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93552

registered interest
date	15/10/2014
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	Hong Kong
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 extent to which the proposals for the 2017 elections in Hong Kong will fulfil the aim of universal suffrage.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	210741
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/10/2014 answer text <p>We monitor the situation in Hong Kong closely. We recognise that the detailed terms that the National People’s Congress (NPC) has set for the 2017 election, will disappoint those who are arguing for a more open nomination process. The UK’s position on constitutional reform has always been that the detail of the constitutional package is for the Governments of Hong Kong and China and the people of Hong Kong to decide in line with the Basic Law. While we recognise that there is no perfect model, the important thing is that the people of Hong Kong have a genuine choice and feel that they have a real stake in the outcome.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 20/10/2014 16:48:01 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

93194

registered interest
date	14/10/2014
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	ICT
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 progress he has made on improving the quality and transparency of management information across front line services within his Department's Digital Services Performance Platform tool.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	210531
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office strongly supports the use of the Performance Platform to improve the quality and transparency of Management Information across government. There are detailed dashboards on four of our services: ‘registering a birth abroad’, ‘registering a death abroad’, ‘certificate to get married abroad’, and ‘document legalisation’. As we move more of our services online we will ensure those new transactions are built in such a way that they too can go onto the performance platform. We are also interested in extending the Performance Platform to cover the non-digital element of our major transactions and intend to scope how that might work in practice.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 21/10/2014 13:35:30 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

93196

registered interest
date	14/10/2014
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	West Africa
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 it his policy to adopt and promote the recommendations of the West Africa Commission on Drugs in its report, Not Just in Transit, Drugs, the State and Society in West Africa, published on 12 June 2014; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	210527
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>Drug trafficking in West Africa is a multi-million pound business, which damages the social fabric in both West Africa as a region of transit, and in destination countries such as Europe, the Middle East and North America. Tackling drug trafficking in West Africa will require international co-operation and long-term commitment, using a wide range of policy and law enforcement tools. <br><br>We have noted with interest the conclusions and recommendations of the report by the Kofi Annan Foundation’s West Africa Commission on Drugs, and the report has informed our thinking as we take forward our own activity on this issue. Priority areas for action in the region include bearing down on corruption, strengthening good governance, building regional ability to share information and conduct investigations, improving joint action on borders and cross-border traffic, and building criminal justice capacity. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will continue to work with the National Crime Agency and the Crown Prosecution Service to strengthen regional capacity in all these areas. <br><br>The UK is also working with G7 and other international partners to better coordinate serious and organised crime-related assistance in West Africa. A new G7+ Assistance Strategy Committee will meet for the first time in November to set collective assistance priorities for the next five years.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 21/10/2014 13:42:18 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

93197

registered interest
date	14/10/2014
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	Mali
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 French counterpart on (a) drug and human trafficking and (b) terrorist groups in Mali; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	210529
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>UK officials are in close and regular contact with their French counterparts on Mali, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora such as the UN and the EU. The UK Special Representative for the Sahel has recently visited Mali and will be meeting a number of EU colleagues in the coming days. We remain committed to working with our partners, including France, to bear down on terrorism and organised crime in Mali and the Sahel. Ultimately, stability in Mali will only be possible if there is a political agreement between the Malian government and the various communities in the country. That is why we support the negotiations taking place in Algiers. <br><br>In the meantime we will work to strengthen the capacity of the UN Mission (MINUSMA) to carry out its important tasks in Mali. We will continue our participation in the EU Training Mission in Mali, and in the new civilian EU Mission whose objective is to strengthen the civilian security forces’ ability to tackle organised crime, including drug and people trafficking. We will also continue to lead the international effort to eradicate the payment of ransoms to kidnappers, which is an important source of funding for terrorist groups.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 21/10/2014 13:39:51 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

93202

registered interest
date	14/10/2014
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	West Africa
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 relationship between increasing drug trafficking and the funding of terrorism in West Africa; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	210526
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>West Africa is a significant transit point for Latin American cocaine bound for Europe. Cannabis is trafficked from Morocco through the Sahel. There is some indication that terrorist cells in the Sahel may tax cannabis drug convoys. There is very little evidence to indicate that terrorist groups in West Africa are involved in cocaine trafficking.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 21/10/2014 13:35:08 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

93203

registered interest
date	14/10/2014
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	Somalia
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 threat posed by al-Shabab to political stability in Somalia.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	210407
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>Al- Shabaab continues to pose a significant threat to political stability in Somalia. It still controls territory in south central Somalia and seeks to destabilise the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and Regional Administrations through asymmetric attacks on political targets and targeted assassinations. But it has suffered a significant loss of territory over the last two years as a result of the African Union Mission in Somalia’s (AMISOM’s) military operation, including the loss on 5 October of the last major seaport under its control. In parallel, the Federal Government of Somalia is increasing its effort to reconcile members of Al Shabaab and put in place functioning political administrations in areas previously controlled by Al Shabaab.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 21/10/2014 13:36:46 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

93205

registered interest
date	14/10/2014
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
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 threat posed by Islamic State to the town of Kobane.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	210384
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>Reports from Kobane continue to be deeply concerning and we are watching the situation closely. Over recent days, however, the defenders of Kobane, supported by coalition airstrikes, have been able to hold their position against ISIL, and in some areas they are pushing back. The moderate opposition have held back ISIL in other parts of Northern Syria. We strongly support the coalition airstrikes that are being carried out in Syria by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Jordan. As well as supporting international military action to push back ISIL, we are providing technical assistance and non-lethal equipment to the moderate opposition in Syria, whose forces fighting are ISIL on the ground, and providing humanitarian aid to those areas, like Kobane, that have been worst affected by the crisis. The Department for International Development has already responded to the urgent needs of Syrian Kurdish refugees that have fled to Turkey and is in a state of readiness to react swiftly to further developments.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 21/10/2014 13:26:39 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

93206

registered interest
date	14/10/2014
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	Middle East
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 progress has been made on efforts to locate and release British abductees kidnapped by extremist groups in the Middle East.
tabling member constituency	Belfast North
tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Dodds
uin	210412
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>It is a long-standing British Government policy not to discuss operational details.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 21/10/2014 13:33:43 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

93207

registered interest
date	14/10/2014
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
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 and effectiveness of existing EU sanctions on Russia.
tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
uin	210396
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>Sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU in respect of Russia’s actions in Ukraine are designed to impose a cost on Russia, deter further escalation of this crisis, and support the wider diplomatic effort to reach a sustainable solution. EU sanctions already announced have exacerbated negative trends in Russia’s economy: capital flight in the first half of 2014 was greater than for the whole of 2013; and growth predictions have been revised downwards. Russian access to western financial markets is being severely constrained as lenders consider the risks of Russian exposure in the current climate. The strengthening of sanctions is signaling clearly to the Russian leadership that its policy of trying to destabilise Ukraine will continue to have serious consequences.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 21/10/2014 13:33:36 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

93209

registered interest
date	14/10/2014
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	GCHQ
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 US citizens (a) work full time and (b) are seconded to work at the Government Communications Headquarters.
tabling member constituency	Newport West
tabling member printed	Paul Flynn
uin	210390
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/10/2014 answer text <p>It is long standing Government policy not to provide a detailed breakdown of staffing at GCHQ sites.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 21/10/2014 13:32:36 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	545 label Biography information for Paul Flynn