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101863

	registered interest
	date	30/10/2014
	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	Lighting
	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 implement a replacement programme to introduce LED lighting throughout his Department's buildings and sites; if he will estimate the proportion of lighting in his Department which is LED; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Colchester
	tabling member printed	Sir Bob Russell
	uin	212625
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is committed to meeting the Greener Government Commitments and to reducing the energy use of its operations. As part of that commitment the FCO continues to replace all obsolete light fittings and fittings that are affected by major refurbishment projects with Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), provided a suitable LED variant is available and it represents the best solution for the application.</p><p>Currently the estimated proportion of LEDs within the FCO’s UK estate is:</p><p>Carlton Gardens = 65%<br>Hanslope Park = 5%<br>King Charles Street = 20%<br>Lancaster House = 70%<br>Northgate House = 13%<br>Old Admiralty Building = 4%</p><p>These figures will increase significantly as more LEDs are installed in King Charles Street as part of the FCO’s UK Estate Reform Project, due for completion in 2015. In addition, the FCO’s forward maintenance programme continues to identify any additional areas where LEDs or improved lighting systems can be introduced as more cost effective applications.</p><p>This response relates to the FCO’s UK estate only. To provide answers on behalf of the FCO’s Diplomatic Missions would incur a disproportionate cost.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 17/12/2014 13:53:41 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	35 label Biography information for Sir Bob Russell

114738

	registered interest
	date	05/11/2014
	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	Spain
	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 government of Catalonia; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	213612
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>I have not had any recent discussions with the Government of Catalonia.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 17/12/2014 13:35:37 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

169835

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2014
	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	Staff
	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 staff are employed in his Department's headquarter buildings.
	tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
	tabling member printed	Helen Goodman
	uin	218308
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text I refer the Honourable Member to the answer I gave on 11th November 2014 to PQ 213758. answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 18/12/2014 15:24:43 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	1484 label Biography information for Helen Goodman

169836

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2014
	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	Yemen: 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 steps he is taking to guarantee the safety of HM embassy staff in Yemen.
	tabling member constituency	Leicester East
	tabling member printed	Keith Vaz
	uin	218330
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has a longstanding policy of not disclosing details of our security arrangements, policies, or incidents so as not to give a potential advantage to would-be attackers. We do however take security seriously, closely monitor the threats to our mission in Yemen and manage the risks through a range of mitigation measures.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 18/12/2014 15:23:38 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	338 label Biography information for Keith Vaz

169967

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2014
	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	Fraud
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the cost of (a) fraud and (b) financial error in (i) his Department, (ii) its executive agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
	tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
	uin	218505
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>Before 2012/13 fraud data was published within the HM Treasury Fraud Report or estimated in the National Fraud Authority Annual Fraud Indicators. From 2012/13 figures on fraud and financial <strong>error </strong>have been provided to the Cabinet Office as part of the Quarterly Data Summary returns, for Central Departments, and all Arms Length Bodies who receive over £100m public funding per annum.</p><p>The reported cost of fraud and error for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is set out in the table below:</p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>Department</p></td><td colspan="2"><p>Agency</p></td><td colspan="4"><p>NDPB</p></td></tr><tr><td><p> </p></td><td><p>FCO</p></td><td><p>FCO Services</p></td><td><p>Wilton Park</p></td><td><p>British Council</p></td><td><p>Great Britain China Centre</p></td><td><p>Westminster Foundation for Democracy</p></td><td><p>Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2013/2014</p></td><td><p>£1,405</p></td><td><p>£12</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£163</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012/2013</p></td><td><p>£1,115</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£168</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011/2012</p></td><td><p>£944</p></td><td><p>£15</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£21</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010/2011</p></td><td><p>£3,423</p></td><td><p>£202</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£17</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009/2010</p></td><td><p>£11,596</p></td><td><p>£22</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£33</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£0</p></td><td><p>£2</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p /> <p>To note, there has been a supplier mandate fraud at the FCO this year amounting to £980k. This has been reported to Parliament and the National Audit Office.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 18/12/2014 17:59:43 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

170394

	registered interest
	date	15/12/2014
	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	Azerbaijan
	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 (a) human rights record of the government of Azerbaijan and (b) compatibility of that record with (i) membership of the EU and (ii) the European Convention of Human Rights.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
	tabling member printed	Richard Burden
	uin	218612
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>The UK is concerned about the human rights situation in Azerbaijan and regularly raises these concerns with the government of Azerbaijan. As a member of the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan is a party to the European Convention on Human Rights, and we regularly encourage Azerbaijan to implement its Council of Europe commitments. During Azerbaijan’s chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe between May and November this year, the UK raised concerns about the deterioration of human rights. Azerbaijan has not expressed an interest in becoming a member of the EU. Nevertheless, human rights is a priority area for EU/Azerbaijan cooperation under the 2006 European Neighbourhood Action Plan.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 18/12/2014 15:32:51 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden

169831

	registered interest
	date	11/12/2014
	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	Travel
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department has spent on (a) taxis, (b) first class train tickets and (c) business class air travel in each of the last five years.
	tabling member constituency	Manchester Central
	tabling member printed	Lucy Powell
	uin	218475
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>The following table details spend on Taxis, First Class rail and Business Class air travel. Spend on First Class rail and Business Class air travel is through our contract with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel management company, Hogg Robinson Group plc. <br><br>Travel tickets booked directly by members of staff could only be collated at disproportionate cost. <br><br>2010/11: Taxis: £318,689; First Class Train: £38,081; Business Class Air: £4,785,512 <br>2011/12: Taxis: £329,042; First Class Train: £24,455; Business Class Air: £5,167,379 <br>2012/13: Taxis: £348,733; First Class Train: £19,724; Business Class Air: £6,103,300 <br>2013/14: Taxis: £403,856; First Class Train: £1,590; Business Class Air: £5,421,348 <br>2014- October ’14: Taxis: £135,174; First Class Train: £313; Business Class Air: £2,952,555 <br><br>FCO Policy is that public transport should be used whenever possible. <br><br>Like all Government Departments, the FCO ensures we use taxpayers' money very carefully to help reduce the overall costs of Government. Staff are therefore only allowed to use taxis in exceptional circumstances: when public transport is not available, or when their line manager agrees that taking a taxi will help keep a staff member safe during unsocial hours. In addition to approver checks, expense claims are subject to retrospective audit checks. <br><br>FCO staff travelling by air are required to book the lowest fare possible, subject to budget holder approval Business class travel may be used when it is the more cost-effective option, if staff are required to work immediately upon arrival or on medical grounds. <br><br>All FCO staff are directed to use standard class for rail travel unless there are exceptional circumstances e.g. illness, disability or where first class facilities are essential for working while travelling. In these exceptional circumstances, prior line management approval must be given.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 05/01/2015 14:58:56 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	4263 label Biography information for Lucy Powell

170398

	registered interest
	date	15/12/2014
	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	Written Questions
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the savings to his Department from the Q&A system in the (a) 12 months and (b) five years since 4 June 2014; what additional ICT systems or improvements to existing systems his Department has introduced or plans to introduce that would not have been feasible without the Q&A system; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which the system has made it easier to answer questions from hon. Members on time.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
	tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
	uin	218781
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has not made any changes to its IT systems in response to the new Q&amp;A system and does not have any plans to do so in the immediate future. The FCO already has a very good record of responding to hon Members on time, with 99.7% of Named day and 98.6% of ordinary written questions answered on time in the 2013/14 session.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 05/01/2015 14:56:05 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

170693

	registered interest
	date	16/12/2014
	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	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 recent discussions he has had with the government of Cyprus about the human rights of people living in the north of that country; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
	tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
	uin	218910
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text During my visit to the Republic of Cyprus in November, I discussed a wide range of issues with the Government, including the situation of those living in the north of the island. I did so within the context of UK support to the UN-led negotiations aimed at achieving a lasting settlement, which we believe would greatly improve the prospects for all Cypriots. We recognise that the political situation has raised human rights challenges for both Turkish Cypriots, Greek Cypriots and for religious minorities on the island. At Cyprus’ Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council, the UK suggested that measures should be taken to enable the Turkish Cypriots to participate effectively in cultural, social and economic life and public affairs. answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 05/01/2015 14:52:46 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson

170694

	registered interest
	date	16/12/2014
	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	Turkey
	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 policy is on Turkish membership of the EU.
	tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
	tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
	uin	218909
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>The UK remains a strong supporter of Turkey’s EU accession process. Turkish accession would benefit the UK and the EU and contribute to our shared prosperity and security. The accession process recognises that Turkey needs to do more to meet EU standards through continuing reforms. Active and credible accession negotiations remain the best way for Turkey to make further progress, particularly in the areas of fundamental rights and rule of law. We and our EU partners will continue to support Turkey with their ongoing reform agenda.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 05/01/2015 14:54:48 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson