Recommendations & Conclusions
4 items
7
Recommendation
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO’s co…
Not Addressed
Given the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people may need to seek extensions to the FCO’s travel loans. The FCO has advised that there may be some flexibility in repayment timetables for those genuinely committed to repaying, but this fact has not been adequately communicated to the public. …
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Given the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people may need to seek extensions to the FCO’s travel loans. The FCO has advised that there may be some flexibility in repayment timetables for those genuinely committed to repaying, but this fact has not been adequately communicated to the public. While loans must of course be repaid, it is undesirable that people were deterred from taking out loans by the FCO’s warnings that their details would be passed to debt collectors after six months. People needed to be made aware that more flexibility was available. We recommend that the FCO commits to offering loan extensions where people are in genuine financial difficulty. The FCO should also make it clear that, in current circumstances, there may be some flexibility afforded to those who are genuinely struggling to repay. (Paragraph 19) Communication
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Government response AI summary
The government describes the availability and publicity of emergency repatriation loans, and confirms the removal of advice to seek crowdfunding. However, it does not directly commit to offering loan extensions for those in financial difficulty or explicitly communicate greater flexibility in repayment terms.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
8
Recommendation
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO’s co…
Not Addressed
There were real communication problems, particularly early on in the crisis–many people’s calls were not answered and many were left waiting on the phone for long periods of time. The FCO successfully scaled up their operation during the crisis, but this was a slow process which left many unable to …
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There were real communication problems, particularly early on in the crisis–many people’s calls were not answered and many were left waiting on the phone for long periods of time. The FCO successfully scaled up their operation during the crisis, but this was a slow process which left many unable to access help when they needed it the most. Whilst this was an unprecedented challenge, the FCO was too slow to react. For future reference, the department needs to be more agile to respond rapidly to emerging crises. We recommend that the FCO develops contingency plans to ensure it can scale up its response more quickly should a situation like this occur again in the future. Products such as WhatsApp Business offer the ability to communicate at speed and at scale with a self-selecting audience. The FCO should be exploring alternatives to the current offer.
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Government response AI summary
The government's response details emergency repatriation and subsistence loans, including repayment terms and debt management, but does not address the committee's recommendation to develop contingency plans for scaling up communication or exploring new platforms like WhatsApp Business.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
9
Recommendation
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO’s co…
Not Addressed
The FCO may have been able to communicate more effectively and proactively had it established a logging system to record the location and contact details of UK citizens abroad. This could have proved particularly helpful for those without access to the internet. The FCO’s LOCATE database was discontinued due to …
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The FCO may have been able to communicate more effectively and proactively had it established a logging system to record the location and contact details of UK citizens abroad. This could have proved particularly helpful for those without access to the internet. The FCO’s LOCATE database was discontinued due to disuse in 2013, but the COVID-19 pandemic may have increased the public’s willingness to share this kind of information during times of crisis. The FCO should look into the feasibility of establishing a logging system to help identify UK citizens abroad in times of crisis. (Paragraph 30) Flying Home: The FCO’s consular response to the COVID-19 pandemic 17
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Government response AI summary
The government did not address the recommendation to look into establishing a logging system for UK citizens abroad, instead detailing improvements to their communication systems, including increased staffing, training, and expanded channels like webforms and social media.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office
12
Recommendation
Third Report: Flying Home: The FCO’s co…
Not Addressed
Automated answerphone messages told travellers around the world that our embassies and consulates were closed. It is extraordinary that the FCO had no control over the answerphone messages of its own embassies. This oversight prevented many from accessing the advice and support that they needed. The FCO should make it …
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Automated answerphone messages told travellers around the world that our embassies and consulates were closed. It is extraordinary that the FCO had no control over the answerphone messages of its own embassies. This oversight prevented many from accessing the advice and support that they needed. The FCO should make it an immediate priority to ensure that these answerphone messages can be controlled centrally.
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Government response AI summary
The government discusses general communication efforts for foreign travel and information on arrival in the UK, but does not address the specific recommendation about centrally controlling embassy answerphone messages.
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Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office