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423325

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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: Contracts for Services
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 taken steps to ensure that contractors used by his Department do not instigate investigatory proceedings against staff for writing directly to him about their employment conditions or pay.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	12951
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2015 answer text <br /><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Following the allegations from Citizens UK on 13 October 2015, of disciplinary action taken against the cleaners, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials asked Interserve for further information. Interserve replied on 15 October to say they had commenced an investigation into the letter of 21 July as it potentially represented a breach of the signed confidentiality agreement they have with their staff. They have since confirmed that no disciplinary action has been or will be taken.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 28/10/2015 12:34:44 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 26066 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

423326

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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	Cleaning Services: Living Wage
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what meetings he has had with cleaners working in his Department's premises to discuss payment of the living wage.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	12948
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2015 answer text <p>There have been no meetings between Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and the cleaners.</p> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 28/10/2015 12:31:34 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 26062 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

423327

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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: 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 recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Minsk Agreement in reducing fighting in Ukraine.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	12946
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2015 answer text <p>A renewed attempt in early September by the Minsk signatories to ensure a comprehensive ceasefire has resulted in a considerable reduction in fighting along the line of contact in Eastern Ukraine, compared with the levels in previous months. Since September, casualties have mainly resulted from land mines and unexploded ordnance rather than direct shelling, which has practically ceased.</p> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 28/10/2015 12:25:15 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 26061 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

423328

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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	Cleaning Services: Living Wage
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 place in the Library a copy of any letters or emails (a) sent to Interserve by his Department and (b) received by his Department from Interserve relating to a letter sent by cleaners working in his Department's premises to him regarding the living wage dated 21 July 2015.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	12947
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2015 answer text <br /><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Officials are currently compiling and reviewing correspondence in relation to the cleaners' letter to me of 21 July 2015 in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Copies of all information released under the FOI request will be placed in the Library as soon as investigations are complete.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 28/10/2015 12:29:19 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 26059 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

423329

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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	Zimbabwe: 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 his most recent assessment is of the political situation in Zimbabwe.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	12945
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2015 answer text <table><tbody><tr><td><p>Since the 2013 elections, our assessment of the political situation in Zimbabwe remains broadly the same, with 2015 signalling some positive developments. Within the Zimbabwe African National Union administration there are signs of reformist policies beginning to emerge, especially on the economy. The human rights situation has remained relatively stable and reported violations continue to fall. However, the situation continues to be fragile and we remain concerned about human rights abuses, especially during election periods. Ahead of the 2018 elections, it is critical that electoral reforms are implemented, and that the international community supports the people of Zimbabwe in exercising their democratic right to build a free, peaceful and prosperous future.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 28/10/2015 12:22:55 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 26058 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

422951

registered interest
date	21/10/2015
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	Syria: Humanitarian Aid
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 other nations to make a greater contribution to humanitarian aid for people affected by the situation in Syria.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	12779
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2015 answer text <table><tbody><tr><td><p>The UK has pledged over £1.1 billion aid in response to the crisis in Syria and the region, making us the second biggest bilateral donor. The UK continues to play a leading role in encouraging the international community to make generous pledges in response to the humanitarian crisis. We lobbied hard to mobilise funding from other donors ahead of the third Kuwait Pledging Conference on 31 March 2015 which raised $3.8 billion. The UK is committed to working with the UN and other major donors to ensure that the momentum on fund-raising is maintained over the longer term, including to respond to the 2016 Appeals, once these have been issued.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 28/10/2015 12:40:28 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 25780 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

421923

registered interest
date	16/10/2015
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	Israel
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 Israeli government on the use of force by Israeli security personnel in response to protests.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	12182
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2015 answer text <p>On 15 October, the Charge d'Affaires at our Embassy in Israel raised our concerns with Israel’s Deputy National Security Adviser, including specific discussions around punitive demolitions and the security at the Temple Mount/Haram al Sharif. On 16 October the National Security Adviser, Mark Lyall Grant, spoke with Israel’s National Security Adviser, Yossi Cohen, about the violence in Jerusalem and called for de-escalation and the need to do everything possible to keep the situation calm. Our officials at our Embassy in Tel Aviv continue to urge both sides to de-escalate the current tensions.</p> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 22/10/2015 11:06:02 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 25008 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

421924

registered interest
date	16/10/2015
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	Israel: Palestinians
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 Palestinian Authority on action to prevent terrorist attacks in Israel.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	12183
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/10/2015 answer text <p>I spoke to President Abbas on 9 October about the violence in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and urged him to do everything in his power to reduce tensions and restore calm. In recent weeks, Her Majesty’s Consul General in Jerusalem has also pressed several senior Palestinian figures on the need to de-escalate the current tension.</p><p>I strongly condemn the recent terrorist attacks. The effect that they are having on innocent civilians is appalling. I also strongly condemn all incitement to commit acts of violence by both sides.</p> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 22/10/2015 11:10:34 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 25009 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

420696

registered interest
date	12/10/2015
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	Syria: 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 discussions he is holding at the UN on a possible Security Council resolution authorising the use of force against ISIL/Daesh in Syria.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	11277
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2015 answer text <p>The UK regularly discusses the threat of ISIL both within the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and at the UN more widely, most recently at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the end of September. The UK has supported UNSC Resolutions 2170 and 2199, which condemn ISIL and restrict its financial, trade and recruitment networks, as well as UNGA Resolution A/RES/69/281. However, we currently judge that there is no prospect of a resolution authorising the use of force against ISIL in Syria that wouldn’t be vetoed by Russia.</p> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 20/10/2015 11:23:24 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 23606 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

420697

registered interest
date	12/10/2015
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	Islamic State
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 effect of coalition air strikes on (a) the extent of the territory held by ISIL/Daesh and (b) that group's capacity to advance in (i) Iraq and (ii) Syria.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	11279
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2015 answer text The Coalition has carried out more than 8,000 airstrikes in Iraq and Syria. Coupled with Iraqi ground troops’ operations, these have meant ISIL’s advances have been halted and 30% of the territory ISIL held in Iraq after its advance last summer has been regained. In Syria, Coalition airpower helped Kurdish forces retake Kobane and push ISIL back towards Raqqa. US Central Command, which coordinates Coalition airstrikes against ISIL, assesses that as of 8 Oct 2015, Coalition military action had destroyed or damaged over 13,500 ISIL targets in Iraq and Syria, including nearly 4,000 fighting positions. These are significant blows for an organisation whose strength prior to the launch of Coalition action emanated from its continued expansion and a false aura of invincibility. answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 20/10/2015 11:18:58 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 23608 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn