In its29 January response, the Foreign Office informed us that it had "set up three Rapid Deployment Teams that can be despatched to support Posts when a Major Consular Crisis occurs.

In the report, the NAO noted that the UK "has a reputation among other countries' foreign ministries as world leaders in Consular Crisis management".

To assist the process, following the meeting that I had with her and her officials on30 January, which included the head of the Consular Crisis group and the deputy head of the humanitarian assistance unit, I wrote to my right hon. Friend the Chancellor on19 February.