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169828

registered interest
date	11/12/2014
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	Mauritania
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the government of Mauritania on the detention of Mr Biram Dah Abeid and his associates.
tabling member constituency	Moray
tabling member printed	Angus Robertson
uin	218364
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>We are aware of the recent arrest of Mr Biram Abeid and other anti-slavery activists. We are following this case closely and have met a wide range of those involved, including members of Mr Biram’s organisation. We discussed this issue with EU partners on 3 December 2014.</p><p>We will continue to engage with Mauritania on human rights issues and work closely with our international partners represented in Nouakchott including diplomatic institutions, the UN, EU and African Union.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 17/12/2014 14:26:45 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1433 label Biography information for Angus Robertson

169829

registered interest
date	11/12/2014
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	USA
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 Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's Study of the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) detention and Interrogation Program, what assessment he has made of the treatment of CIA detainees; and whether any detainees were transported through the UK in the conditions described in the study.
tabling member constituency	Moray
tabling member printed	Angus Robertson
uin	218365
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>The account of the treatment of some detainees by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as reported by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is troubling. As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) has stated, after 9/11 there were things that happened that were wrong, and we should be clear about the fact that they were wrong.</p><p>In July 2010 the Prime Minister asked Sir Peter Gibson to lead an Inquiry into whether Britain was implicated in the improper treatment, or rendition, of detainees held by other countries in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. In December 2013, the Detainee Inquiry published a report on its preparatory work setting out a series of questions which the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament is now considering. The Committee will report to Parliament and the public on completion of its work.</p><p>This Government also took the important step of publishing the Consolidated Guidance in 2010 on the obligations of our agencies and the Ministry of Defence in relation to detainees held overseas. The Intelligence Services Commissioner is tasked to monitor compliance with this – a role we have recently put on a statutory footing.</p><p>The UK Government stands firmly against torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment or punishment. We do not condone it, nor do we ask others to do it on our behalf.</p><p>The US Government has assured us that there have been no cases of rendition through the UK, our Overseas Territories including Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory), or the Crown Dependencies since 11 September 2001, apart from the two cases in 2002, about which the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the then Member for South Shields, Mr Milliband informed the House in 2008.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 17/12/2014 14:29:43 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1433 label Biography information for Angus Robertson

169830

registered interest
date	11/12/2014
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	USA
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish details of any complicity or involvement by the UK Government while Tony Blair was Prime Minister over rendition, interrogation and detention by the Central Intelligence Agency which have been redacted from the report by the US Senate intelligence committee.
tabling member constituency	Bradford West
tabling member printed	Mr George Galloway
uin	218386
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>The US gave UK Agencies limited sight of some sections of the executive summary prior to its publication.</p><p>Our Agencies highlighted a small number of issues in the proposed text where changes would be necessary solely to protect UK national security and intelligence operations. None of these redactions related to allegations of UK involvement in detainee mistreatment.</p><p>We did not lobby, at any level, to have information removed or redacted in relation to UK involvement in rendition or mistreatment of detainees. The UK Government did not receive an advance copy of the report before publication.</p><p>In July 2010, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the member for Witney (Mr Cameron) asked Sir Peter Gibson to lead an inquiry into whether Britain was implicated in the improper treatment, or rendition, of detainees held by other countries in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. In December 2013 the Detainee Inquiry published a report on its preparatory work setting out a series of questions which the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament is now considering. This Committee will report to Parliament and to the public on the completion of its work.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 17/12/2014 13:24:44 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	609 label Biography information for George Galloway

169832

registered interest
date	11/12/2014
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	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 presence of operational links between Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Islamic State.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Keith Vaz
uin	218367
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>We do not believe that there are operational links between al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). AQAP has been a vocal critic of ISIL’s rise. It recently issued a public statement condemning ISIL’s ‘Caliphate’ in Syria and Iraq, as well as criticising its use of brutal tactics. Although the civil war in Syria has attracted some Yemeni foreign fighters, this is not an indication of operational links between the two groups.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 18/12/2014 14:00:31 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	338 label Biography information for Keith Vaz

169833

registered interest
date	11/12/2014
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	Yemen
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 the Prime Minister of Yemen.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Keith Vaz
uin	218336
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <table><tbody><tr><td>The Secretary of State for Foreign and Comonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has had no recent discussions with the Prime Minister of Yemen. The Foreign Secretary does however take a personal interest in Yemen and wrote to Prime Minister Bahah in November to express UK support.</td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 18/12/2014 14:06:45 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	338 label Biography information for Keith Vaz

169834

registered interest
date	11/12/2014
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	Yemen: Armed Conflict
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of the presence of Islamic State or affiliated groups in Yemen.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Keith Vaz
uin	218329
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>We are aware of reports suggesting the presence of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)-affiliated groups in Yemen. We do not believe that this is indicative of an organised, structured or cohesive ISIL presence in Yemen. Also, it does not indicate operational linkages between al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and ISIL. AQAP has been a vocal critic of ISIL’s rise. It recently issued a public statement condemning ISIL’s ‘Caliphate’ in Syria and Iraq, as well as criticising its use of brutal tactics. The civil war in Syria has attracted some Yemeni foreign fighters who may subsequently return to the region. We do not believe that this is indicative of ISIL presence in Yemen.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 18/12/2014 13:56:04 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	338 label Biography information for Keith Vaz

169837

registered interest
date	11/12/2014
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	Nuclear Weapons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has commissioned research to determine what the UK's obligations in international law are in the event of economic or environmental damage being caused to other countries by radioactive fallout or blast arising from a British nuclear weapon being (a) accidentally detonated or (b) deliberately targeted and the effects spread to a third or more of the country.
tabling member constituency	Newport West
tabling member printed	Paul Flynn
uin	218279
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text We have not commissioned any research. The issues are long-standing, and the Government has not seen the need to commission fresh research. answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 18/12/2014 14:04:57 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	545 label Biography information for Paul Flynn

169498

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	USA
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government (a) made any requests to and (b) was approached by the US Senate Intelligence Committee or the US administration on redaction of passages in that committee's report about the CIA's detention and interrogation programme.
tabling member constituency	Bradford West
tabling member printed	Mr George Galloway
uin	218140
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>The US gave UK Agencies limited sight of some sections of the executive summary prior to its publication. Our Agencies highlighted a small number of issues in the proposed text where changes would be necessary solely to protect UK national security and intelligence operations. None of these redactions related to allegations of UK involvement in detainee mistreatment. We did not lobby, at any level, to have information removed or redacted in relation to UK involvement in rendition or mistreatment of detainees. The UK Government did not receive an advance copy of the report before publication. In July 2010, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) asked Sir Peter Gibson to lead an inquiry into whether Britain was implicated in the improper treatment, or rendition, of detainees held by other countries in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. In December 2013 the Detainee Inquiry published a report on its preparatory work setting out a series of questions which the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament is now considering. This Committee will report to Parliament and to the public on the completion of its work.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 17/12/2014 13:23:01 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	609 label Biography information for George Galloway

169499

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	Bahrain
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 the government of Bahrain about the treatment of the democracy movement in that country.
tabling member constituency	Dudley North
tabling member printed	Ian Austin
uin	218100
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>I held discussions on Bahrain’s recent elections at the UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group on 4 December with the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) held similar discussions with the King and Crown Prince of Bahrain during his visit there on 6 December. In both meetings we commended the election of a broad range of candidates, although the opposition political societies decided not to take part. I will continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to build on the success of the elections and move forward with further reform to advance the democratisation and human rights agenda.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 17/12/2014 13:22:07 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1511 label Biography information for Lord Austin of Dudley

169500

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	Bahrain
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 the government of Bahrain on the release of political prisoners.
tabling member constituency	Dudley North
tabling member printed	Ian Austin
uin	218099
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>We encourage the Government of Bahrain to respect the rights of all peaceful opposition figures. If we have specific concerns around convictions or sentencing, we raise these with the Government of Bahrain as part of our wider dialogue on human rights and reform.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 17/12/2014 13:20:05 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1511 label Biography information for Lord Austin of Dudley