Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to protect UK citizens in Sri Lanka.

Following the tragic attacks in Sri Lanka over Easter, we have been in constant touch with the Sri Lankan authorities and other partners to establish the facts on the ground and assess the risks to British nationals. We have kept our travel advice under constant review, with regular updates in response to the evolving situation, in order to provide the best possible information and advice. The safety of British nationals is our main concern. We have strengthened our consular teams in London and Colombo to support British nationals, and have deployed additional Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff to the airport in Colombo to assist passengers who are leaving the country. We have dispatched a team of specialists from the Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism command, including Family Liaison Officers, to support the families of British victims and assist with the repatriation of deceased British nationals.

We have no plans to repatriate UK citizens in Sri Lanka. As there are a number of commercial options available to those wishing to leave Sri Lanka, we do not believe an evacuation funded by UK taxpayers would be appropriate in this situation.