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348508

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
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	Ilois: Resettlement
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking on the possible resettlement of the Chagos Islands; which departments are conducting this work; and whether they will publish any further conclusions they reach on the feasibility and costs of resettlement by those exiles and their descendants who wish to return.
tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
uin	HL280
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2015 answer text <p>I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement of 24 March 2015 made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (James Duddridge), which I repeated the same day in the House of Lords, (HLWS440).</p><p>Further work building on the independent KPMG Feasibility Study is now underway to seek to clarify fundamental uncertainties around the likely costs, ongoing liabilities and potential demand for resettlement. This is being led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in close collaboration with the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development, and we will explain our conclusions to interested parties in due course.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/06/2015 13:18:01 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

348509

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
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: Prisoners
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the arrest and imprisonment of Ms Zainab Al Khawaja whilst attempting to visit her father in prison in Bahrain; and whether they plan to hold discussions with the government of Bahrain about her imprisonment.
tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
uin	HL281
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/06/2015 answer text <p>This case against Zainab Al Khawaja follows an incident in Jau prison when her father, Abdulhadi Al Khawaja, was on hunger strike. We understand Ms Al Khawaja attempted to enter an area of the prison closed to the public and stage a sit-in, and as a result, was forcibly removed from the facility. She has the right to appeal. Our Embassy in Bahrain will continue to monitor the case closely.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 15/06/2015 11:37:43 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

348512

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
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: Armed Conflict
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking, if any, to bring the parties to the conflict in South Sudan together; and what lessons have been learned from previous failures.
tabling member printed	The Earl of Sandwich
uin	HL284
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/06/2015 answer text We regularly engage with both parties to the conflict to press them to end the conflict and secure peace. Most recently the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), wrote to the South Sudanese Foreign Minister on 8 June calling on the Government of South Sudan to end the fighting and re-engage in peace talks. The failure of the parties to reach agreement in previous peace talks emphasises the need for consistent and united international pressure. We are in discussions with our partners on how the recently created UN sanctions mechanism can be best be used to force the parties to return to negotiations. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 17/06/2015 16:40:56 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2109 label Biography information for The Earl of Sandwich

348524

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
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	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 recent discussions his Department has had with the Saudi Arabian government about the conflict in Yemen.
tabling member constituency	Leicester East
tabling member printed	Keith Vaz
uin	1118
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>We remain in close contact with the Government of Saudi Arabia regarding Yemen. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), discussed it with his Saudi Arabian counterpart on 2 June. He emphasised the importance of moving towards a political process in Yemen and sustained humanitarian access. I also discussed the situation with the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister in the margins of the EU-GCC Summit on 24 May.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 10/06/2015 12:16:36 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	338 label Biography information for Keith Vaz

348531

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
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	Gaza and Hong Kong: Visits Abroad
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 whether hon. Members and Peers will be allowed to visit (a) Gaza and (b) Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
uin	1219
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/06/2015 answer text <p>Entry and exit from Gaza is difficult and can, at times, be impossible. Entry is through either Israel, with permission from the Israeli authorities, or Egypt, with permission from the Egyptian authorities (although this border has been closed almost entirely since October 2014). Members and Peers should be aware that at this time the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against all travel to Gaza. We do not make representations on behalf of British Nationals, including parliamentarians, wishing to travel.</p><p>The Government has repeatedly made clear to the Chinese and Hong Kong Governments that the decision to refuse to allow the members of the previous Foreign Affairs Committee to enter Hong Kong in December 2014 was wholly unjustified and counter-productive. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) visited Hong Kong on 8 January and met the President of the Legislative Council and a wide range of legislators, which was particularly important given their key role in the constitutional reform process. In addition, FCO officials have regular contacts with the Hong Kong Government. It is the Government’s assessment that British Parliamentarians can visit Hong Kong.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 09/06/2015 14:09:58 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson

348533

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
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	UK Membership of EU: Referendums
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 has received from the Welsh Government about votes at 16 and 17 in the proposed EU referendum.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	1232
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), has received no recent representations from the Welsh Government about votes at 16 and 17 in the proposed EU referendum.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 10/06/2015 13:55:50 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

348542

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
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	European Commission: British Nationality
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 nationals were (a) permanent officials and (b) temporary agents on the staff of the European Commission (i) in each of the last 10 years and (ii) on the latest date for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	1205
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2015 answer text <p>The European Commission does not provide staffing numbers by nationality broken down between permanent and temporary agents. In total the numbers of UK nationals employed by the European Commission for each of the last ten years is as follows:</p><p>October 2005: 1453</p><p>April 2006: 1449</p><p>April 2007: 1410</p><p>April 2008: 1360</p><p>April 2009: 1337</p><p>April 2010: 1284</p><p>April 2011: 1162</p><p>April 2012: 1134</p><p>April 2013: 1079</p><p>April 2014: 1053</p><p>The latest figure available is for April 2015 and is 1008.</p><p>In relation to its share of the EU population, the UK has, for many years, been under-represented among the staff of the major EU institutions. In recent years the numbers have decreased as some British officials who were recruited when the UK joined the EEC have retired.</p><p>Increasing the number of British officials is a priority for the Government. The EU Staffing Unit, established in April 2013, is working to promote EU careers across the UK and support candidates with their application. In the short term, the Unit has increased secondments in positions of strategic importance to the UK. The European Fast Stream within the Civil Service has also been re-launched.</p> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 16/06/2015 09:07:43 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 3457 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

348543

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
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	Foreign and Commonwealth Office: 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 full-time equivalent staff in his Department are currently working on renegotiating the UK's relationship with the EU.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	1206
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2015 answer text <p>The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) will lead the negotiations with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, my right hon. Friend the Member for Tatton (Mr Osborne), myself, and the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington) all playing an important role. Departments, including the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, are staffing this appropriately. It is not possible to identify full time equivalent staff numbers because of the wide range of staff who are contributing on an ad-hoc basis.</p> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 16/06/2015 09:11:20 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 3458 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

348544

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
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	Foreign and Commonwealth Office: 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 full-time equivalent staff were employed at the UK Permanent Representation to the EU (a) in each of the last 10 years and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	1207
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2015 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has provided details of staffing at posts, including in Brussels, in the Annual Accounts and Reports for 2012/13 and 2013/2014. The latter can be found at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-and-commonwealth-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2013-14--2" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/foreign-and-commonwealth-office-annual-report-and-accounts-2013-14--2</a>. The FCO Annual Accounts and Reports for 2014/2015 will be published later this year.</p> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 16/06/2015 09:14:15 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 3459 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

348563

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
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	Conferences
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which of his Cabinet colleagues will represent the UK at the (a) UN Financing for Development Conference in Addis Ababa from 13 to 16 July, (b) UN Summit to adopt the post-2015 development agenda in New York from 25 to 27 September and (c) Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris from 30 November to 11 December.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	1124
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2015 answer text <p>The UK delegation to each event will be finalised closer to the time.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 11/06/2015 13:20:13 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady