Written question asked by Andrew Rosindell (Conservative) on Wednesday, 14 December 2011, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 19 December 2011. It was answered by Alistair Burt (Conservative) on Monday, 19 December 2011 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Somalia: Kidnapping

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department is taking steps to reduce instances of kidnapping of British citizens in (a) Somalia and (b) other developing countries.

Answer: The safety of British nationals abroad is of paramount concern for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. We provide information through our travel advice to help British nationals make informed decisions about their safety when travelling abroad. Where we assess that there is a specific threat of kidnap in a country, we will advise accordingly. We currently advise against all travel to Somalia. We maintain a policy of not paying ransoms to terrorists, as to pay ransoms would reward the act of hostage-taking and encourage future kidnaps of British nationals.

Secondary information