Tobias Ellwood MP has welcomed today's budget announcement of a £1 million Government donation to a charitable fund to help British victims of terrorist attacks overseas. This fund will provide rapid relief to meet the immediate financial needs of those caught up in a terrorist attack, whether these incidents take place in the UK or abroad.

Tobias said:

"We have finally caught up with Spain, Australia and the United States in establishing a fund which will help Britons and their families when they are affected by terrorist attacks abroad. Sadly terrorism is a global phenomenon and our support for Britons affected by these horrific incidents also needs to extend beyond national boundaries."

Following the loss of his brother in the 2002 Bali bomb, Tobias was shocked at the lack of support on the ground in the aftermath of the attack. So sparse was any Embassy or local aid that he was left to knock the nails into his brother's coffin himself in order to expedite the repatriation of the body.

On his return to the UK he formally presented recommendations to the Foreign Secretary for the establishment of a rapid response team to be deployed to assist families in the immediate aftermath of an attack.

Speaking in the House of Commons yesterday, Tobias said:

"More than £50 million was rightly given to those affected by the 7/7 bombings, but not one penny is available to any Briton who is caught up in a terrorist incident abroad."

Today he added that:

"The budget announcement will provide the final piece of the jigsaw. In Bali there was no financial support or help on the ground for those caught up in the bombings. We now have in place emergency response teams who can provide immediate and direct support to those families affected. It will also provide some peace of mind to the millions of Britons travelling abroad in these dangerous times."