HL Deb 28 October 2002 vol 640 cc10-1WA
Lord Acton

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will make an announcement on the travel advice for Indonesia. [HL6061]

Baroness Amos:

On the night of Saturday 12 October, as soon as we heard of the atrocity in Bali, we recommended against all travel to Bali and all but essential travel to elsewhere in Indonesia.

In the light of further information, the Foreign Secretary agreed on 17 October that we should advise against all travel to Indonesia and recommend that all British citizens should consider leaving Indonesia if their presence is not essential. He also authorised the withdrawal of some dependants and non-essential staff from the British Embassy in Jakarta.

British citizens who remain should exercise extreme caution especially in public places, including clubs, restaurants, bars, schools, places of worship, outdoor recreational venues and other locations frequented by foreigners.

On 18 October we updated our travel advice to warn British nationals of the increased terrorist threat in south-east Asia, where British nationals are also advised to exercise extreme caution in public places.

I visited Bali from 17 to 21 October where I met British nationals, their families and friends caught up in this terrible incident. I also spoke to senior members of the Indonesian Government in Jakarta both to discuss the operation in Bali and how to strengthen our co-operation against international terrorism.

We have a 24-hour operation on the ground in Bali, made up of consular officers, police officers trained in family liaison, and volunteers.