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224148

registered interest
date	27/02/2015
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	Cyprus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Cyprus about the decision to allow the Russian military to use port facilities on that island.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	225694
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>We are aware of reports of recent agreements, including military agreements, between the Republic of Cyprus and Russia. It is our understanding that the military aspects represent a continuation of existing arrangements. The United Kingdom remains fully engaged on a range of security and military issues with the Republic of Cyprus.</p><p> </p><p>The EU has sent a united message to Russia that its actions in Ukraine are in flagrant breach of international law, and all member states, including Cyprus, unanimously agreed to impose measures against Russia in response to these actions.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 05/03/2015 17:39:22 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

223959

registered interest
date	26/02/2015
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	Libya
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help Libya move towards peace in the short and medium term.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	225601
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>The growing instability, increased violence, and increasing presence of terrorist organisations, is a serious threat to Libya’s future. The UK strongly supports the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, Bernardino Leon, and the UN Support Mission in Libya, to resolve the political and security crisis and pave the way for peaceful political dialogue. These negotiations should be pursued urgently, with the aim of laying the foundations for a Government of National Unity that can unite against extremism and bring stability to Libya. In parallel we are working with Libya and the international community to understand if there is more we can do now to tackle the increasing terrorist threat. Following a recent comprehensive review of all our programming activity in Libya, we have refocused our programme portfolio, providing support for political settlement efforts as the best long-term solution to the current conflict. In particular we are providing support to the Prime Minister’s Envoy for the Libyan Transition, Jonathan Powell, who is actively engaged with the UN mediation process led by Bernardino Leon.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 05/03/2015 14:27:34 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

223616

registered interest
date	25/02/2015
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	EU Reform
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 effect of the outcome of the Government's Balance of Competences Review on his Department's policy on EU reforms.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	225414
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2015 answer text <p>The review of the Balance of Competences provides the most extensive analysis of the impact of EU membership ever undertaken by the UK or any Member State. Across the entire review, the reports draw on nearly 2,300 pieces of evidence. The reports provide a wealth of evidence that supports the government’s aim to reform the EU to make it more open, competitive, flexible and democratically accountable, with fair treatment of countries inside and outside the eurozone for the benefit of everyone in Europe. This includes the need for a broader and deeper Single Market, greater competitiveness and flexibility, better (and less) regulation and more transparent and accountable institutions and processes.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 04/03/2015 14:46:43 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

177508

registered interest
date	03/02/2015
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	Cyprus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Turkish government on locating people missing as a result of violence in Cyprus in 1974.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	223112
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/02/2015 answer text <p>We share the concerns of both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities over the missing persons following the events of 1974. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not had any recent discussions with the Turkish government about this, but we take very seriously the issue of missing persons in Cyprus. We supported UN Security Council Resolution 2197 renewing the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), which called upon all parties to provide more expeditious, full access to all areas. The UK also contributes to the work of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which supervises the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights judgement in Cyprus v Turkey of 2001 on missing persons. We strongly support the humanitarian work of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) in Cyprus, in which bi-communal teams undertake painstaking and sensitive work. So far, the remains of 568 individuals have been identified and returned to their families. We have supported the work of the CMP financially, donating US$220,133 bilaterally, while EU funding of the CMP, to which the UK contributes, totalled US$16,289,719 from 2006-14. In addition to this financial support, the UK facilitates the CMP by enabling it to work from a British-owned site in the Buffer Zone, thus easing its administration costs. The British High Commission in Nicosia remains in regular contact with the CMP to establish how the UK may further support its work.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 10/02/2015 15:27:48 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

175422

registered interest
date	23/01/2015
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	Iran
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 consequences of Iran's refusal to allow International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors access to its Arak and Parchin nuclear-related facilities.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	221808
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2015 answer text <p>The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has monthly access to the reactor at Arak. The IAEA Director General’s 7 November report confirms that Iran continues to abide by its commitment under the Joint Plan of Action (JPoA) not to make further advances on the Arak reactor for the duration of the JPoA.</p><p>Access for the IAEA to Parchin remains an important but unfulfilled step. The 7 November IAEA report reiterates that clean-up activities at the site are likely to have undermined the Agency’s ability to conduct effective verification, however it is imperative that Iran provides access as the Agency continues to request. We fully support their work on this crucial issue.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 29/01/2015 14:17:55 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

175423

registered interest
date	23/01/2015
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	Iran
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 his Department has made of Iran's financial and material support for Hezbollah.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	221809
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2015 answer text <p>We continue to have serious concerns about Iran's support for the military wing of Hizballah. This support includes the provision of significant financial resources, military equipment and training, in contravention of UN Security Council Resolution 1747, which prohibits the export of weapons by Iran. We call on Iran to implement its obligations under this resolution and end its military support which undermines regional security.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 29/01/2015 14:19:28 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

174734

registered interest
date	20/01/2015
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	Russia
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 EU counterparts on expansion of the sanctions regime on Russia.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	221358
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/01/2015 answer text <p>I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Secretary of state for Foreign and Commowealth Affairs, my right hon. friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), to the hon. Member for Washington and Sunderland West (Mrs Hodgson) on 20 January 2015 (PQ 907106) official report column 77. The UK and our EU partners have been very clear with Russia about what it needs to do for the easing of sanctions to be considered. Conversely, if it continues to ignore its obligations under the Minsk agreements, and continues to destabilise Ukraine, we will need to consider strengthening our sanctions.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 26/01/2015 16:25:27 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

174735

registered interest
date	20/01/2015
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	Sri Lanka
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 his Department has made of the election in Sri Lanka and the prospects for an independent war crime inquiry in that country.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	221359
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2015 answer text <p>The Sri Lankan Presidential Election was generally peaceful and well-managed with a high voter turnout. We commend Sri Lanka’s Election Commission for its conduct of the election, and all Sri Lanka’s political parties and people for accepting the final result and committing to the peaceful transfer of power. The result on the day reflected the will of the Sri Lankan people.</p><p> </p><p>However, we also note the view of Commonwealth Observers that an inadequate electoral and legal framework coupled with an unequal pre-electoral environment, meant the election contest fell short of key benchmarks for democratic elections. We hope that this is something Sri Lanka will now address, with the support of the international community.</p><p> </p><p>We are encouraging the new government to engage with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, including over the UN Human Rights Council resolution agreed in March 2014. This is consistent with the Prime Minister's, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), statement after the elections that the UK “encourages President Sirisena to support the ongoing UN Office of the High Commission for Human rights investigation into human rights abuses so that the issues of the past can be addressed and the country can move forward to a brighter, peaceful future where all Sri Lankan’s can play a role.”</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 27/01/2015 14:48:10 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

174736

registered interest
date	20/01/2015
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	Hamas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken in response to the decision of the General Court of the European Union on Hamas.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	221360
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2015 answer text <p>The EU General Court judgment is procedural and does not mean the EU and UK have changed their position on Hamas. The effects of the EU Hamas listing, including asset freezes, remain in place. We are studying the detail of the judgment carefully, and will work with partners to ensure that the Hamas listing at the EU is maintained. Hamas’ military wing has been proscribed in the UK since 2001 under separate UK legislation. This is not affected by the EU General Court judgment.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 27/01/2015 14:43:18 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

174737

registered interest
date	20/01/2015
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	Libya
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is providing to help the Libyan government bring peace and stability to that country.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	221361
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2015 answer text <p>The UK Government, working closely with our international partners, continues to support the people of Libya and the efforts of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for Libya, Bernardino Leon, to resolve the political crisis. Since 2011, the UK has also funded much practical support to Libya. The current focus is on contributing to UN political settlement efforts through the Prime Minister's Special Envoy to the Libyan Political Transition, Jonathan Powell. The UK is also providing expert advice to the Constitutional Drafting Assembly; helping to enhance the quality and coverage of media reporting of events in Libya; providing support in the areas of border controls and humanitarian demining; and helping Libyan institutions to effectively manage their public finances.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 27/01/2015 14:52:47 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord