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173765

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
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	Middle East
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 freedom of speech in the Middle East.
tabling member constituency	Huddersfield
tabling member printed	Mr Barry Sheerman
uin	220842
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/01/2015 answer text Freedom of expression has been a human rights priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, from the beginning of this Parliament; and the subject of an Expert Group which advises Ministers. We raise press freedom regularly in multilateral fora, supporting relevant initiatives and resolutions, and in bilateral conversations – in both private and public. We regularly raise the importance of freedom of speech with counterparts in government across the Middle East and North Africa. Through our Arab Partnership Initiative, we are working to support the development of legitimate and inclusive institutions to improve governance, enable inclusive reform and protect fundamental freedoms such as freedom of speech. Our Arab Partnership Participation Fund has supported the training of journalists in countries across the region, including Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt to deliver un-biased reporting and work to protect freedom of speech. In Iraq, we have worked to build a legal and regulatory environment in order to allow Iraqi media to operate safely, freely and effectively. answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 21/01/2015 15:32:01 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	411 label Biography information for Mr Barry Sheerman

174578

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
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	Middle East
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 the extent of persecution of Christian communities in the Middle East.
tabling member constituency	West Lancashire
tabling member printed	Rosie Cooper
uin	907109
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/01/2015 answer text <p>We are deeply concerned by the difficulties facing many Christians and religious minorities in the Middle East and deplore all discrimination and constraints on freedom of religion.</p><p>We are committed to supporting the fundamental human right to freedom of religion or belief. We support this right for Christian communities in the Middle East by regularly urging governments at senior levels to uphold the rights of all minorities; building international consensus on freedom of religion or belief; and supporting practical projects on community dialogue with civil society and faith groups.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 20/01/2015 15:05:39 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1538 label Biography information for Rosie Cooper

173188

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	Middle East
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 steps his Department has taken to support the Middle East peace process.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	220414
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text <p>The UK's priority remains the achievement of a two-state solution. We continue to believe that the best way to achieve this is through negotiations. We are in close touch with international partners to that end. At the current time we are urging the parties to avoid taking any steps which will make the search for peace harder. The Foreign Secretary has been discussing ways of progressing the MEPP with partners on a regular basis.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 15/01/2015 14:31:00 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

172654

registered interest
date	07/01/2015
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	Middle East
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what position the United Kingdom took at the Conference of Parties to the Geneva Convention held in Geneva on 17 December 2014, and whether they made a statement following that Conference.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL3988
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/01/2015 answer text <p>The UK is firmly committed to the promotion of compliance with International Humanitarian Law and upholding the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols. The UK did not issue a national statement following the conference on 17 December in Geneva. However, we stressed the importance of the conference taking a balanced and non- politicised approach. We also agreed an EU statement, which calls on all sides to fully and effectively respect the Fourth Geneva Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 13/01/2015 14:09:38 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

172347

registered interest
date	06/01/2015
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	Middle East
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the boy killed and 24 children injured in the West Bank last week as reported by the United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL3930
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text <p>While we have not raised these particular cases with the Government of Israel, we have raised the issue of excessive use of force, in particular the use of live fire, regularly with the Israeli authorities. We have urged restraint in the use of force to deal with security incidences and crowd control.</p><p>The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs report that the Israeli authorities have opened a military investigation into this incident.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 15/01/2015 14:13:42 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

172348

registered interest
date	06/01/2015
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	Middle East
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel concerning the death of Palestinian Cabinet Minister Ziad Abu Ein.
tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
uin	HL3931
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/01/2015 answer text <p>Our Embassy in Tel Aviv, including our Ambassador, lobbied a range of contacts including senior Israeli National Security Council officials in the Prime Minister’s Office to encourage a swift and transparent investigation into the death of Palestinian Minister Ziad Abu Ein.</p><p>On 12 December 2014, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), issued a Press release saying he was shocked by the death of Palestinian Minister Ziad Abu Ein and calling for a swift and transparent investigation.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 13/01/2015 14:05:15 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge

172351

registered interest
date	06/01/2015
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	Middle East
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of Israel concerning (1) the removal of two military bases in the West Bank in order to allow for the expansion of existing settlements, (2) the Israeli air attack on a cement factory near Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip on 20 or 21 December, (3) the elimination of delays and full normal opening of the Tulkarm Crossing-point for Palestinians with permission to work in Israel, (4) approval for the construction of 243 houses on West Bank land illegally annexed to Jerusalem, and (5) Israeli naval vessels firing live ammunition at Palestinian fishermen off Gaza, damaging several boats.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL3934
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text While we have not raised these specific issues, we have repeatedly condemned Israel’s announcements to expand settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including East Jerusalem. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly bring up the issue of settlements with the Israeli National Security Adviser, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Defence contacts. We are aware of an attack by the Israeli Defence Forces against “Hamas terror infrastructure” in the Khan Yunis area of southern Gaza after a rocket was fired into Israel from Gaza on 19 December. Our Ambassador discussed this matter with the Israeli Ministry of Defence. Officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly meet with the Israeli authorities – including the Israeli Office for the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories/Ministry of Defence and the National Security Adviser - to urge them to ease restrictions on Gaza, including the movement of commercial goods, and persons from and to the Gaza Strip. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv is looking into the situation faced by Gazan fishermen and will consider Government action on this issue. answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 15/01/2015 14:16:58 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

171610

registered interest
date	18/12/2014
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	Middle East
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress his Department has made on agreeing the language to be used in the draft UN Security Council resolution outlining the principles for a peace settlement between Israel and Palestine.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	219463
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>The draft UN Security Council Resolution was not adopted as it failed to reach the necessary number of favourable votes.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 05/01/2015 17:24:45 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden

171285

registered interest
date	17/12/2014
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	Middle East
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 his Department has made of the causes and consequences of recent unrest in East Jerusalem.
tabling member constituency	Oxford East
tabling member printed	Mr Andrew Smith
uin	219248
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/01/2015 answer text <p>The recent unrest in East Jerusalem is a consequence of the absence of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. We are concerned about the possibility of further escalation in violence. It is therefore vital that all those with influence now work together to restore calm. Every Israeli and Palestinian has a right to live in peace and security. We urge the parties to focus efforts on resuming serious and comprehensive negotiations towards resolving the conflict once and for all.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 06/01/2015 14:20:09 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	95 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Smith

170866

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	Middle East
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they plan to take to protect the viability of the two-state solution, in the light of the statement by the Hamas leadership on 14 December that they are intent on the destruction of Israel.
tabling member printed	Lord Turnberg
uin	HL3813
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 31/12/2014 answer text <p>We condemn the statement by senior Hamas leader, Khalil al-Hayya, on 14 December claiming that &quot;the illusion of Israel will be removed&quot; by Hamas' military wing.</p><p>The Government's policy on Hamas has not changed and is clear: Hamas must renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept previously signed agreements. We believe that only a negotiated two-state solution will resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once and for all and end the occupation.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 31/12/2014 11:23:03 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2537 label Biography information for Lord Turnberg