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1064109

registered interest
date	19/02/2019
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	Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Apprentices
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of the staff employed by his Department are apprentices.
tabling member constituency	Wythenshawe and Sale East
tabling member printed	Mike Kane
uin	223520
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2019 answer text <p>As of 31 January 2019, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) employed 99 apprentices, of whom 57 work for our Trading Fund, FCO Services. This is 1.69 per cent (an increase of 0.34 per cent from January 2018) of the total of FCO and FCO Services UK-based staff worldwide, and 2.59 per cent (an increase of 0.59 per cent from January 2018) of our staff working in the UK. We expect a further 22 staff to enrol on an apprenticeship by 31 March 2019.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 25/02/2019 17:11:11 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4316 label Biography information for Mike Kane

1061070

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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: NATO
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 counterparts on the proposed accession of North Macedonia to NATO.
tabling member constituency	Belfast North
tabling member printed	Nigel Dodds
uin	221611
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>The UK was delighted to sign North Macedonia's NATO Accession Protocol on 6 February. This is an important step towards strengthening Euro-Atlantic security and we look forward to welcoming North Macedonia as a full member of the North Atlantic alliance soon. I regularly discuss (now) North Macedonia, including NATO membership, with my counterparts, most recently at the Munich Security Conference last weekend, where I was also able personally to congratulate North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zaev.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 21/02/2019 17:39:46 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

1061117

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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	Ukraine: Politics and Government
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 current levels of political stability in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	221577
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>The UK remains concerned over persistent attempts by Russia to undermine political stability in Ukraine. Russia's malign intent is evident in their support for separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, the detention and mistreatment of civilians in Crimea, the recent firing on Ukrainian vessels in the Black Sea and their growing economic stranglehold on the Ukrainian ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk. This is reinforced by Russian disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks designed to create a false narrative of Ukraine as a failing state.</p><p>The reality is that Ukraine has made enormous progress towards realising its potential as a fully democratic, modern and prosperous state. The UK is providing substantial assistance to strengthen Ukraine's democracy and institutions as part of its reform programme. This includes specific support to help Ukraine counter potential outside interference in presidential and parliamentary elections in 2019. The best answer to malign Russian activity remains a well-functioning, democratic and stable Ukraine.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 19/02/2019 16:56:59 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1061132

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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	Italy: Asylum
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 held with his (a) Italian counterpart and (b) EU counterparts on the Italian government's asylum policy.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	221579
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>As part of our bilateral relationship with Italy we regularly discuss asylum policy at Ministerial and official level. The UK Government continues to discuss the issue of asylum with the EU.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 19/02/2019 17:00:30 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1061145

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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	Daphne Caruana Galizia
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 Prime Minister raised the case of Daphne Caruana Galizia at her meeting with Prime Minister Muscat of Malta on 11 February 2019.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	221580
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>The UK Government has closely followed the case of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia since the assassination on 16 October 2017. I raised the matter with the Maltese Foreign Minister, Carmelo Abela in April last year and the Home Secretary sought an update on the progress of the criminal investigation from the Maltese Interior Minister during a meeting held in London last November. As the judicial process runs its course, our High Commission in Valletta remains in close touch with the Maltese authorities and stands ready to consider any request for assistance.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 21/02/2019 17:41:34 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1061171

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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	Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Public Records
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 records his Department holds that have reached the time limit for their transfer to the National Archives but have not been transferred.
tabling member constituency	Edinburgh North and Leith
tabling member printed	Deidre Brock
uin	221699
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2019 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is not able to calculate the number of records it holds which are dated 31 December 1994 or earlier without incurring disproportionate cost. However, the FCO does publish information about its archive holdings and record release programme at <a href="http://www.gov.uk/archive-records" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/archive-records</a>. This includes an inventory with estimates of FCO archive holdings at file (rather than record) level as well the date ranges of our archive record collections. An updated version of the FCO archive inventory will be published this year.</p><p>The FCO is committed to compliance with the Public Records Act. Any files which have passed their review date and which are still held by the FCO are retained in compliance with the Act under a legal instrument.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 22/02/2019 14:36:02 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4417 label Biography information for Deidre Brock

1061212

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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	Cuba: Human Rights
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what advice his Department has given to HRH the Prince of Wales on raising human rights abuses in Cuba with representatives of the Cuban Government on his forthcoming visit to that country.
tabling member constituency	Hyndburn
tabling member printed	Graham P Jones
uin	221720
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>The UK government regularly raises human rights issues as part of our dialogue with the Cuban government. We believe the best way to encourage progress on human rights in Cuba is through dialogue and practical diplomacy, which is best enabled through engagement. This is reflected in our policy of engagement with Cuba, in which TRHs' trip will play an important role.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 19/02/2019 16:51:53 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	3999 label Biography information for Graham P Jones

1060628

registered interest
date	13/02/2019
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 Staff: British Nationality
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number of British civil servants who (a) have been based in Brussels in each year since 2010 and (b) will remain based in Brussels after the UK leaves the EU.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	220769
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2019 answer text <p>The UK has three diplomatic Missions in Brussels: the bilateral Embassy to Belgium; the UK Permanent Representation to the European Union (UKRep); and the UK Delegation to NATO. All employ British civil servants, alongside locally recruited staff. The civil servants normally serve fixed tour lengths of between 1-4 years. In addition, there are British civil servants working in Brussels at the Scottish Government EU Office, the Welsh Government EU Office, for Border Force at Gare du Midi Eurostar, and on secondment to the EU Institutions, NATO and the World Customs Organisation.</p><p>The table below provides the number of FCO UK-based staff in Brussels each year since 2013. These statistics do not include locally recruited staff, staff in Brussels funded by other Government Departments, nor the Scottish or Welsh Governments. Up until 1st April 2015, Department of Trade staff (former UKTI) were included in FCO staff headcount. We are unable to provide headcount information prior to 2013 as the FCO revised its approach to recording staff headcount in December 2012, adopting a new methodology in line with Office for National Statistics guidelines.</p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Reference Month</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>FCO UK-based staff in Brussels</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>January 2019</p></td><td><p>c.150</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2018</p></td><td><p>c.120</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2017</p></td><td><p>c.100</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2016</p></td><td><p>c.100</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2015</p></td><td><p>c.100</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2014</p></td><td><p>c.100</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>March 2013</p></td><td><p>c.100</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>After the UK leaves the EU, the UK will retain its three diplomatic Missions in Brussels, although UKRep will become a third country Mission to the EU. We expect their overall headcount to increase marginally. This reflects both our desire for a future close relationship with the EU and our increased focus on the bilateral relationship with Belgium when we are no longer an EU Member State.</p><p>We do not expect to have any secondees in the EU Institutions immediately after the UK leaves the EU but, in line with the Political Declaration setting out the framework for the future relationship between the EU and UK, we will seek to agree arrangements for the secondment of experts where appropriate and in our mutual interest. In January 2010 the UK had 92 seconded national experts to the EU; we currently have 36 in Brussels, plus a further 10 who are taking part in the National Experts in Professional Training programme. There are also currently 7 British civil servants seconded to NATO and one to the World Customs Organisation (WCO), all based in Brussels.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 22/02/2019 14:50:35 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1060656

registered interest
date	13/02/2019
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: INF Treaty
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 the US administration on the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty since the US has suspended its obligations to that treaty.
tabling member constituency	Kensington
tabling member printed	Emma Dent Coad
uin	221032
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2019 answer text <p>We have been discussing the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty with the US for a number of years as part of our continuous dialogue on security issues. The US also initiated a series of meetings on INF with close Allies in 2017 and 2018, during which we discussed the US approach and exchanged detailed information on the Russian violation and how we might best achieve our shared policy objectives.</p><p>We support the US decision to suspend its participation in the INF Treaty and start the treaty's formal withdrawal process. A situation whereby the US was fully abiding by the INF Treaty and Russia was not, was not sustainable. Following the US announcement, NATO issued a statement declaring full support for US action and urging Russia to use the six month withdrawal period to return to full and verifiable compliance to preserve the INF Treaty.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 20/02/2019 16:34:34 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4683 label Biography information for Emma Dent Coad

1060659

registered interest
date	13/02/2019
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: INF Treaty
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 the Russian Government on the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces treaty since the US suspended its obligations to that treaty.
tabling member constituency	Kensington
tabling member printed	Emma Dent Coad
uin	221033
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2019 answer text <p>NATO Allies first expressed concerns about Russian non-compliance with its INF Treaty obligations in 2014. In the last two years, there has been an intensification of Allied activity to encourage Russia to return to compliance.</p><p>We have not discussed INF directly with Russia since the US, and subsequently Russia, suspended their participation in the Treaty. However, we and our Allies stated our shared concerns during the NATO-Russia Council in late January.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 20/02/2019 16:35:48 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4683 label Biography information for Emma Dent Coad