Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is his practice to ensure that British subjects whose main place of residence is abroad are asked to provide a next-of-kin address in the United Kingdom to the British embassy or high commission; and, if it is not, if he will seek to introduce such a practice wherever practicable.
§ Mr. HattersleyThe notes on the inside of the back cover of a United Kingdom passport include one urging British nationals resident overseas to contact the nearest British high commission or consular office to inquire about arrangements for registration of their names and addresses so that they may be accorded assistance and protection in an emergency. The consular registration card contains a section for the name and address of next of kin or other person to be notified in case of need. There is, however, no legal requirement for British subjects to register, and although our missions and consulates do all they can to encourage it in those countries where it is considered necessary or desirable the decision whether or not to register lies with the indvidual.
Mr. Adleyasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps designed to ensure that the names of British subjects killed abroad are notified whenever possible to the next of kin before being released publicly.
§ Mr. HattersleyIt is our invariable practice to do all we can to ensure that the names of United Kingdom citizens who die abroad are notified to their next of kin as speedily as possible and before the news appears in the Press. There are, of course, occasions when the news becomes public before this can be done, and we are sometimes asked to confirm these reports. We do not normally release 589W to the Press reports about the death of United Kingdom citizens and would certainly not do so before the next of kin had been notified.