Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the criteria his Department plans to use to determine the retention of (a) statues and (b) other works of art depicting the UK’s colonial history that are held in his Department.

The Government does not propose to remove statues or memorials on its property. We believe it is always legitimate to examine and debate Britain's history, but removing statues is not the right approach.

The FCO building in King Charles Street dates back to 1868. With such a long history there are elements that reflect artwork and individuals from a very different era. We are examining both what those elements are, and how best to address what they represent, while preserving history. This is under active consideration.