Bangkok--Oct 26--eTurboNews
LONDON (eTurboNews) -- The UK government has launched a consultation on what travelers need when they get into trouble overseas. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw is proposing to publish a comprehensive guide to support for British nationals abroad. The guide is intended to pull together for the first time in a single document details of what Foreign Office officials, embassies and consulates can - and cannot - do for British people who get into difficulties in foreign countries.
The proposed guidebook is the fulfillment of an election commitment given by the ruling Labour Party in the run-up to the General Election last May.
The first stage of the consultation process is to circulate a draft version of the Guide to travel and tourism stakeholders, including members of Parliament, representatives from the travel trade and insurance industry, non-governmental organizations, government departments and organizations that work with embassies to deliver consular assistance.
"There is no more important task for the Foreign Office than our work to support British nationals in distress overseas," said Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, in a statement to the House of Commons. "By consulting our stakeholders before the formal launch of this document, we hope to achieve two main objectives - to ensure that we present this guide to our consular assistance in the best way possible, and to foster a wider debate on the questions underlying our services."
"Delivering effective support to British people in distress abroad is a task for the whole of government - from the Foreign Office through our network of posts and staff in London, to the work which Tessa Jowell is leading on support for families of victims of catastrophes abroad once they return to the UK