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224148

registered interest
date	27/02/2015
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	Cyprus
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 Cyprus about the decision to allow the Russian military to use port facilities on that island.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	225694
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>We are aware of reports of recent agreements, including military agreements, between the Republic of Cyprus and Russia. It is our understanding that the military aspects represent a continuation of existing arrangements. The United Kingdom remains fully engaged on a range of security and military issues with the Republic of Cyprus.</p><p> </p><p>The EU has sent a united message to Russia that its actions in Ukraine are in flagrant breach of international law, and all member states, including Cyprus, unanimously agreed to impose measures against Russia in response to these actions.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 05/03/2015 17:39:22 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

223955

registered interest
date	26/02/2015
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	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 discussions officials in his Department have had with their counterparts in Bahrain on (a) democratic participation in that country and (b) programmes aimed at increasing such participation.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	225631
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>In the run-up to Bahrain’s elections in November 2014, the British Embassy in Bahrain held regular discussions with the government of Bahrain and Bahraini political groups to discuss progress on political dialogue and encourage broad participation and engagement in the electoral process.</p><p>Following the elections, I discussed democratic participation in Bahrain with the Undersecretary of the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the UK-Bahrain Joint Working Group in December. The British Government will continue to encourage the government of Bahrain to build on the success of the recent elections and move forward with further human rights and political reform</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 05/03/2015 14:32:42 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

223956

registered interest
date	26/02/2015
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	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 representations he and Ministers in his Department have made to their counterparts in Bahrain on the use of torture in that country.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Selly Oak
tabling member printed	Steve McCabe
uin	225630
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text The UK regularly discusses issues of reform with the government of Bahrain. In January, My Rt Hon and noble Friend, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Baroness Anelay met the Bahraini justice minister and discussed the importance of holding police officers accused of mistreatment to account. Our Ambassador to Bahrain has raised our concerns over allegations of torture and mistreatment with Bahraini ministers. In addition to voicing these concerns, the UK is providing practical assistance to the Government of Bahrain to prevent the use of torture and to address allegations of its use. In particular, the UK is providing support to the Ministry of Interior’s Ombudsman and the Special Investigations Unit, both of whom have responsibility for investigating allegations against security personnel. When allegations are made, we continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to investigate promptly, thoroughly and impartially and hold any person found guilty of such charges accountable. answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 05/03/2015 14:32:17 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	298 label Biography information for Steve McCabe

223957

registered interest
date	26/02/2015
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	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 steps he is taking to support cultural exchanges between artists and educators in the UK and their counterparts in Gaza.
tabling member constituency	Islington North
tabling member printed	Jeremy Corbyn
uin	225607
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text The British Council maintains a full-time office in Gaza, with a staff of three who are involved in supporting UK – Gaza interaction in the fields of culture and education. Access restrictions together with our current travel advice warning against travel to Gaza, makes this work hard. However, despite these difficulties, our ongoing commitment has recently yielded various training events for Gazan educators in the West Bank, and Gazan delegates attending the 2014 British Council regional workshop, on “Cultural Leadership and Innovation”, in Beruit. answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 05/03/2015 14:29:46 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	185 label Biography information for Jeremy Corbyn

223959

registered interest
date	26/02/2015
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	Libya
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 is taking to help Libya move towards peace in the short and medium term.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	225601
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>The growing instability, increased violence, and increasing presence of terrorist organisations, is a serious threat to Libya’s future. The UK strongly supports the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya, Bernardino Leon, and the UN Support Mission in Libya, to resolve the political and security crisis and pave the way for peaceful political dialogue. These negotiations should be pursued urgently, with the aim of laying the foundations for a Government of National Unity that can unite against extremism and bring stability to Libya. In parallel we are working with Libya and the international community to understand if there is more we can do now to tackle the increasing terrorist threat. Following a recent comprehensive review of all our programming activity in Libya, we have refocused our programme portfolio, providing support for political settlement efforts as the best long-term solution to the current conflict. In particular we are providing support to the Prime Minister’s Envoy for the Libyan Transition, Jonathan Powell, who is actively engaged with the UN mediation process led by Bernardino Leon.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 05/03/2015 14:27:34 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

223961

registered interest
date	26/02/2015
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	Embassies: Females
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 he has received on the abuse of women in foreign embassies in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Chesterfield
tabling member printed	Toby Perkins
uin	225509
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2015 answer text <p>We have no record of any representations having been received in recent years about the abuse of women in foreign diplomatic missions in the UK. We are aware that a small number of individual cases of alleged abuse of female domestic workers have been investigated or are under investigation by the police.</p><p> </p><p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) treats any allegation of criminal offences committed by those with diplomatic immunity seriously. We work closely with diplomatic missions in the UK, the police, the Home Office and NGOs to ensure an appropriate response to all allegations. If an allegation of mistreatment or abuse requires further investigation by the police, the FCO will request from the diplomatic mission concerned, on behalf of the police, a waiver of the diplomat’s immunity. Failure to provide a waiver may result in the FCO demanding the withdrawal of the diplomat.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 04/03/2015 17:29:12 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	3952 label Biography information for Mr Toby Perkins

223962

registered interest
date	26/02/2015
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	South Sudan
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 end rape and sexual assault in South Sudan as part of the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative; and what support the Government is providing to the authorities in South Sudan to ensure that the people responsible for such crimes in that country are held to account.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Nicola Blackwood
uin	225535
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text South Sudan is a Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative (PSVI) priority country and we remain deeply concerned at the prevalence of sexual violence in the ongoing conflict. The UK is currently funding a project that is creating women's protection teams in local communities and the Department for International Development (DFID) is preparing to start a new Access to Justice Programme that will support victims of sexual violence and promote greater accountability. We also continue to press the government to meet the commitments made in the October 2014 joint communiqué between President Kiir and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Bangura. answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 05/03/2015 14:39:33 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4019 label Biography information for Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford

223575

registered interest
date	25/02/2015
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	Colombia
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 Answer of 28 October 2014 to Question 211346, what response the Colombian government provided to the Minister for Latin American Affairs when human rights were raised during the Minister's visit in June 2014; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	225466
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/03/2015 answer text <p>During my visit to Colombia in June 2014 I met two Deputy Ministers for Foreign Affairs and the Heads of the Colombian government’s major human rights agencies. I set out the UK’s concerns regarding attacks against human rights defenders and cases of impunity for those responsible. I also handed over a list of specific cases that our Embassy in Bogotá has been monitoring. <br><br>The Director of the National Protection Unit explained that Colombia has the largest protection system for human rights defenders anywhere in the world. The Attorney-General’s office confirmed that sentences for those attacking human rights defenders were rising (including sentences against servicemen). <br><br>Improving the respect for human rights in Colombia remains a top priority for the government of President Santos, and the UK welcomes the progress they have made, while noting that there is, of course, still more that can be done. I am delighted to be co-hosting a Members–only ‘Dialogue on Colombia’ on 10 March, which His Excellency Mr Néstor Osorio is kindly holding at the Colombian Embassy in London. This highlights the willingness of both our governments to engage with parliamentarians on human rights issues.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 02/03/2015 14:45:05 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

223589

registered interest
date	25/02/2015
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what military equipment has been gifted to Ukraine in the last two years; and what estimate he has made of the value of that equipment when it was gifted.
tabling member constituency	Moray
tabling member printed	Angus Robertson
uin	225372
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2015 answer text <p>The UK Government has gifted £1.266m in protective gear (helmets, body armour), medical kits, winter clothing and winter fuel to the Ukraine Armed Forces. In addition to this, 10 armoured vehicles at a cost of £1.2m were also gifted to the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 04/03/2015 14:47:56 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	1433 label Biography information for Angus Robertson

223612

registered interest
date	25/02/2015
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	Nigeria
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 his Department has had with the Nigerian government on the two recent suicide bombings in the north of that country.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	225398
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/03/2015 answer text <p>We have condemned these horrific suicide bombings in northern Nigeria, which are heinous examples of Boko Haram’s brutality. We discuss Boko Haram's ongoing campaign of violence with the Nigerian government on a regular basis. We remain committed to helping the Nigerian authorities defeat Boko Haram and end the violence in northern Nigeria, and are providing a substantial package of military, intelligence and development support to Nigeria to help achieve that goal.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 04/03/2015 17:27:48 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson