37033 (2024). Teanau Tuiono to the Minister of Foreign Affairs

Written Question

Published date: 20 Jun 2024

Metadata

Document type:	Written Question
Parliament number:	54
Question number:	37033 (2024)
Question asked:	06 Jun 2024
Member asking:	Teanau Tuiono
Portfolio:	Minister of Foreign Affairs
Minister replying:	Rt Hon Winston Peters
Answer received:	16 Jun 2024
Status:	Question Answered
Reply type:	Reply
Document ID:	WQ_37033_2024
Document guid:	c9d46349-6ec7-437c-ad70-5f3500129d35

37033 (2024). Teanau Tuiono to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: Listed by title and date, what, if any advice has the Minister received on reducing the allocated funding for Consular Loans in B24?

Rt Hon Winston Peters: No advice has been received regarding a reduction to annual Consular Loan allocations in Budget 2024. The appropriation for Consular Loans is Non-Departmental Capital Expenditure, is based on expected demand, and remains at NZ$0.100 million for the 2024/25 year (consistent with recent years). On 13 October 2023, the Government approved a fiscally neutral adjustment to the Ministry’s Consular Loans appropriation of NZ$0.400 million to avoid unappropriated expenditure. This one-off increase was required, but only partially utilised, as part of the Ministry’s response to the Israel-Hamas conflict. Specifically, it supported New Zealanders to depart Israel and Gaza, many using consular loans.