Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what rights UK nationals (a) arrested, (b) tortured and (c) detained abroad have to consular (a) assistance and (b) protection; and if he will make a statement.

Our consular staff endeavour to give tailored support to British nationals overseas and their families in the UK, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. We help around 30,000 British nationals abroad every year - 20,000 new cases and around 10,000 long running cases, such as those in detention. The UK Government has the power to grant consular assistance to British nationals abroad on such requests. Each request for consular assistance will be considered individually. The UK is a party to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, which is a multilateral agreement setting out how States will cooperate in the support of their nationals in distress overseas including for example granting access to detained nationals. The Government's ability to provide consular assistance remains at all times dependent on other states respecting the VCCR and must be done in accordance with the laws of that country. The assistance the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) can provide to British nationals abroad is set out in the publication: Support for British nationals abroad: A Guide. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide). It includes further information on what we can seek to do for victims of torture and mistreatment, and for those detained overseas. The level and type of assistance we offer is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case but we take all allegations of torture or mistreatment seriously, treat those who have made allegations of torture and mistreatment as vulnerable cases and follow up with action appropriate to the circumstances of each case. Consular assistance is often referred to as consular protection. It is distinct from diplomatic protection.