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1041367

registered interest
date	14/01/2019
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	Mediterranean Sea: Refugees
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 trends in the number of migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean from Libya.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	208194
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/01/2019 answer text <p>2018 saw an 80 percent reduction, comapred to 2014 in the number of migrants crossing the central Mediterranean from North Africa to Italy – from 119,000 in 2017 to 23,000 in 2018, according to UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) figures. The number of fatalities on the central route has not reduced by the same rate. According to UNHCR the proportion of dead and missing compared to the number of arrivals doubled in 2018 to 5.6 percent from 2.4 percent in 2017. The largest proportion of migrants crossing the Mediterranean from North Africa during 2018 continued to be from Libya, although the proportion crossing from Tunisia increased during 2018. The European Commission reports the Italian Ministry of Interior as stating that 56 percent of migrants heading for Italy departed from Libya.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 17/01/2019 16:11:01 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1039076

registered interest
date	10/01/2019
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	Guatemala: 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 steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to support the work of the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala following recent attempts by the Guatemalan Government to shut the commission down.
tabling member constituency	Cynon Valley
tabling member printed	Ann Clwyd
uin	207171
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2019 answer text <p>The UK has been a vocal advocate of anti-corruption efforts and the valuable work carried out by the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) to support and strengthen Guatemalan national institutions. In response, I have released a statement expressing our disappointment at the Guatemalan governments attempt to prevent CICIG carrying out its mandate. The UK also joined statements of the EU and the G13 local donor group condemning Guatemala's decision to unilaterally terminate the agreement establishing CICIG and calling on the Guatemalan government to uphold the rule of law. The UK will continue to monitor developments, through our Embassy in Guatemala, and call upon the Guatemalan government to allow CICIG to complete its mandate and ensure the security of its staff.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 15/01/2019 16:24:55 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	553 label Biography information for Ann Clwyd

1038523

registered interest
date	09/01/2019
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	Leyla Guven
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 Turkish counterpart on (a) the deteriorating health of Leyla Güven MP, a Kurdish member of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in the Turkish Parliament, who is on hunger strike and (b) the legal basis for Ms Güven's pre-trial detention.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	206886
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2019 answer text <p>We have raised concerns with the Turkish authorities over the detention of HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) Members of Parliament. We have also discussed the issue with the HDP itself. We expect Turkey, as a modern democracy, to undertake any legal processes against MPs, including Leyla Guven, fairly, transparently and with full respect for the rule of law. We will continue to engage with the Turkish Government on these important issues.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 14/01/2019 16:36:53 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1037799

registered interest
date	08/01/2019
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	Turkey: Syria
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 representations he has made to his Turkish counterpart on preventing the planned (a) invasion of Rojava and (b) attacks against the Kurds in northern Syria.
tabling member constituency	Lewes
tabling member printed	Maria Caulfield
uin	206423
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>I have had a number of recent conversations with my Turkish counterparts over the conflict in Syria, as have my ministerial colleagues and the Prime Minister. While we recognise Turkey's security interests, we are closely monitoring the situation in North East Syria and are concerned about the humanitarian impact of a potential Turkish military operation, as well as the impact on the campaign against Daesh.</p><p><br>Our priority is to end the conflict in Syria through a negotiated political settlement: we believe only an inclusive, non-sectarian government can unite the country and protect the rights of all Syrians.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 16/01/2019 15:20:29 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4492 label Biography information for Maria Caulfield

1037904

registered interest
date	08/01/2019
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	Turkey: Freedom of Expression
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 reports of a warrant for the re-arrest of the journalist Eren Erdem, what assessment his Department has made of the level of (a) freedom of speech and (b) press freedom in Turkey.
tabling member constituency	Southampton, Itchen
tabling member printed	Royston Smith
uin	206415
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>We are aware of the re-arrest of Eren Erdem and are following his case closely, including attendance at his most recent hearing. We have long encouraged Turkey to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights, particularly in the area of freedom of expression and of the media. We will continue to engage the Turkish Government on these issues and to urge respect for media freedom, which is essential to the long-term health of Turkish democracy.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 16/01/2019 15:06:38 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4478 label Biography information for Royston Smith

1037905

registered interest
date	08/01/2019
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	Mediterranean Sea: Refugees
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 the Government has made of the merits of the EU decision to extend Operation Sophia for three more months until the end of March 2019.
tabling member constituency	Southampton, Itchen
tabling member printed	Royston Smith
uin	206416
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>This mandate extension allows the Operation to continue for a further three months and authorises the continuation of the Crime Information Cell, which allows better coordination between the Operation and law enforcement agencies, for the duration of the mandate. As EU Member States have yet to agree long-term arrangements for disembarking migrants rescued by vessels attached to the Operation, a technical extension to the mandate was necessary to allow time for Member States to find a solution.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 16/01/2019 15:08:31 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4478 label Biography information for Royston Smith

1037906

registered interest
date	08/01/2019
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	Mediterranean Sea: Refugees
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 the Government has made of the effectiveness of Operation Sophia in deterring illegal migrants seeking entry to the EU.
tabling member constituency	Southampton, Itchen
tabling member printed	Royston Smith
uin	206417
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>Since Operation Sophia launched in July 2015, it has trained over 200 members of the Libyan Coastguard and Navy (LCG&amp;N) on human rights, gender, and search and rescue, to improve their conduct and effectiveness in these areas. The LCG&amp;N is now better able to rescue migrants at sea, which has been a contributory factor in reducing the volume of migrants crossing the Central Mediterranean into Italy. The smuggling networks can no longer operate with impunity in International Waters. The Operation has put over 551 smuggling vessels beyond use and rescued over 44,000 migrants.</p><p><br>Operation Sophia is just one part of the EU’s overall approach to tackling the migration crisis. Ultimately, the UK Government aims to prioritise interventions upstream in countries of origin and transit to reduce the need of migrants to leave their home country or move on from a safe third country in their region. At the same time UK and EU efforts aim to alleviate the suffering of migrants in Libya through measures such as providing critical humanitarian assistance, supporting assisted voluntary returns, and working with the UN towards a political solution in Libya. The UK is clear that significant improvement in the human rights situation in Libya requires the stability of a united and representative government. <br>​</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 16/01/2019 15:17:07 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4478 label Biography information for Royston Smith

1037907

registered interest
date	08/01/2019
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	Human Trafficking: Mediterranean Sea
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 the Government has taken in response to the finding of the House of Lords European Union Committee’s report entitled Operation Sophia: a failed mission, published on 12 July 2017, that Operation Sophia has failed to achieve its objective of contributing to the disruption of the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks in the Southern Central Mediterranean.
tabling member constituency	Southampton, Itchen
tabling member printed	Royston Smith
uin	206418
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2019 answer text <p>As my reply on 13 September 2017 to the House of Lords Select Committee on the European Union stated, the Government accepts that Operation SOPHIA has not delivered all we had hoped. However, there have been successes since Op SOPHIA was established. The smuggling networks can no longer operate with impunity in International Waters. The Operation has put over 551 smuggling vessels beyond use and rescued over 44,000 migrants. The Libyan Coastguard Training Task has also improved Libya's ability to manage its own maritime border.</p><p><br>However, HMG has always been clear that Operation SOPHIA is one part of the European approach to this issue. Ultimately, we need to prioritise interventions upstream in countries of origin and transit. Doing so should reduce the need of individuals and families to leave their home country or move on from a safe third country in their region. It is also worth noting that Operation SOPHIA is additionally tasked with the important work of implementing the UN arms embargo on Libya in the High Seas. Military vessels are vital for this task, which prevents deliveries of arms that would further destabilise the fragile situation in Libya. Non-military vessels would not be able to deter smuggling gangs from operating in International Waters in the same way. Military assets are also better able to confiscate and destroy unsafe boats and outboard engines used by smugglers.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 16/01/2019 17:02:55 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4478 label Biography information for Royston Smith

1037020

registered interest
date	07/01/2019
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	Nicaragua: 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, if he will make representations to the authorities in Nicaragua on upholding the human rights of (a) Amaya Coppens and (b) other human rights defenders in that country; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	206030
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2019 answer text <p>The UK is deeply concerned about the Nicaraguan Government's repression against its citizens who criticize the Government, including human rights defenders. The persecution includes intimidation, harassment, arbitrary detention and torture. The UK continues to call on Nicaragua to end this repression and cease its mistreatment of human rights defenders. We are aware of the particular case of Amaya Coppens, a Belgian/Nicaraguan dual citizen student protestor. As Belgium itself does not have a presence, the resident Luxembourg mission in Managua has been allowed access to trial hearings.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 11/01/2019 13:59:49 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1037024

registered interest
date	07/01/2019
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	Mediterranean Sea: Rescue Services
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 (a) the EU and (b) his counterparts in other EU member states on finding a port of safety for the vessel Sea Watch 3; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	206034
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2019 answer text <p>The incident involving the 'Sea-Watch 3' has already been resolved. Malta, which had granted Sea-Watch 3 access to its territorial waters to shelter from storms, and to change crews and re-supply, announced on 9 January that the 49 migrants on board Sea-Watch 3 and another Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) vessel will be relocated to nine European states. During the period that Sea-Watch 3 was seeking a port of safety, the Government engaged with relevant counterparts in Valletta, The Hague and Brussels in support of a solution.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 15/01/2019 16:33:22 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran