Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) process and (b) criteria his Department uses to determine which flags it flies from its buildings.

The FCDO sets its annual flag flying schedule in November/December for the following year. FCDO Directorates are consulted each year and any new proposals from the overseas network or Other Government Departments are also considered. The decision on whether a proposal is included is based on the relative merits, significance and impact of each proposal set against the existing schedule.