to consular work (for example, asking about visas, or commercial concerns) and that the Centres aim to resolve 80% of consular calls. When we asked Susan Caldwell, Head of Strategy and Network, to explain how the FCO defines "resolution" for such a high proportion of calls, she told us that of the calls that are not escalated to posts, "35% of those other calls are signposting people and helping them get access to other government services, such as passports and visa services." A further 17% of calls were about notarial issues[19] where people wanted to understand the service and make an appointment. She agreed that this "signposting" could include call centre staff telling callers to go online for a service, but she said that the FCO had taken time to survey customers to understand better how they could find that information more easily online.[20]

19. We visited the call centre in Malaga to see it in action. We were impressed by the multi-lingual staff who handled calls with professionalism. We also noted the comprehensive data system that enabled staff to access detailed information from each post's consular team in order to answer queries. The Consular Contact Centres appear to be an efficient and effective innovation by the FCO that allows frontline consular officers to focus on their main work.

MOVE TO DIGITAL BY DEFAULT

20. The FCO's call centres are part of a broader strategy of 'digital transformation'. This is part of the Government's Digital by Default agenda, which requires that services be moved online for easier access and more efficient provision. The FCO's Digital Strategy is both inward and outward-facing: internally, the FCO states that it is making better use of technology for example in its Compass system for recording consular cases; its Crisis Hub (see below); and its call centres. Externally, the FCO states that it is working to put more services for the public online, such as booking appointments and submitting applications for certain services, as well as making better use of technology and social media.

21. There are many advantages to this approach. The FCO reports success in its internal systems and we heard praise from members of FCO staff who used both the consular and crisis systems, though we noted that consular officers in post in Malaga were asked to enter all information about cases into a database but were not equipped with mobile devices with which they could access and update the files while working remotely (for example, on a visit to a hospital or a detention centre). This suggested that the system had added an extra time-consuming task—the need to enter information into an IT system in the office—rather than removed one. Further to increase the benefit of these systems for staff, the FCO could conduct a trial issuing mobile devices (such as a compatible tablet) to a group of consular officers to evaluate whether it increases efficiency, though the benefits of such a move would have to be calculated against costs. The FCO has rightly dedicated significant resources to improving and developing IT systems capable of meeting the demands of consular services.

Are online services leaving some nationals behind?

22. We acknowledge that there will undoubtedly be increasing demand for FCO services to be available online, and that online services will make them more accessible to the majority of British nationals. However, we received some indications that there was an over-reliance on online services (for example, one man went to a Consulate to ask how to obtain a document and was told to go online to book an appointment at the same consulate);[21] and that the system was causing distress to some older members of expatriate populations, who do not have access to or expertise in using digital services.[22] This was confirmed on our visit to Malaga, where Spanish local authorities told us that British nationals often come to them to ask for help in filling in the British Government's new online forms. When we asked FCO officials about this, we were told that services had not been withdrawn, and that British nationals could go to posts or call by telephone.[23] Susan Caldwell explained further how FCO staff respond to such a situation:

She added that the FCO was "linked in" to the Government's work on digital inclusion, and said that the FCO worked with local communities in areas where there were large elderly expatriate populations to provide support. Demand for online services will continue to grow, and it is right that the FCO has embraced this approach. However, the FCO's assurances that it continued to support those who could not access digital services via phone and in person were not borne out by the feedback we received. We are concerned that the digital strategy has resulted in a service that is harder for some expatriates to reach without third-party support. This could make vulnerable people even less able to operate independently. The Contact Centres should function as a genuine resource of consular information and support for people who have made the time and effort to call, rather than simply a 'signpost' to the FCO's online services especially when people are not in a position to access these easily.

CONSULAR RESPONSE TO MAJOR CRISES

23. When a crisis occurs abroad, the Consular Service is the UK's emergency response for its nationals. Depending on the form of crisis, the local and wider consular service work to locate missing, injured and deceased British nationals; provide support and care; and organise evacuation if necessary. It will also provide public information and support to families at home. Perceived failings in the FCO's response to various consular crises in the first half of the 2000s saw what one witness called "quite radical thinking"[25] about crisis response, resulting in a number of major developments, including:

· the establishment of a new crisis centre to coordinate consular responses

· the establishment of Rapid Deployment Teams (RDTs) of experts (for example, from the Red Cross) to support the consular teams in post;

· increased professionalisation of consular staff including Honorary Consuls; and

· the Global Response Centre (GRC), which handles out-of-hours calls from members of the public who need urgent consular assistance.

24. Nonetheless, in 2011 the FCO's crisis response was heavily criticised for failings in its handling of the Arab Spring, particularly in relation to a delayed evacuation of British nationals in Libya.[26] Following an internal review, the FCO again overhauled its consular crisis response mechanisms to increase capacity to handle "multiple, concurrent crises".[27] This included:

· the launch of an expanded consular crisis centre in London in October 2012, following £2m of investment, with 50% more staff (31 staff).[28]

· A new crisis IT system, 'Crisis Hub', with improved ability to record cases and share information.

· New crisis decision-making structures based on the system used by emergency services.

· Expanded crisis training and mandatory crisis planning for posts.

· Increased number of crisis management experts, and enlarged surge capacity of trained crisis response volunteers.

· An extra Rapid Deployment Team for the Middle East and North Africa.

Each FCO post has its own Crisis Management Plan taking note of the risks specific to their country or region and detailing how to respond. These plans are reviewed and tested annually.

25. Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA,[29] was positive about the FCO's efforts to improve its crisis response, telling us that his colleagues who had been involved in FCO crisis simulation exercises "said that it was a very effective simulation of what would happen, especially if two big crises happened simultaneously. Both our members and the Foreign Office will have learned a lot from that simulation."[30] Former Ambassador Giles Paxman was strongly supportive of the changes, telling us:

However, he warned that, "we will never be totally prepared. There will always be situations that arise in places where we will not expect them to arise".[32] We visited the new crisis centre at the FCO in London in January 2014 and were briefed in detail on the expanded resources and facilities for handling crises. Since then, the centre has dealt with crises in South Sudan, Iraq and Libya. We note that, unlike in 2011, we have received no complaints and seen very little media criticism about more recent crisis responses. It is of the utmost importance to get the FCO's response right in a crisis. We believe that the FCO has responded to earlier serious problems in its crisis response with energy and the seriousness they deserved, and that lessons have been learned and effectively applied. By their nature, crises are often unpredictable and the FCO will require continuous vigilance to maintain and improve its crisis systems.

Changing the way information is communicated in a crisis

26. As part of its reforms, the FCO has moved away from some of its previous means of distributing information to British travellers and expatriates in a crisis. Most notably, in April 2013 it scrapped a global online registration database of British nationals in each country called LOCATE, which had been operational since 2007. The LOCATE system was intended to make it easier for FCO officials to get in touch quickly with British nationals in times of crisis, but the FCO said fewer than 1% of British nationals abroad had registered with the service. An FCO blog in 2013 by the Ambassador to Lebanon explained:

Mark Tanzer told us that customers of ABTA companies did not use the LOCATE system in great numbers, and said the FCO was right to scrap it, "although it was a good initiative."[34]

27. In addition, more long-standing means of keeping track of expatriates appeared to have been quietly dropped. Registration of expatriates at the local Embassy or post has ended; and we were surprised to find no mention of the FCO's networks of voluntary wardens in their submission to this inquiry. Warden networks have been used for decades to help distribute messages from the Embassy to their local communities of British nationals about their safety and security. Commenters on our web forum also expressed regret that warden networks were no longer available in their country of residence.[35] When we asked the FCO about wardens, it confirmed that in fact some 69 countries continued to have warden networks, and the Minister praised the volunteers: "they are still extremely helpful and many of them are very dedicated and committed British citizens, often in extremely challenging areas." The Minister highlighted in particular the work of wardens in Kaduna in northern Nigeria.[36] It is unclear why the latest consular strategy does not mention wardens at all, while the previous 2010-13 strategy planned to update and extend the networks.

28. The FCO has replaced the LOCATE and registration systems with an increased focus on social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook to help British nationals in times of crisis.[37] The FCO has also introduced a new mobile registration system for British nationals caught up in a crisis, which will enable people to register with the Foreign Office by phone call, email or text message from their mobile phones.[38] British nationals can also sign up to the FCO's country-specific travel advice alerts via email or social media, and updates will then be sent to them.[39] There appears to have been a shift from attempting to keep track of British nationals abroad in normal circumstances so that they could be contacted if a crisis occurred, which proved difficult, to making it easier for British nationals to contact the FCO at times of crisis. This may be less reassuring for long-term expatriates who enjoyed the comfort of knowing that their embassy knows their number and address, but it is a sensible response to the problems encountered by previous systems. However, we remain concerned about potential over-reliance on internet-based services to distribute information in a crisis, when internet services might not be working, or the internet is deliberately cut off by the Government in question. In its response to this report, the FCO should set out the contingency measures it has in place to mitigate the loss of internet-based communication in a crisis, such as its surge capacity on phone lines.

CLOSURE OF POSTS

29. Since May 2010, the FCO has permanently closed 15 consular posts, nine of which were in Europe. In the same period, it has opened four embassies which have consular functions, and "upgraded" the consular capacity of three embassies and one consular post. A further eight posts that do not have a consular function have also opened or been upgraded since 2010.[40] This has resulted in a net loss to the consular network. In 2012, the Foreign Secretary made a speech in which he acknowledged these new embassies and upgraded consulates, and promised six further new consulates in emerging economies. Embassies containing consular offices have since opened in Laos and Paraguay, but the remaining four promised consulates are yet to open.

Consular openings and closures since 2010

Year Posts with consular functions closed Posts with consular functions opened Posts with consular functions upgraded

2010 1 0 0

2011 3 (+ 1 suspended) 1 1

2012 4(+ 1 suspended) 1 1

2013 4 2 2

2014 3 (+ 1 suspended) 0 0

Total 15 (+ 3 suspended) 4 4

Source: Foreign and Commonwealth Office[41]

In the speech in April 2012, the then Foreign Secretary said that the closures of consulates had allowed new consular offices to be opened elsewhere, adding: "We will always ensure that our diplomatic network is configured in the best way to support British nationals as well as our wider interests."[42] A full list can be found below:
Consular closures since 2010:

Source: Foreign and Commonwealth Office[43]Consular openings since 2010:

Source: Foreign and Commonwealth Office[44]

30. The FCO told us that consular services had not deteriorated as a result of the closure of these offices. The Foreign Secretary explained in 2012 that the "re-shaping" of the European consular network via the closure of 12 consular offices in Europe was a result of "changing customer demands and the opportunities of new technology", which meant that the UK no longer needed established consulate offices where the bulk of routine services were provided by "hubs" in major cities.[45] The FCO told us that "Honorary Consuls are still present in all the major locations for British tourists and residents. They continue to provide an invaluable emergency response to crises or urgent consular cases, which are then reinforced and taken on by the consular teams in Posts."[46] However, we received evidence from Prisoners Abroad, an NGO providing support to British prisoners in detention overseas and which is part-funded by the FCO, expressing concern about the withdrawal of an FCO presence from some parts of the world, including Europe:

The Minister rejected the suggestion that services had deteriorated, telling us that prisoners were a consular priority, and that the FCO would look into any specific complaints about this. Susan Caldwell added that "Some [consulates] have been replaced by honorary consuls where those consulates were originally present, to ensure that we still have a presence for those who are most vulnerable."[48] However, the FCO also told us that Honorary Consuls did not carry out routine consular work.

31. We conclude that there has been a net reduction in the size of the consular network on the ground, which is a concern. The closure of posts in Europe has not been replaced by the equivalent number of openings elsewhere, nor has it been accompanied by substantial increases in alternative means of consular representation, such as honorary consuls. We are concerned that vulnerable British prisoners abroad are reportedly receiving less assistance than before. The FCO should set out in its response how it intends to review allegations that the support it offers to prisoners has deteriorated as a result of the closures.

HONORARY CONSULS

32. Honorary Consuls are volunteers (paid a stipend) who help Posts provide some forms of consular assistance to British nationals in areas where the FCO judges it does not require a full consular presence. Their duties may include crisis response, consular assistance, local authority liaison, or assisting official consular visits, but do not usually include routine consular services. The time devoted to consular matters varies widely between Posts, but Honorary Consuls are expected to work on average no more than 4 hours a week. At present, the FCO has 224 Honorary Consuls in its global network and has provided a full list of their locations.[49] By comparison, France has 500 honorary Consuls and Germany has 350.[50]

33. The FCO states that Honorary Consuls provide a good, more accessible and responsive service in places where it could not justify a consular presence.[51] It adds:

Honorary Consuls are paid a small honorarium (to an annual maximum of £2,300) in recognition of their services. This honorarium has not increased since 2005.

34. Our web forum comments on Honorary Consuls have been mixed, with some contributors writing rather scathing comments about the English language skills, effectiveness and knowledge of certain Honorary Consuls, while others have been highly complimentary about particular individuals' work.[53] Prisoners Abroad was critical of the perceived lack of clarity about the role of an Honorary Consul:

As a result, Prisoners Abroad recommends clearer guidance on the remit and responsibility of Honorary Consuls and more regular training.

35. The FCO states that Honorary Consuls work under the supervision of superintending posts, and "their work is carefully managed and monitored by trained Consular staff who assess whether the task is appropriate for delegation to an Honorary Consul or whether a full time member of staff ought to be deployed." The only mandatory training consists of three 'e-learning' courses, though the local manager at the superintending post is responsible for determining whether any additional training is needed.[55] Former Ambassadors Giles Paxman and Sir Michael Arthur both told us that the Honorary Consuls were now better trained, and Sir Michael told us that the FCO had "got better at finding the right people to do it", adding that this had not previously been the case.[56]

36. One contributor to our web forum raised the potential conflict of interest arising from Honorary Consuls' business interests.[57] We have previously questioned the FCO on this during our Report on FCO Performance and Finances 2011-12, and the FCO told us that:

Former Ambassador to Spain, Giles Paxman, acknowledged that there were benefits to being an Honorary Consul in terms of contacts and status:

It is also fair to recognise that being the British honorary consul gives you a certain status locally that you might not have. I think that it also gives you a certain amount of access to the local authorities that you might not otherwise get. So if you are working, for example, as a local lawyer, it can be advantageous to your business also to be the honorary consul and have access to the mayor and the local authorities.

He agreed that there may be a need for greater transparency about the business interests of Honorary Consuls before their appointment (contracts are renewed every five years, and they are security vetted every seven years). However, both Giles Paxman and Sir Michael Arthur both highly praised the work of Honorary Consuls as "a tremendous extension of our own network"[60] who provide "eyes and ears on the ground, liaison with local authorities and providing that first advice in times of crisis."[61] Both also considered that Honorary Consuls were usually motivated by a genuine desire to perform a public service.[62] We consider Honorary Consuls to be an important and efficient part of the FCO's consular network, enabling it to extend its reach beyond capital cities. They do important work for British nationals at very low cost to the service. We understand concerns about potential conflicts of interest, and we recommend that the FCO consider recruiting Honorary Consuls on shorter contracts and that the FCO require Honorary Consuls to declare any relevant business interests throughout their tenure, and that the FCO ensure that training and supervision of Honorary Consuls in connection with potential conflicts of interest is standardised. We further recommend that, where the FCO replaces a consular office with an Honorary Consul, it sets out in public the duties it expects the Honorary Consul to perform.

REDUCTION IN DOCUMENTARY AND NOTARIAL SERVICES

37. The FCO provides certain documentary and notarial services to British nationals abroad. It charges for these services: for example, in France, it costs £20 to witness a signature, £30 to make or verify a copy of a document, and £65 to issue a certificate that no impediment exists to an intended marriage. In its 2013-16 consular strategy, the FCO announced that it would be taking steps to reduce this service. It intends to end the services where they can be provided by local alternatives, such as lawyers, often at lower costs; and to lobby local governments to limit the amount of such documents they require from the embassy of a foreign citizen.

38. According to the feedback we received, unsurprisingly, the FCO's fees for the provision of such documents are unpopular.[63] Given that the fees from such services make up around one third of the Consular Services' income, we asked the FCO how much income it expected to lose. Mark Simmonds MP responded that the FCO's aim was to reduce notarial services by "up to 30%" between 2013-16, and that the FCO had assessed the impact on income to be a £1 million reduction in income. This had been factored in to the annual review of consular fees, and would not have a "material impact" in the context of £90m total consular income. He added that increasing demand for legalisation services would further offset the lost income.[64] The FCO's notarial service must take officials' time away from more vulnerable and needy cases, so the FCO's decision to reduce this service wherever other providers are available is a sensible one. The FCO should carefully monitor any implications of the loss of income from this service, as it would not be advisable for the FCO to increase other fees for mandatory documents to make up the shortfall.

DISCRETIONARY LOANS TO BRITISH NATIONALS

39. The FCO updated its policy in 2013 on providing loans to British nationals who are in difficulty abroad. As a general rule, the FCO does not provide financial assistance and focuses on facilitating funds from friends or relatives. However, when all other options have been exhausted, it can, in certain circumstances, provide a loan to enable a British national to get home. These loans are provided on a discretionary basis, to the most vulnerable cases. The recipient of a loan signs up to an Undertaking to Repay, and their passports are stopped until the loan is repaid in full. The data provided by the FCO shows that less than a third of approximately £275,000 of loans paid out since 2009 have been repaid:
FCO lending against Undertakings to Repay, 2010-2014

Year (Sept-Aug)	Amount lent	Average loan	Amount repaid
2009/10	£23,912	£116	£1,853
2010/11	£82,400	£340	£1,218
2011/12	£25,236	£231	£63,775
2012/13	£33,173	£286	£7,304
2013/14	£110,374	£492	£13,055

Source: Foreign and Commonwealth Office[65]

Since the policy was relaxed in 2013, the FCO has lent £110,374 in 2013/14, more than three times its spend in the year before. However, this still accounts for only 0.13% of the Consular Service's annual budget. The FCO said it was "currently reviewing the debt recovery mechanism". At present, its enforcement mechanisms are limited. Aside from the confiscation of a passport, a 10% surcharge is levied at six months, then an annual letter is sent to remind nationals of their undertaking.[66] We agree that there are circumstances in which it is not only compassionate but a most effective use of funds to help a national to return home, and prevent further problems. The FCO is right to review its debt recovery systems, and it should pursue repayment more rigorously in future. In its response to this report, the FCO should set out how it intends to improve its debt recovery systems.

CONSULAR STAFFING

40. The last nine years have seen substantial changes to consular staffing. There are currently 667 consular staff in the network of 230 posts and 210 staff in London.[67] Consular staff in posts overseas carry out 'frontline' tasks supporting British nationals abroad, under the supervision of nine Regional Managers. The Consular team in London is made up of four departments, which handle the implementation of the consular strategy and modernisation; the overseas passport service; senior support to Posts on casework and the lead on specific issues such as forced marriage and human rights; and the Crisis management response.[68]

41. This compares to over 2,000 staff delivering consular services overseas and 220 staff in the consular directorate in London in 2007.[69] The proportion of locally engaged and UK-based staff in consular posts has also changed dramatically. In 2005, the NAO report on consular services stated that "staff undertaking consular work overseas comprises two-thirds locally engaged staff and one third United Kingdom based career diplomats on postings which last two to three years on average".[70] In 2014, 91% of consular staff posts overseas were filled by locally engaged staff, with only 9% being UK-based.[71] The proportion of UK-based staff in overseas consular roles had therefore dropped over the last nine years from approximately 33% of consular posts abroad to only 9%.

42. We understand that some of this change can be explained by the fact that visa and passport functions have been transferred away from the consular service. This would have substantially reduced the overall number of positions required abroad. In addition, it would have affected the UK-based staff positions particularly, as the majority of staff involved in issuing passports were UK-based staff, for security reasons.[72] We also note that the overall number of consular staff, located both in London and abroad, is split at 32% UK-Based staff and 68% Locally Engaged staff.

43. Nonetheless, the current percentage of 91% locally engaged staff for posts abroad is startling, particularly in comparison to an FCO-wide percentage of just under 70% locally engaged staff overall. We have previously called for the FCO to cap the proportion of locally engaged staff at 70% of total staff.[73] The FCO has made a concerted effort to use more locally engaged staff in positions abroad, for reasons of cost effectiveness (because the FCO does not need to pay for housing or transport, they are usually around one third the cost of a UK-based staff member);[74] local knowledge of institutions and systems; and (often) native language skills.[75] It appears that consular staff roles have been most heavily affected by this strategy, with approximately 607 of the 667 overseas consular roles now going to locally engaged staff. Only 7% of UK-based staff now work on consular issues, which is half the amount of those working on each of the other two FCO priorities of prosperity (14%) and security (16%).[76]

44. We have noted before that locally engaged staff are a major strength of the FCO, and that they provide impressive and dedicated service in their roles as consular officers. We also recognise that consular work may be particularly suited to locally engaged staff, who can bring networks of contacts and who can also stay in the roles in the long term and build up valuable experience. We are nonetheless concerned about the consequences of making so few frontline consular roles available to UK-based staff for the career path of a UK-based FCO diplomat, as well as the long-term consequences for the FCO of such limited experience of frontline consular experience in senior roles. We asked former Ambassadors Giles Paxman and Sir Michael Arthur about this reduction in consular roles abroad. Giles Paxman said:

He added that in Spain, there were 55 consular officers, only one of whom was UK-based. Sir Michael Arthur cautioned that "one of the big motivators for people who come into the foreign service is the possibility of going overseas", and expressed concern about the effect on future leadership:

45. We asked FCO officials whether they were concerned that the reduced overseas consular opportunities for UK-based diplomats to gain first-hand experience of overseas consular work risked creating a parallel track of consular and political careers, in which senior leaders were unlikely to have consular experience. Joanna Roper, Director of Consular Services, argued that, in fact, increasing numbers of senior staff were getting some form of consular experience, even if not on the frontline:

46. Both former ambassadors noted that having such large cadres of locally engaged consular officers created management challenges. Giles Paxman said the locally engaged officers were very highly qualified and highly trained, and had "perfectly legitimate career aspirations", adding that two main challenges to the system were keeping locally engaged consular staff motivated and securing mobility and opportunity for advancement.[80] The FCO appears to have recognised this in its 2010-13 consular strategy, which said the FCO would look for ways to maximise the capabilities of local staff, including "opportunities for greater career and geographical mobility."[81] However, there has been limited progress in this area so far. The FCO told us that in the last two years only one locally engaged consular staff member had transferred into the central diplomatic service, and this was as a result of external recruitment rather than internal transfer. There is slightly more movement between locally engaged roles in different posts: in the same period, one locally engaged staff member had transferred, while 15 had successfully applied for roles in different posts.[82]

47. Locally engaged staff are vital members of consular teams and have language skills and knowledge of local issues that are highly valuable in consular work. However, we are concerned that the reduction in UK-based overseas consular work to only 9% of overseas consular posts will have the short-term consequence of making consular work less attractive for younger FCO staff due to the lack of overseas postings, and a longer-term consequence that very few senior Ambassadors or FCO staff in leadership roles will have frontline consular experience. Such a significant change to FCO careers should be carefully planned and reviewed, rather than an inadvertent result of a cost-cutting strategy. The FCO should make at least 20% of overseas consular positions available to UK-based staff. This would have cost implications, but it will ensure that valuable consular experience is maintained among the future leadership cadre in the Foreign Office.

Public messaging and managing expectations

48. The FCO has battled over the last eight years to lower public expectations and clarify its core tasks. In 2006, the FCO for the first time published a guide which set out for the public a general statement of what it could and could not provide: Support for British Nationals Abroad: A Guide. This was seen by the FCO as a "turning point" that let the public know what they could expect from the FCO, and it was anticipated and welcomed by the PAC in its report.[83] The Guide (most recently updated in June 2014) continues to provide a framework for consular work. The FCO has also published various documents outlining their services with respect to different issues (such as 'In prison abroad'; 'Abduction'; and 'Deaths abroad').

49. To put its services in context, the FCO has occasionally released lists of "ludicrous requests" that were made to consular staff (such as help with booking a restaurant for Christmas, or translating a love note), in an attempt to make clear that it is not, in the words of then-Minister Jeremy Browne, "a concierge service".[84] We agree that the expectations of the general public about what the FCO can do for them are often too high, and welcome the measures taken by the FCO to explain its services more clearly.

17 Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Consular Services strategy 2007-10, p.20 Back

18 Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Consular Strategy: Consular Excellence, 2013-16, p.6 Back

19 British Consulates provide a range of legal documents for British nationals, such as registering births and deaths, providing certificates of 'no objection' to a marriage or adoption, witnessing a signature, etc. Back

20 Q180-182 Back

21 Foreign Affairs Committee, Consular Services Web Forum: Routine consular services to British citizens who live/work abroad, Jan-Feb 2014, page 2 Back

22 Foreign Affairs Committee, Consular Services Web Forum: Routine consular services to British citizens who live/work abroad Jan-Feb 2014 Back

23 Q189 Back

24 Q192 Back

25 Q93 [Sir Michael Arthur] Back

26 See, for example, Foreign Affairs Committee, Second Report of Session 2012-13, British foreign policy and the 'Arab Spring', HC 80, Chapter 3 Back

27 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (CON 19) para 103 Back

28 HC Deb, 11 Dec 2013, col 272W Back