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723131

registered interest
date	21/04/2017
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	Diplomatic Service: Qualifications
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 murder and manslaughter teams in Consular Directorates are required to have particular qualifications to handle the cases they deal with; and what training such staff receive to carry out that work.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	71543
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>All members of the Murder and Manslaughter Team complete the mandatory training for all front line consular staff at the start of their roles. They then complete a further programme of assessed learning specifically designed for those handling murder/manslaughter cases. The team also take opportunities for wider learning and development on trauma and crisis work to ensure they provide the best support to families of those murdered and killed overseas.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 26/04/2017 14:52:14 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

723145

registered interest
date	21/04/2017
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	Diplomatic Service
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 non-frontline UK-based Consular Regional Directors are based overseas; in which countries those directors are based; and what the total cost is of those posts.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	71588
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>​We have six Consular Regional Directors in our overseas network providing strategic leadership to our front line consular services around the world. They are based in the Netherlands, Oman, Singapore, South Africa, Spain and the USA at a total cost of £761,349 per annum.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 26/04/2017 14:47:24 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

722990

registered interest
date	20/04/2017
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	Diplomatic Service
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 UK-based consular staff at Executive Officer grade are currently serving overseas in frontline consular work.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	71405
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>There are around 600 staff working in our overseas consular network. These comprise a mix of UK based and local staff providing a balance of experience, skills, local knowledge and language. Of these, there are currently 10 UK-based FCO Grade B3 officers (Executive Officers). In addition, there are a further 27 UK-based FCO Grade C4 and C5 officers (Higher Executive Officers/Senior Executive Officers) and six UK-based FCO Grade D7 (Civil Service Grade 6) Consular Regional Directors providing strategic leadership to the front line overseas.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 26/04/2017 14:45:16 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

722994

registered interest
date	20/04/2017
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	Diplomatic Service: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what training consular staff receive before they start work; how long such training courses last; and what proportion of training time is spent on cases of murder, missing persons, rape and sexual assault.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	71406
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>All front line staff undertake mandatory training designed to give them the relevant skills and knowledge to provide appropriate support in a range of circumstances, including cases of murder, missing persons, rape and sexual assault. Our training is aligned with our Consular Strategy 2016-2020 and is constantly updated in line with ongoing customer feedback, formal evaluations and policy or legal developments.</p><p>Frontline Consular staff, in London and overseas, undertake mandatory &quot;Introduction to Consular Work&quot; and &quot;Safeguarding children and young persons&quot; e-learning courses during their first week in the role. This is followed within three months by an &quot;Assistance Guidance Assessment&quot;, which is conducted to a pass standard, and a five-day &quot;Essential Assistance Workshop&quot;, an interactive course with activities focused on building customer care skills for handling the full range of consular casework with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable.</p><p>Staff then follow a programme of continuous development relevant to their role. This comprises a range of learning activities including e-learning, workshops and discussions with specialist agencies and NGOs dealing specifically with bereavement, rape and sexual assault which are designed to further enhance the skills, knowledge and behaviours of consular staff dealing with these and other vulnerable customers. There are also opportunities for staff to practice customer care skills through telephone handling skills practice programme.</p><p>We have also developed a learning retention and evaluation tool to help embed knowledge following training courses. This involves a series of online timed and targeted questions for a five month period.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 26/04/2017 14:50:13 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

722995

registered interest
date	20/04/2017
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	British Nationals Abroad: Missing Persons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what changes in procedures have been implemented in handling the cases of missing persons overseas and in training staff in how to handle such cases in the last 10 years.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	71407
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>The FCO regularly reviews all aspects of policy and guidance for assisting British nationals in difficulty overseas. The package of support and guidance for staff on handling cases of missing persons overseas is currently under review. The review includes the development of specific training material for handling such cases. The FCO has developed a close working relationship with the NGO 'Lucie Blackman Trust' to support the friends and families of British nationals who are missing overseas. The FCO has also published on gov.uk the public leaflet 'Missing persons abroad' which explains what practical help FCO staff can offer to people when a British national goes missing abroad, what people can do themselves and where they can go for additional help.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 26/04/2017 14:56:01 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

722996

registered interest
date	20/04/2017
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	Diplomatic Service: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what training is given to staff working on frontline consular assistance issues in the Consular Directorate; and what the grades are of all such staff.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	71409
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>All front line consular staff in London and overseas complete a mandatory programme of Consular training, including an &quot;Introduction to Consular Work&quot; and &quot;Safeguarding Children and Young Persons&quot; e-learning within their first week in the role. This is followed within three months by an Assistance Guidance Assessment, which is conducted to a pass standard, and attendance at a five day &quot;Essential Assistance Workshop&quot;, an interactive course with activities focused on building customer care skills for handling the full range of consular casework, with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable.</p><p>In addition there is an ongoing programme of blended learning designed to support continuous development and further enhance the skills, policy knowledge and behaviours of consular staff dealing with all types of consular cases.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 26/04/2017 14:58:13 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

722492

registered interest
date	19/04/2017
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	Nigeria: 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 reports his Department has received on alleged human rights abuses committed against supporters of Biafran independence in Nigeria; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	71224
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2017 answer text <p>The UK position on human rights is firm: they are universal and must apply equally to all people. This includes the right to protest within the rule of law. The UK notes reports of alleged human rights abuses committed against supporters of Biafran independence and the report by Amnesty International into the fatalities suffered by pro-Biafra protestors.</p><p>The report has a number of recommendations to the Nigerian Security Forces, including on addressing human rights violations and ensuring due process for detainees. The UK looks forward to seeing how the Nigerian Federal Government responds to these recommendations in order to ensure that any future actions taken by the Nigerian Security Forces are in accordance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law.</p><p>We will continue to monitor developments closely.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 25/04/2017 14:29:17 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

711453

registered interest
date	15/03/2017
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: Military Intervention
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answers of 13 January 2017 to Question 58527 and of 1 March 2017 to Question 64848, if he will make an independent assessment of each of the eight airstrikes which were investigated by the Saudi-led coalition's Joint Incident Assessment Team on whether international humanitarian law violations have occurred.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	68141
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2017 answer text <p>The Ministry of Defence (MOD) monitors and analyses incidents of alleged International Humanitarian Law violations, such as the eight incidents referred to, using all available information. Details of the MOD's analysis of these allegations are necessarily confidential. It is for the Saudi-led Coalition to investigate such incidents, as they have done through the Joint Incidents Assessment Team.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 23/03/2017 14:18:23 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

711454

registered interest
date	15/03/2017
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	Palestinians: Construction
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 Israeli Government on the disparity in the allocation of resources for building infrastructure in the Israeli settlements and Palestinian villages.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	68140
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2017 answer text <p>While we have not raised this specific issue, we have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concerns on the need for a planning process that adequately addresses the needs of Palestinian communities.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 23/03/2017 15:40:40 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

709300

registered interest
date	08/03/2017
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: 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 assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation and developments in Yemen by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	67109
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/03/2017 answer text <p>The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) plays a vital role in objectively monitoring and reporting human rights to prevent further suffering in Yemen. The UK welcomed the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution adopted in September 2016. The resolution called on the OHCHR to provide additional human rights experts to the Yemen Office, in order to support the Yemeni National Independent Commission of Inquiry in investigating alleged human rights abuses. We await the next OHCHR report in September 2017.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 16/03/2017 16:03:57 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake