Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Paragraph: 29
There were real communication problems, particularly early on in the crisis–many people’s calls were not...
Recommendation
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.
Paragraph Reference:
29
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
British nationals who are overseas and wish to return to the UK, but cannot afford travel costs and have no other options for getting funds to return home, may apply for an emergency repatriation loan from the government as a last resort. From 5 May the FCDO offered a new subsistence loan to help British nationals who were unable to return to the UK due to travel restrictions. This loan was provided to cover essential living costs such as food and accommodation. Those eligible for a loan must sign an Undertaking to Repay (UTR) in which they agree to repay the loan within six months. Loan recipients are unable to renew their passport until they repay the loan in full. If loan recipients do not repay the loan or agree a repayment plan with the FCDO within six months, their passport may be cancelled, and their details passed to Indesser, a cross government debt management service. The FCDO will always work to agree flexible repayment plans tailored to individual circumstances and this is set out in our public guidance as well as in the documentation, which is issued with all undertaking to repay forms. In the first instance, we will work with an individual to establish what they can afford to pay through a repayment plan. The FCDO takes a case by case approach to debt repayment and understands the difficult circumstances some of customers find themselves in on return to the UK. Our staff will also, where appropriate, put individuals in touch with the National Debt line or other debt advice charities. If an individual is actively trying to repay their debt—i.e. a repayment plan is in place, irrespective of the monthly amount being repaid—we can extend the debt repayment period beyond six months. The FCDO will not cancel the passports or pass the debt to Indesser of those actively seeking to repay their loan. All loans are interest free.