Written question asked by Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 22 July 2025, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 1 September 2025. It was answered by Hamish Falconer (Labour) on Thursday, 4 September 2025 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

British Nationals Abroad: Methanol

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of British nationals affected by methanol poisoning abroad in each of the last 10 years.

Answer: We fully recognise the serious risks posed by methanol poisoning and remain committed to supporting affected British nationals abroad. Methanol poisoning is not classified as a distinct case type within our case management system. Any consular support provided in these situations would have been recorded under broader categories such as medical care, deaths, or general health concerns. We publish our consular data on a regular basis (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/consular-data). It includes a breakdown of where we have been approached for assistance in relation to, amongst other things, hospitalisation and death. It is broken down by country and date. We continue to monitor health and safety risks abroad and provide guidance to help British nationals stay safe while travelling.

Secondary information