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516261

registered interest
date	27/04/2016
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	Western Sahara: Politics and Government
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 is taking steps to encourage progress towards the holding of a referendum in Western Sahara.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	35954
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2016 answer text <p>It is for the parties to the dispute to agree a resolution of the final status of Western Sahara. The UK encourages both sides to cooperate with the United Nations process to reach a mutually acceptable solution that provides for the self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 04/05/2016 14:50:01 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown

516262

registered interest
date	27/04/2016
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	Israel: Palestinians
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 his Department is taking to discourage the commemoration of acts of violence against Israeli civilians in the Palestinian Authority.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	35944
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2016 answer text <p>We have urged the leadership of both the Palestinian and Israeli authorities to avoid doing anything to encourage violence or any steps which will make it more difficult to achieve a peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict. Our Consul General in Jerusalem regularly raises such concerns with the Palestinian leadership, including with President Abbas at their last meeting in March. We continue to support Palestinian calls to reinstate the Tripartite Committee on Incitement as the appropriate channel to deal with allegations of Palestinian or Israeli incitement.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 04/05/2016 14:47:41 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

516263

registered interest
date	27/04/2016
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	International Organisations: Secondment
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 his Department has taken to ensure that the employment rights of staff members seconded to or working within international organisations are protected.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	35875
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/05/2016 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) supports outward secondments that develop the skills and experience of our staff. Our staff are encouraged to take up opportunities where the work is in line with the FCO’s strategic priorities.</p><p>The terms and conditions of employees working for international organisations are set by the organisation they work for during the secondment. The host organisation also takes responsibility for ensuring the duty of care to our secondees is properly discharged and that their working conditions are satisfactory. This would include having proper grievance procedures in place. The FCO takes this into account when agreeing to a secondment, and individual volunteers are expected to satisfy themselves that they are aware of any differences between the two organisations terms and conditions before agreeing any contract. Secondees remain our employees during their secondments and continue to enjoy the protection of their employment rights with the FCO.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood grouped question UIN 35623 question first answered 05/05/2016 13:50:57 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord

516264

registered interest
date	27/04/2016
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	Marine Protected Areas
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 support a UN implementing agreement for the establishment and management of marine protected areas in the high seas.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Oliver Colvile
uin	35878
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2016 answer text <p>The UK supports the need for a new implementing agreement and the need to establish a mechanism to deliver Marine Protected Areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This is because whilst a range of different bodies with varying responsibilities address the protection of marine bio-diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, these bodies have sectorally or regionally restricted mandates.</p><p>The first session of the Preparatory Committee (Prepcom) to develop a new implementing agreement took place at the UN from 28 March to 8 April. The UK was represented by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Defra officials. We will continue to engage on this issue in preparation for the remaining three sessions of the Prepcom.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 06/05/2016 11:48:11 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4022 label Biography information for Oliver Colvile

516265

registered interest
date	27/04/2016
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	Marine Protected Areas
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 his Department has made of the number and area of marine protected areas established beyond national jurisdiction through regional seas agreements or other instruments.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Oliver Colvile
uin	35879
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2016 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is aware of eight Marine Protected Areas that have been established beyond national jurisdiction. One has been designated by the Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and seven have been designated by the OSPAR Commission in the North-East Atlantic. The UK plays an active role in both of these organisations and is fully supportive of their work to establish networks of Marine Protected Areas in the Antarctic and the North-East Atlantic.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 06/05/2016 11:56:47 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4022 label Biography information for Oliver Colvile

516266

registered interest
date	27/04/2016
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	Marine Protected Areas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of areas beyond national jurisdiction is covered by (a) regional seas agreements (b) regional fisheries management organisations and (c) other relevant instruments which are legally mandated to establish marine protected areas where the most important environmental impacts are effectively addressed.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Oliver Colvile
uin	35876
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2016 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold details of the proportion of areas beyond national jurisdiction covered by these arrangements. The United Nations Environment Programme has oversight of the 13 Regional Seas programmes. There are also five other “partner programmes” and the UK is a leading member in two of these – the Antarctic Treaty System and the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention). It is also an observer in the Arctic Council.</p><p>There are six Regional Fisheries Management Organisations which manage highly-migratory species and ten of which manage fish stocks by geographical area. Each Regional Fisheries Management Organisation has its own underpinning international legal agreement with different powers. The UK does not participate in every Regional Fisheries Management Organisation and we do not hold details of each of their powers. In general, Regional Fisheries Management Organisations cannot create Marine Protected Areas, but some do implement fisheries closures to protect Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems.</p><p>The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources does have the legal power to establish Marine Protected Areas and has designated the South Orkney Marine Protected Area.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 06/05/2016 11:43:39 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4022 label Biography information for Oliver Colvile

516267

registered interest
date	27/04/2016
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	Marine Protected Areas
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 (a) promote the protection of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and (b) ensure that the agreed commitment to establish marine protected areas in 10 per cent of the world's oceans by 2020 is effectively implemented in such areas.
tabling member constituency	Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport
tabling member printed	Oliver Colvile
uin	35877
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2016 answer text <p>The UK is fully committed to promoting the protection of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.</p><p>Without prejudice to Article IV of the Antarctic Treaty 1959, in 2009 the UK led negotiations within the Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources which resulted in the establishment of the world’s first high-seas Marine Protected Area (MPA) covering 94 000 km2. The UK supports the establishment of further MPAs within the area covered by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and is working closely with members to designate MPAs in the Ross Sea, East Antarctic and the Weddell Sea.</p><p>The UK is a leading member of the OSPAR Commission which has designated 7 MPAs in the high seas of the North-East Atlantic and works closely with other regional and international organisations to manage these.</p><p>We are a signatory to the Hamilton Declaration on Collaboration for the Conservation of the Sargasso Sea 2014, which established the Sargasso Sea Commission to encourage and facilitate voluntary collaboration toward the conservation of the Sargasso Sea.</p><p>We support the work of the International Seabed Authority in establishing Areas of Particular Environmental Interest in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. We also support the work of the International Maritime Organisation in identifying “Special Areas” which benefit from additional pollution protection and “Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas” which may benefit from specific measures to control certain maritime activities.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 06/05/2016 11:46:15 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4022 label Biography information for Oliver Colvile

516269

registered interest
date	27/04/2016
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	MV Seaman Guard Ohio
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 (a) the Indian government and (b) other parties involved on the release to its owners of the vessel Seaman Guard Ohio.
tabling member constituency	East Renfrewshire
tabling member printed	Kirsten Oswald
uin	35823
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2016 answer text <p>I have made no representations to the Indian Government or any other parties on the release of the vessel Seaman Guard Ohio.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 09/05/2016 14:13:26 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	4413 label Biography information for Kirsten Oswald

516270

registered interest
date	27/04/2016
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: 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, whether the Government plans to impose financial sanctions on Russian individuals complicit in human rights abuses.
tabling member constituency	Dudley North
tabling member printed	Ian Austin
uin	35833
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2016 answer text <p>EU sanctions have been imposed on Russia for its illegal annexation of Crimea and ongoing aggression and destabilisation of eastern Ukraine. The UK Government supports human rights defenders and holds the Russian Government to account, publicly and privately, when it fails to fulfil its international commitments to promote and protect human rights. For these reasons Russia also featured as a Priority Country in the annual FCO Human Rights Report released in April 2016. I also raised human rights issues with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Titov on my last visit to Moscow in December 2015.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 09/05/2016 13:22:47 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	1511 label Biography information for Lord Austin of Dudley

516271

registered interest
date	27/04/2016
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	Polisario Front
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 is taking to engage with the Polisaria Front; and if he or Ministers of his Department will meet senior Polisario Front officials.
tabling member constituency	Kilmarnock and Loudoun
tabling member printed	Alan Brown
uin	35803
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/05/2016 answer text <p>Government officials engage with the Polisario Front regularly, most recently on 16 March in London. We regard the Polisario Front as a pro-independence movement and party to a UN-mediated dispute, but not all Sahrawis consider it to be their representative. Therefore the UK Government does not regard the Polisario Front as representing all Sahrawis. Because of this, Ministers do not meet Polisario Front members.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 04/05/2016 14:36:59 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4470 label Biography information for Alan Brown