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746185

registered interest
date	28/06/2017
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: Police
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has provided (a) training, (b) workshops, (c) study tours and (d) other assistance to (i) the Director of Muharraq Police Station and (ii) staff of the Muharraq Police Directorate of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	1877
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2017 answer text <p>The UK has been providing a range of technical and practical assistance to the Government of Bahrain since 2012, in support of its reform programme. Training is provided to the Police Service as a whole rather than to specific Police Directorates. Any training provided by or on behalf of the government complies with our domestic and international human rights obligations.</p><p>The technical assistance we have been providing to Bahrain supports the building of effective and accountable institutions, strengthening the rule of law, and police and justice reform. It has included work with the National Institution of Human Rights, the Ministry of Interior Ombudsman, and the Prisoners' and Detainees' Rights Commission.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 03/07/2017 16:14:13 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

723131

registered interest
date	21/04/2017
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	Diplomatic Service: Qualifications
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the murder and manslaughter teams in Consular Directorates are required to have particular qualifications to handle the cases they deal with; and what training such staff receive to carry out that work.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	71543
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>All members of the Murder and Manslaughter Team complete the mandatory training for all front line consular staff at the start of their roles. They then complete a further programme of assessed learning specifically designed for those handling murder/manslaughter cases. The team also take opportunities for wider learning and development on trauma and crisis work to ensure they provide the best support to families of those murdered and killed overseas.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 26/04/2017 14:52:14 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

723145

registered interest
date	21/04/2017
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	Diplomatic Service
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 non-frontline UK-based Consular Regional Directors are based overseas; in which countries those directors are based; and what the total cost is of those posts.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	71588
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>​We have six Consular Regional Directors in our overseas network providing strategic leadership to our front line consular services around the world. They are based in the Netherlands, Oman, Singapore, South Africa, Spain and the USA at a total cost of £761,349 per annum.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 26/04/2017 14:47:24 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

722990

registered interest
date	20/04/2017
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	Diplomatic Service
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 UK-based consular staff at Executive Officer grade are currently serving overseas in frontline consular work.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	71405
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>There are around 600 staff working in our overseas consular network. These comprise a mix of UK based and local staff providing a balance of experience, skills, local knowledge and language. Of these, there are currently 10 UK-based FCO Grade B3 officers (Executive Officers). In addition, there are a further 27 UK-based FCO Grade C4 and C5 officers (Higher Executive Officers/Senior Executive Officers) and six UK-based FCO Grade D7 (Civil Service Grade 6) Consular Regional Directors providing strategic leadership to the front line overseas.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 26/04/2017 14:45:16 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

722994

registered interest
date	20/04/2017
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	Diplomatic Service: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what training consular staff receive before they start work; how long such training courses last; and what proportion of training time is spent on cases of murder, missing persons, rape and sexual assault.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	71406
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>All front line staff undertake mandatory training designed to give them the relevant skills and knowledge to provide appropriate support in a range of circumstances, including cases of murder, missing persons, rape and sexual assault. Our training is aligned with our Consular Strategy 2016-2020 and is constantly updated in line with ongoing customer feedback, formal evaluations and policy or legal developments.</p><p>Frontline Consular staff, in London and overseas, undertake mandatory &quot;Introduction to Consular Work&quot; and &quot;Safeguarding children and young persons&quot; e-learning courses during their first week in the role. This is followed within three months by an &quot;Assistance Guidance Assessment&quot;, which is conducted to a pass standard, and a five-day &quot;Essential Assistance Workshop&quot;, an interactive course with activities focused on building customer care skills for handling the full range of consular casework with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable.</p><p>Staff then follow a programme of continuous development relevant to their role. This comprises a range of learning activities including e-learning, workshops and discussions with specialist agencies and NGOs dealing specifically with bereavement, rape and sexual assault which are designed to further enhance the skills, knowledge and behaviours of consular staff dealing with these and other vulnerable customers. There are also opportunities for staff to practice customer care skills through telephone handling skills practice programme.</p><p>We have also developed a learning retention and evaluation tool to help embed knowledge following training courses. This involves a series of online timed and targeted questions for a five month period.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 26/04/2017 14:50:13 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

722995

registered interest
date	20/04/2017
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	British Nationals Abroad: Missing Persons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what changes in procedures have been implemented in handling the cases of missing persons overseas and in training staff in how to handle such cases in the last 10 years.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	71407
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>The FCO regularly reviews all aspects of policy and guidance for assisting British nationals in difficulty overseas. The package of support and guidance for staff on handling cases of missing persons overseas is currently under review. The review includes the development of specific training material for handling such cases. The FCO has developed a close working relationship with the NGO 'Lucie Blackman Trust' to support the friends and families of British nationals who are missing overseas. The FCO has also published on gov.uk the public leaflet 'Missing persons abroad' which explains what practical help FCO staff can offer to people when a British national goes missing abroad, what people can do themselves and where they can go for additional help.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 26/04/2017 14:56:01 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

722996

registered interest
date	20/04/2017
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	Diplomatic Service: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what training is given to staff working on frontline consular assistance issues in the Consular Directorate; and what the grades are of all such staff.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	71409
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/04/2017 answer text <p>All front line consular staff in London and overseas complete a mandatory programme of Consular training, including an &quot;Introduction to Consular Work&quot; and &quot;Safeguarding Children and Young Persons&quot; e-learning within their first week in the role. This is followed within three months by an Assistance Guidance Assessment, which is conducted to a pass standard, and attendance at a five day &quot;Essential Assistance Workshop&quot;, an interactive course with activities focused on building customer care skills for handling the full range of consular casework, with particular emphasis on the most vulnerable.</p><p>In addition there is an ongoing programme of blended learning designed to support continuous development and further enhance the skills, policy knowledge and behaviours of consular staff dealing with all types of consular cases.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 26/04/2017 14:58:13 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

722492

registered interest
date	19/04/2017
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: Human Rights
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports his Department has received on alleged human rights abuses committed against supporters of Biafran independence in Nigeria; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	71224
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2017 answer text <p>The UK position on human rights is firm: they are universal and must apply equally to all people. This includes the right to protest within the rule of law. The UK notes reports of alleged human rights abuses committed against supporters of Biafran independence and the report by Amnesty International into the fatalities suffered by pro-Biafra protestors.</p><p>The report has a number of recommendations to the Nigerian Security Forces, including on addressing human rights violations and ensuring due process for detainees. The UK looks forward to seeing how the Nigerian Federal Government responds to these recommendations in order to ensure that any future actions taken by the Nigerian Security Forces are in accordance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law.</p><p>We will continue to monitor developments closely.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 25/04/2017 14:29:17 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

720472

registered interest
date	13/04/2017
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	Unmanned Air Vehicles: International Cooperation
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 12 January 2017 to Question 58534 and the Answer of 27 February 2017 to Question 64186, on unmanned air vehicles, if the Government will make it its policy to report to the House any proposals it plans to put forward prior to any multilateral discussions with other signatories of the Joint Declaration for the Export and Subsequent Use of Armed or Strike-Enabled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	70441
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2017 answer text <p>​No date has been set for formal multilateral discussions with other signatories of the Joint Declaration for the Export and Subsequent Use of Armed or Strike-Enabled Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The topic of strike-enabled UAVs comes up in informal contact with like-minded countries, but we do not yet have UK proposals to offer.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 25/04/2017 15:57:33 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

712958

registered interest
date	21/03/2017
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: Rohingya
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 an assessment of whether the Burmese Government's domestic process for investigating claims of sexual violence by Burmese security forces against Rohingya Muslim women is consistent with the standards set out in the International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	68645
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/03/2017 answer text <p>The Government of Burma is conducting a national investigation into reports of human rights abuses, including reports of sexual violence, perpetrated by the Burmese security forces in Rakhine State since October 2016. The Rakhine Investigation Commission's interim report of 3 January concluded that there was insufficient evidence to take legal action. We have made clear that we do not find the Rakhine Investigation's interim findings credible.</p><p>We are aware of reports which suggest weaknesses in the Commission's composition and approach. The International Protocol on the Documentation and Investigation of Sexual Violence in Conflict sets out minimum basic principles and international best practice for such investigations, and we encourage its use. However, it is not intended to insist on a universal legal or professional standard.</p><p>The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns visited Burma in November, and pressed the Minister of Defence on the importance of transparency and accountability in their field.</p> answering member constituency Reading West answering member printed Alok Sharma question first answered 29/03/2017 12:56:21 answering member 4014 label Biography information for Lord Sharma
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake