Chamber and committees

Consular assistance, including the notification of a death abroad in suspicious circumstances and subsequent advice to bereaved families, is a reserved matter for the UK Government. The Scottish Government would ordinarily refer individuals to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) who offer support to British nationals in difficulty abroad and to their families (either in the UK or elsewhere) to help them deal with the immediate effects of what has happened. Following repatriation of the deceased, several organisations within Scotland can provide support for the bereaved families, in addition to the work of community support and Police groups. This includes ‘Victim Support Scotland’ who are able to provide support to families in conjunction with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Scottish Government has no powers to provide consular assistance but we will when appropriate raise concerns with the Foreign Office on behalf of Scots affected by deaths abroad and signpost them to agencies in Scotland to help them access the support they require. However, I do not believe that the current system is wholly satisfactory, and await with interest the report from the All-party UK Parliamentary Group on Deaths Abroad and Consular Services and Assistance. I am keen to explore this issue further.