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61326

registered interest
date	11/06/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	British Indian Ocean Territory
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the extension of the lease for Diego Garcia Airbase.
tabling member constituency	Wyre and Preston North
tabling member printed	Mr Ben Wallace
uin	200200
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2014 answer text <p>We welcome the US presence on Diego Garcia, and we have said we want to see it continue. The current agreement does not conclude until December 2016, and we have not yet held substantive discussions with the US about this subject. I expect my officials to begin doing so later this year.</p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Mark Simmonds question first answered 17/06/2014 08:55:58 answering member 1393 label Biography information for Mark Simmonds
tabling member	1539 label Biography information for Mr Ben Wallace

61339

registered interest
date	11/06/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Middle East
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the approach of the new Palestinian government to the peace process with Israel.
tabling member constituency	Kettering
tabling member printed	Mr Philip Hollobone
uin	200310
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>President Abbas was clear that new interim technocratic government will uphold a commitment to the principle of non-violence, a negotiated two state solution, and an acceptance of all previous agreements and obligations, including Israel's legitimate right to exist. Reuniting Gaza and the West Bank under a government committed to these principles is a necessary condition for resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict. We now look to the new government to demonstrate these commitments through its actions as well as its words.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Hugh Robertson question first answered 16/06/2014 12:10:20 answering member 1415 label Biography information for Sir Hugh Robertson
tabling member	1537 label Biography information for Mr Philip Hollobone

61429

registered interest
date	11/06/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Iraq
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the position of (a) the Christian community and (b) other religious minorities in Mosul, Iraq; what reports he has received of Christians fleeing their homes in Mosul; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Hertsmere
tabling member printed	Mr James Clappison
uin	200192
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>We are concerned by the impact of the security situation in Mosul for all Iraqis living there, including religious minorities. Reports estimate that 500,000 people have left the Mosul area to escape violence caused when the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) attacked the city on 10 June. Many have sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A team from the Department for International Development arrived in Erbil on 13 June to assess the situation on the ground and co-ordinate with partners. We continue to monitor the situation closely.</p> answering member constituency Faversham and Mid Kent answering member printed Hugh Robertson question first answered 16/06/2014 12:38:46 answering member 1415 label Biography information for Sir Hugh Robertson
tabling member	67 label Biography information for Mr James Clappison

61441

registered interest
date	11/06/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Nigeria
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether Ministers or officials of his Department have (a) met the Attorney General of Nigeria since January 2012 and (b) had any conversations about the sale of the OPL 245 oil concession in Nigeria involving Shell and ENI with (i) the Attorney General of Nigeria and (ii) any other senior official of the Nigerian government.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	200205
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2014 answer text <p>No FCO Ministers have met the Nigerian Attorney General since January 2012. Given the range and frequency of meetings between FCO officials with the Nigerian Attorney General, I am unable to offer a full list of them. The Metropolitan Police Proceeds of Corruption Unit are investigating complaints made about the case of oil block OPL-245 in Nigeria. Because this is an on-going investigation, it would not be appropriate to comment any further.</p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Mark Simmonds question first answered 17/06/2014 08:59:03 answering member 1393 label Biography information for Mark Simmonds
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

61448

registered interest
date	11/06/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Democratic Republic of Congo
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of 13 May 2014, Official Report, columns 200-3WH, what representations he has made to the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on the recent acquittal of 14 officers of the armed forces of that country on charges of mass rape and murder.
tabling member constituency	Wrexham
tabling member printed	Ian Lucas
uin	200235
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2014 answer text <p>I welcome efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to prosecute perpetrators on charges of mass rape and murder – but more must be done to deliver justice for the victims. I met with the Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the DRC in London last week when he was attending the Global Summit on Ending Sexual Violence in Conflict. I emphasised to him that ending impunity was fundamental to tackling the scourge of sexual and gender-based violence. He confirmed his Government's commitment to tackling sexual and gender based violence and to ending impunity for the perpetrators.</p><p>The British Embassy in Kinshasa sponsors a range of projects to tackle sexual violence in the DRC focusing on security sector reform and improving service provision for survivors. During his visit to eastern DRC in March 2013 the Foreign Secretary announced over £1 million in funding to a range of organisations tackling rape and sexual violence. The UK has supported the deployment of an international expert to build capacity of health and legal professionals to address accountability and the investigation and documentation of sexual violence crimes.</p><p>The Foreign Secretary has publicly called on the Congolese authorities to continue in their efforts to seek out and prosecute the remaining perpetrators. Senior officials at our Embassy in Kinshasa have, jointly with EU Heads of Mission and independently, also raised the issue directly with the Government of the DRC.</p><p>The International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict, which was field tested in the DRC, was launched at the Global Summit on 12 June. I hope that the Protocol will be deployed widely, helping to ensure that more and more perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence the world over will be brought to justice.</p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Mark Simmonds question first answered 18/06/2014 15:56:06 answering member 1393 label Biography information for Mark Simmonds
tabling member	1470 label Biography information for Ian C. Lucas

61461

registered interest
date	11/06/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Marine Protected Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the cost to the public purse of litigation associated with the declaration of the Marine Protected Area on 1 April 2010 are to date.
tabling member constituency	Islington North
tabling member printed	Jeremy Corbyn
uin	200337
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2014 answer text <p>Though some final costs from Counsel on the recently concluded Court of Appeal hearing are yet to be received, the costs of domestic litigation to date is £325,444.42. We understand the litigant, Mr. Olivier Bancoult, has also been in receipt of legal aid. HM Government has been successful in defending all such litigation, and has therefore been awarded full costs in the Divisional Court, and half of our costs in the Court of Appeal, though these are still subject to assessment.</p><p>In respect of the recently concluded challenge by Mauritius in an arbitration under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, various costs matters are still ongoing.</p> answering member constituency Boston and Skegness answering member printed Mark Simmonds question first answered 17/06/2014 09:03:14 answering member 1393 label Biography information for Mark Simmonds
tabling member	185 label Biography information for Jeremy Corbyn

61474

registered interest
date	11/06/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Thailand
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, in the light of reports in The Guardian newspaper on 11 June, they intend to make representations to the government of Thailand about the exploitation and abuse of workers in that country's fishing industry and to United Kingdom companies which purchase the products of that industry.
tabling member printed	Lord Beecham
uin	HL252
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2014 answer text <p>We are aware of labour rights issues and allegations of human rights abuses in the Thai fishing industry, though not until now of the specific allegations made by the Guardian. We regularly raise our concerns about labour rights in Thailand with the relevant Thai authorities, for example during the UK-Thailand Strategic Dialogue in May 2013. The Guardian's report contains very serious allegations. We look to the Thai authorities to investigate. <br><br>Given the acute and continual political uncertainty in Thailand our ability to raise these issues with the authorities at this point is limited. However, we take the allegations very seriously and will look for opportunities to raise our concerns. At a minimum, we will continue to press for an improvement in labour rights in Thailand through ongoing negotiations towards an EU-Thailand Free Trade Agreement. <br><br>The UK remains a global leader in tackling human trafficking and slavery as shown by its recent introduction of a Modern Slavery Bill. We welcome any investigation which sheds light on these horrific allegations. <br><br>We also launched our action plan on business and human rights in 2013, becoming the first country to set out guidance to companies on integrating human rights into their operations. We engage regularly with British companies as part of our efforts to boost UK trade and inward investment, but at the same time we also clearly set our commitment to protecting human rights and its expectations of UK companies in this area.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 19/06/2014 13:49:05 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	4181 label Biography information for Lord Beecham

61477

registered interest
date	11/06/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Qatar
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the delay by the British Embassy in Doha in issuing new passports to children born to United Kingdom parents in Qatar; and whether they have held discussions with the local authorities over the law in Qatar under which fines may be imposed on foreign nationals who are not in possession of a passport by the age of two months.
tabling member printed	Lord Jones of Cheltenham
uin	HL255
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2014 answer text <p>The British Embassy in Doha no longer issues passports. We have raised with the Qatari authorities the issue of fines imposed on British nationals without a passport, and are working to find an agreed solution. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is working closely with Her Majesty's Passport Office to overcome any problems that result from a delay in the issuing of British passports. In line with the recent statement on 12 June by the Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right Hon Friend the Member for Maidenhead, South East (Theresa May), any British nationals facing a problem should consult the Embassy to discuss this – including the alternatives for urgent travel to the UK without a full passport.</p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 18/06/2014 11:38:48 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	248 label Biography information for Lord Jones of Cheltenham

61485

registered interest
date	11/06/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Western Sahara
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what efforts they are making in respect of Morocco's international human rights obligations in regard to the citizens of Western Sahara; and what steps they have taken in respect of neutralising the Moroccan wall and associated weaponry.
tabling member printed	Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington
uin	HL263
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2014 answer text <p>We encourage concrete progress towards improving human rights in Western Sahara in discussions with the parties to the dispute over the territory, and at the UN Security Council. The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Mr Robertson), discussed human rights in Western Sahara during his visit to Morocco in March. We welcome Morocco's recent commitments to investigate complaints of human rights violations made to the National Council for Human Rights within three months, and to end military tribunal trials for civilians.</p><p> </p><p>Demining teams from the UN peacekeeping operation in Western Sahara (MINURSO), the Moroccan Army and Polisario continue to co-operate to clear unexploded ordnance on both sides of the Moroccan wall.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 18/06/2014 11:46:52 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	3733 label Biography information for Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington

61496

registered interest
date	11/06/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Israel
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office-sponsored report, Children in Military Custody, on Israeli interrogation methods of Palestinian children; and what follow-up to the report they intend to undertake.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL274
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2014 answer text <p>The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Faversham and Mid Kent (Mr Robertson), wrote to the Israeli Attorney General on 31 March 2014 to welcome the steps taken to date and to call for further measures, including the mandatory use of audio-visual recording of interrogations, investigation into continued reports of single hand ties being used, and an end to solitary confinement for children. These were key UK recommendations at Israel's Universal Periodic Review session at the UN Human Rights Council on 29 October 2013.</p><p> </p><p>A progress report published in October 2013 by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) indicates that Israel has taken some positive steps towards addressing the recommendations in the report. These include: the introduction of legal obligations to inform the child's parents of an arrest and grant them legal status to be represented in court, as well as to notify minors of their legal rights; and standard operating procedures on methods of restraint. The Israeli military are also piloting a new procedure across the West Bank, whereby children are issued a summons to attend a police station in the morning, rather than being arrested at night, in their homes. The UK believes that the report &quot;Children in Military Custody&quot; has helped contribute to these changes in practice.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Warsi question first answered 18/06/2014 11:46:01 answering member 3839 label Biography information for Baroness Warsi
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge