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169497

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2014
	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	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 discussions he has had with his counterpart from South Sudan on that country's membership of the Commonwealth; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	218129
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>The Foreign Minister of South Sudan last raised their Commonwealth application with my hon friend the member for Boston and Skegness (Mark Simmonds MP), the former Minister for Africa, in June 2014. South Sudan’s application to join the Commonwealth is being assessed by the Commonwealth Secretariat.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 17/12/2014 13:46:05 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

169502

	registered interest
	date	10/12/2014
	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	Somaliland
	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 promote the reintegration of Somaliland into Somalia; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	218174
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text It is for Somalia and Somaliland themselves to determine their future relationship and for neighbouring countries in the region to take the lead in recognising any new arrangements. Following the London Conference in February 2012, which “recognised the need for the international community to support any dialogue that Somaliland and the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) or its replacement may agree to establish in order to clarify their future relations”, the TFG and Somaliland met for the first time at Chevening in the UK, in June 2012. They agreed to cooperate on matters of mutual interest. Somalia and Somaliland have held several further rounds of talks in Turkey, at Ministerial level. answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 17/12/2014 15:58:07 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

170393

	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	Commonwealth
	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 Commonwealth Secretary-General about the admittance of new member states with no historic or constitutional link to the UK; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	218607
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>I discussed Commonwealth membership with the Secretary-General on 16 December. He is currently considering a number of expressions of interest in membership of the Commonwealth. Commonwealth Heads of Government agreed recommendations on criteria for membership in 2007. Under that agreement, countries aspiring to join the Commonwealth should generally have a constitutional link to an existing member to be considered eligible. However a country without such a connection may exceptionally be admitted.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 05/01/2015 14:53:21 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

173187

	registered interest
	date	12/01/2015
	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	Burma
	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 progress by Burma towards establishing democracy; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	220428
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text <p>We recognise the significant steps towards democratic reform that the government of Burma has taken over the past two years. This includes releasing hundreds of political prisoners and discharging hundreds of child soldiers. It has also included lifting of restrictions on the media, which has opened the space for the growth of a vibrant civil society.</p><p> </p><p>At the same time, we recognise much more needs to be done, and that in some areas progress has declined. We remain deeply concerned about the recent intimidation, detention and sentencing of reporters and political activists, the appalling situation of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State, and about ongoing conflict in ethnic areas and associated human rights abuses, including sexual violence. All of our concerns are thoroughly documented in our Annual Report on Human Rights, and the quarterly updates to them. I personally raise our concerns regularly with the government of Burma.</p><p> </p><p>Burma’s elections, scheduled for October or November this year, will be a critically important test of the government’s commitment to see the reforms through to their conclusion. It is vital for Burma’s future development that these are inclusive and credible. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) made this point to President Thein Sein at the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in Brisbane in November.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 15/01/2015 12:17:36 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

173191

	registered interest
	date	12/01/2015
	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	Burma
	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 improve UK-Burmese diplomatic relations; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	220465
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text <p>The UK’s relations with Burma have improved since 2011 when President Thein Sein embarked on a programme of reform. Since then we have been a critical friend, using our bilateral relationship to encourage reforms and speaking out where Burma has fallen short of accepted international standards of democracy and human rights. As a result of our engagement, the UK has been able to increase our access and influence with the government of Burma.</p><p> </p><p>Since the reform process began, the government of Burma has made progress in a number of areas, not least by releasing hundreds of political prisoners and child soldiers, and opening up space for the media and civil society to operate. The UK’s support has included a package of development assistance, worth £82 million in financial year 2015-16. We will continue to use our diplomatic relations to encourage reform in 2015, when elections due to be held towards the end of the year will be a critically important milestone in Burma’s transition to a more open and democratic society. At the same time, we recognise there is still a lot further to go, including on human rights, and we will continue to make our concerns known to the government of Burma, both publicly and privately.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 15/01/2015 12:21:22 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

173081

	registered interest
	date	12/01/2015
	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	Sri Lanka
	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 made to his new Sri Lankan counterpart on protecting the Tamil and Muslim minority communities; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	220383
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2015 answer text <p>On 9 January the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), congratulated Maithripala Sirisena on his victory in the Presidential elections, and also encouraged President Sirisena to support the ongoing UN Office of the High Commission for Human Rights investigation into human rights abuses. The issues of the past must be addressed so Sri Lanka can move forward to a brighter, peaceful future where all Sri Lankans can play a role.</p><p> </p><p>The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymead and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), said that Sri Lanka has a renewed opportunity now to grow as a stable, prosperous and inclusive country, reflecting the wishes of all its people.</p><p> </p><p>I personally spoke to the new Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on 12 January and made clear that we look forward to working with the new government and reinvigorating the long standing partnership between the UK and Sri Lanka. We will continue to engage with the new Sri Lankan government on the concern of minority communities.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 16/01/2015 14:14:01 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

173083

	registered interest
	date	12/01/2015
	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	Sri Lanka
	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 the Government took to ensure that the recent election in Sri Lanka was free and fair; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	220384
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/01/2015 answer text <p>The UK joined an EU Heads of Mission statement on 2 January calling for the elections to be peaceful, credible and transparent. We encouraged the government of Sri Lanka to invite international observers, including from the EU and the Commonwealth, and provided support to local election monitoring groups. Officials from the British High Commission in Colombo also travelled around the country in the run-up to elections, observing the preparations and voting process, and co-ordinating closely with like-minded diplomatic missions and local groups.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 19/01/2015 16:22:33 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

176448

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2015
	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	Venezuela
	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 Venezuelan counterpart on the human rights situation in that country; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	222459
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p>Her Majesty's Ambassador in Caracas most recently discussed human rights with the Venezuelan Foreign Minister on 31 January. This follows his discussions with the Vice Foreign Minister on the same subject in December.</p><p>I remain concerned about the situation in Venezuela. I have written to the Venezuelan government, and have discussed regional efforts to promote political dialogue in the country with Ministers from across Latin America.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 04/02/2015 17:30:53 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

176450

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2015
	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	Ecuador
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last met with his Ecuadorian counterpart; what the content of discussions at that meeting was; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	222461
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p>In the last quarter, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have met the Ecuadorean Ministers of Foreign Trade, of Housing, and of Skills and Human Talent. In these meetings, they discussed a range of bilateral interests such as the EU-Ecuador FTA and education sector cooperation.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 04/02/2015 17:34:04 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

176451

	registered interest
	date	28/01/2015
	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	Guyana
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last met with his Guyanese counterpart; what the content of discussions at that meeting was; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
	tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
	uin	222462
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2015 answer text <p>My rt hon. Friend, the Member for Richmond (Yorks), the former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr Hague), met his Guyanese counterpart, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the eighth UK-Caribbean Ministerial Forum on 16-17 June 2014, which she co-chaired. The two day event focussed on economic development, energy, education and security.</p><p>The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend, the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), recently issued a statement on 8 January 2015 concerning Guyana’s recent prorogation (suspension) of Parliament, and we welcome President Ramotar’s subsequent announcement that national and regional elections will be held in Guyana on 11 May 2015.</p><p>We will continue to engage regularly with Guyana on UK Government priorities.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 04/02/2015 14:58:22 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
	tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby