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114754

	registered interest
	date	05/11/2014
	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	Moldova
	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 giving to Moldova to integrate further with the EU; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	213497
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text We work with EU partners to help Moldova bring its standards of governance in-line with EU best practice, including spreading greater transparency and accountability in the public sector and the promotion of EU standards and values. Key areas include tackling corruption and reform of the justice sector. The UK has led the implementation of a comprehensive EU communications campaign “Winning Hearts & Minds” which informs the public of the benefits of closer approximation with the EU and the benefits of projects that the EU and Member States have delivered in Moldova. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) contributes financially and acts as the lead coordinator. The FCO is working to get the best value from EU Twinning advisers, who provide technical advice in line ministries. In response to the embargoes imposed by the Russian Federation on the export of Moldovan fruit, vegetables and wine, the FCO brought a delegation from the Moldovan Ministry of Agriculture to the UK to demonstrate ways in which Moldova could improve its food safety standards and explore scope for diversifying its fruit and wine markets. answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 17/11/2014 17:39:32 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

101559

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2014
	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	Macedonia
	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 Macedonian counterpart about the possibility of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia joining NATO; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	212392
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/11/2014 answer text The first cycle of Macedonia’s Membership Action Plan was initiated in 1999 and in 2008 the Allies agreed that an invitation to join NATO would be extended as soon as a mutually acceptable solution to the issue over its name has been reached with Greece within the framework established by the UN. This condition has not yet been fulfilled. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) together with his counterparts from NATO Allies, met NATO’s aspiring members, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Macedonia and Montenegro, on 4 September 2014 during the NATO Summit in Wales to discuss their progress towards joining the Alliance. At the Summit, the Allies reaffirmed their continued support for Macedonia’s eventual membership and encouraged them to meet the established conditions on which their next steps towards NATO depend. The United Kingdom strongly supports NATO’s Open Door policy on enlargement and welcomes the membership aspirations of all the countries currently seeking to join the Alliance. answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 05/11/2014 14:49:38 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

114766

	registered interest
	date	05/11/2014
	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	Kosovo
	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 he is taking to encouarge the diplomatic recognition of Kosovo; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	213543
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text The UK strongly supports Kosovo’s diplomatic recognition efforts. We have lobbied with international partners to secure further recognitions. This year we are focussing our efforts on the five EU non-recognisers as this presents a major challenge to Kosovo’s progress on its EU path. Additionally we provide support to Kosovo, when requested, with their individual and targeted lobbying efforts. answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 17/11/2014 15:43:39 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

169510

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2014
	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	The Gambia: Commonwealth
	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 the Commonwealth Secretary-General about Gambia's return to the Commonwealth; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	218001
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/12/2014 answer text The UK has had no discussions with the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Kamalesh Sharma, about The Gambia’s return to the Commonwealth. The decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth was an executive decision taken solely by Gambian President Jammeh. Although the Commonwealth Secretary-General has publicly stated that The Gambia’s return would be welcomed, President Jammeh has made it clear that he will not reverse his decision. If The Gambia did decide to return to the Commonwealth, it would need to make a formal application to the Secretary-General. answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 15/12/2014 14:08:59 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

114761

	registered interest
	date	05/11/2014
	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	Serbia: Kosovo
	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 he is taking to encourage dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	213522
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/11/2014 answer text The UK has been a strong supporter of the EU-facilitated Dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, which has made significant progress over the last 18 months, including the historic 19 April 2013 agreement on beginning to normalise relations. The UK also helped ensure that the negotiating framework for Serbia’s EU accession process requires comprehensive normalisation of relations before Serbia can join the EU. Elections in Serbia and delays in forming the new Government of Kosovo have slowed the pace of implementation of the 19 April agreement this year, but some recent progress has been made on Integrated Border Management, Telecoms and Energy. In addition to the EU-facilitated Dialogue, Her Majesty's Government is also working on building better relationships, through promoting inter-ethnic commerce, encouraging more inter-ethnic dialogue, confidence building measures, and encouraging greater action from the government of Kosovo in recruiting ethnic-minorities into state institutions. answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 17/11/2014 15:39:40 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

101389

	registered interest
	date	28/10/2014
	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	South Ossetia
	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 he is taking to promote dialogue between the Georgian government and South Ossetia; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	212200
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text The UK continues to encourage all parties to the conflicts in Georgia, including Russia, to work constructively towards a long-term settlement. We hold frequent discussions with the Georgian government encouraging them to engage with the breakaway regions and with international processes including the Geneva International Talks, the only forum at present where all parties to the conflict meet. We also engage with the EU and other international partners to explore how dialogue between Georgia and its breakaway regions could be promoted. The UK-Georgia Dialogue in London in late November will provide a further opportunity to discuss Georgia’s approach to Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The UK plays a leading role in funding projects aimed at improving engagement and dialogue across the conflict divide. For the 2014/15 financial year, the UK is funding over £1.2 million of projects in Georgia from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ministry of Defence, and Department for International Development Conflict Pool focused on this issue. answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 04/11/2014 15:13:39 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

101391

	registered interest
	date	28/10/2014
	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	Montenegro
	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 Montenegrin counterpart on Montenegro joining NATO; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	212208
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) met with his counterparts from NATO Allies and NATO’s aspiring members (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Macedonia and Montenegro) on 4 September 2014 during the NATO Summit in Wales. During this meeting their progress towards joining the Alliance was discussed, among other issues. At the Summit, NATO Foreign Ministers agreed to commence ‘intensified and focused talks’ with Montenegro before reassessing their progress no later than December 2015. The United Kingdom strongly supports NATO’s Open Door policy on enlargement and welcomes the membership aspirations of all the countries currently seeking to join the Alliance. answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 04/11/2014 17:07:43 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

101128

	registered interest
	date	27/10/2014
	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	Private Finance Initiative
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many private finance initiative projects his Department contracted for in each year from 1997 to 2010.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	212098
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/11/2014 answer text The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has contracted only one private finance initiative (PFI) in the period in question. A PFI for the British Embassy in Berlin was commissioned in 2000 and is due to run until 2030. answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 03/11/2014 14:21:27 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

155464

	registered interest
	date	11/11/2014
	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	Correspondence
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how often his Department reviews its processes regarding the logging of emails, letters and other correspondence received; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	214251
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2014 answer text The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) continuously reviews the way in which it processes the letters and emails it receives. With regard to the time frame for responding to letters from parliamentarians and members of the public, the FCO follows Cabinet Office guidance on handling correspondence from Members of Parliament, Peers, MEPs and Members of devolved Administrations, which is available online at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/61196/guide-handling-gov-correspondence.pdf answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 18/11/2014 16:29:56 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

90627

	registered interest
	date	04/09/2014
	answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
	answering dept id	7
	answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
	answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
	hansard heading	Council Tax
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the number of local authorities that have held referendums on increasing council tax above the threshold set by his Department.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	208146
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2014 answer text No local authorities have so far held a council tax referendum since the provisions were introduced through the Localism Act 2011. answering member constituency Keighley answering member printed Kris Hopkins question first answered 11/09/2014 15:55:30 answering member 4043 label Biography information for Kris Hopkins
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby