Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many full-time equivalent staff were assigned to her Department's Consular Crisis Centre (a) as of 9 February 2022 and (b) in each month in the last year; and whether she has plans to increase that number.

The size of the consular team reflects the demands of the Department. The number is regularly reviewed to ensure we have appropriate resource in place to manage demands. This core number of staff is supplemented by volunteer cadres from across the office during periods of immediate crisis response. Numbers therefore fluctuate to meet demand and can vary month to month. Permanent staffing levels are also under regular review.