Britons stranded in the Chinese city worst hit by the coronavirus face uncertainty over coming home after the Foreign Office confirmed no evacuation will take place today.
The coronavirus has infected nearly 8,000 people while the death toll has risen to 170.
The US and Japan have evacuated hundreds of their nationals from in and around the city og Wuhan, where the killer virus is thought to have originated and most of the fatalities have occurred.
UK diplomats are still negotiating with Chinese authorities over a flight to evacuate British nationals stuck in the area, with millions of residents in China on lockdown, after a flight hoped to have left today postponed.
Nick Gibb, the School Standards Minister, told Sky News: “There are some difficult issues that are being negotiated at very senior levels between the British Government and the Chinese Government.
“Our priority is to ensure the safety and welfare of British nationals in Wuhan and ensure they do return to the UK as soon as possible.”
On being asked whether Brits who show symptoms could be left there, Mr Gibb said: "We want those British nationals home as well but we have to make sure that we are cooperating internationally with preventing the spread of this virus and the Chinese authorities are taking this issue very seriously."
"My understanding is that if people are infected then they won't be able to leave Wuhan," he added.
Mr Gibb said he understood that the RAF would crew the plane and the plan was for them to be taken to an “NHS facility” on their return.
Here, they would be kept for 14 days to make sure that they do not have symptoms of the virus, he said.
“It (the flight) is certainly coming to a military base in the UK and then the British nationals will go to the NHS facility for 14 days of quarantine,” he said without specifying exactly where the passengers would be taken.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said the government was doing all in its power to evacuate Brits wishing to leave.
She said: "We are doing everything we can to get British people in Wuhan safely back to the UK.
"A number of countries’ flights have been unable to take off as planned. We continue working urgently to organise a flight to the UK as soon as possible.
"We remain in close contact with the Chinese authorities and conversations are ongoing at all levels."
A Downing Street source previously suggested the Britons returning from Wuhan had agreed to be placed in "assisted isolation".
They said: "We are expecting about 200 British nationals to be on board, there is capacity on the flight for everybody.
"On arrival, passengers will be safely isolated for two weeks with all necessary medical attention."
British Airways previously suspended flights to and from mainland China amid the outbreak, which has now spread to every region of the nation.
Listen to today's episode of The Leader:
.jpg?w=600)
