Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that parents of abducted children can access legal aid.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides parents with information about the local legal systems of other countries including what legal aid schemes are available. We also provide a list of local interpreters and lawyers, indicating those who specialist in family law where appropriate. Our support for parents of abducted children is set out in our publication ‘Support for British nationals abroad: a Guide’. Legal aid in the UK is a Ministry of Justice lead.