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810177

registered interest
date	20/12/2017
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Local Government Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many representations he received from business groups prior to the announcement of the local government finance settlement; and if he will publish those representations.
tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
uin	120643
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2018 answer text <p>A summary of responses to the Local Government Finance Settlement 2018-19 technical consultation can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-government-finance-settlement-2018-to-2019-technical-consultation" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/local-government-finance-settlement-2018-to-2019-technical-consultation</a></p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 15/01/2018 17:13:28 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

810185

registered interest
date	20/12/2017
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Local Government: Elections
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to encourage young people to seek election to local councils; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
uin	120651
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2018 answer text <p>Local authorities have an important role in encouraging young people’s participation in local democracy. Political parties also have a part to play in encouraging and recruiting young people. The British Youth Council’s network of forums of youth councils often mirror their adult counterparts at local authority and parish council level, providing young people with a positive experience of local representation.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 15/01/2018 17:11:42 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

810186

registered interest
date	20/12/2017
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Local Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what representations he has received from English local authorities on the UK's withdrawal from the EU in the last six months; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
uin	120652
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2018 answer text <p>The Department is working to support a smooth and orderly Exit from the European Union which delivers an outcome that works for local communities across the country.</p><p>This work has involved on-going engagement with local authorities, including roundtables in Cornwall and Great Yarmouth.</p><p>My Department will continue to engage with stakeholders as we begin discussions with the European Union on our deep and special future partnership.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 15/01/2018 17:12:53 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

810188

registered interest
date	20/12/2017
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Local Government: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department plans to improve the training offered to (a) leaders of local authorities and (b) local authority cabinet members; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
uin	120654
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2018 answer text <p>Through the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government grant funding, the Local Government Association (LGA) provides a broad range of support to the local government sector, including LGA Local Leadership Academy programme, through to one-to-one mentoring for Lead and Cabinet members by other member peers. The Centre for Public Scrutiny also provides direct support to members on overview and scrutiny to individual authorities.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 15/01/2018 17:44:19 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

810192

registered interest
date	20/12/2017
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Non-domestic Rates
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has conducted an impact assessment of the effect on high streets of changes to business rates.
tabling member constituency	Denton and Reddish
tabling member printed	Andrew Gwynne
uin	120658
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2018 answer text <p>Valuations for the purposes of rating are carried out independently by the Valuation Office Agency. The majority of ratepayers have seen no change or a fall in their bills. However, for those facing increases as a result of the 2017 revaluation we have provided a £3.6 billion transitional relief scheme.</p><p>At the 2016 Budget, the Chancellor announced the biggest ever cut in business rates – worth nearly £9 billion across the next five years, taking 600,000 small businesses out of paying rates. In the Spring 2017 Budget, we announced £435 million support to businesses seeing increases in rates bills. In the Autumn 2017 Budget, the Chancellor announced that he will bring forward the switch of the annual indexation of business rates from RPI to the CPI by two years, which is worth £4.1 billion by 2023.</p><p>The Government is committed to supporting small and medium size businesses on our high streets. Since 2010, we have given over £18 million to struggling town centres through the High Streets Innovation Fund and launched successful initiatives such as “Love Your Local Market”.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 15/01/2018 17:10:47 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
tabling member	1506 label Biography information for Andrew Gwynne

810482

registered interest
date	21/12/2017
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Department for Communities and Local Government: Brexit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the (a) amount of time and (b) resources that his Department allocated to the production of impact assessments on the UK leaving the EU; and on what date work on those impact assessments started.
tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
tabling member printed	Tom Brake
uin	120828
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2018 answer text <p>Impact Assessments, typically related to specific new primary legislation before Parliament, are narrowly defined. For example, the Government laid an impact assessment alongside the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, which can be found on our website.</p><p>Civil servants conduct any Impact Assessments related to legislation as business as usual. Our broader analysis continues.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 15/01/2018 17:08:02 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

818761

registered interest
date	08/01/2018
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Welfare Assistance Schemes
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much expenditure will be allocated by his Department for Local Welfare Assistance schemes in each of the next five years.
tabling member constituency	Birkenhead
tabling member printed	Frank Field
uin	121525
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2018 answer text <p>The Government recognises the important role that councils play in helping to provide local community services such as Local Welfare Assistance schemes, and local authorities in England will have access to more than £200 billion to deliver these services between 2015/16 and 2019/20.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 16/01/2018 10:36:12 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
tabling member	478 label Biography information for Lord Field of Birkenhead

818834

registered interest
date	08/01/2018
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Female Genital Mutilation
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what steps have been taken to work with faith leaders to increase the number of signatories to the declaration condemning female genital mutilation and to use that declaration to help drive cultural change against such mutilation since 2016.
tabling member constituency	Rotherham
tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
uin	121598
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2018 answer text <p>Since publication of the Female Genital Mutilation Faith Declaration in 2014, over 250 representatives of faith communities have added their signatures, sending a clear message to communities across the UK that the practice is an extreme form of violence against women and girls and is not supported by any religious doctrine. We call on all faith communities across the UK to condemn the unacceptable practice of Female Genital Mutilation.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 16/01/2018 17:56:15 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

46767

registered interest
date	03/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the UK Government plans to provide through the EU in advance of presidential elections in Ukraine in May 2014.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195104
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>The UK will be sending 90 short term observers, in addition to the 10 long term observers already in Ukraine, to join the observer mission being mounted by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). This will allow for an objective assessment as to whether the required standards are met. We also welcome the announcement by the OSCE/ODIHR that they will be providing advice and training on running elections.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

46768

registered interest
date	03/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when a Minister of his Department last visited Gibraltar.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195105
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), was the last Minister from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to visit Gibraltar, in April 2011. My right hon. Friend hopes to visit again this year.</p><p>The Minister of State for the Armed Forces, my right hon. Friend the Member for Rayleigh and Wickford (Mr Francois) visited in December 2013.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

46769

registered interest
date	03/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the UK has offered through NATO to its Baltic allies since the Russian military incursion into Crimea.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195103
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>The UK, alongside our NATO Allies, remains committed to the preservation of stability and security in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia and to the guarantee of collective defence under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. <br><br>The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), announced on the 17 March the UK has offered to contribute 4 Typhoons to the Baltic Air Policing mission. NATO Foreign Ministers agreed on 1 April to consider further measures as necessary to fulfil NATO's collective defence mission.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

46773

registered interest
date	03/04/2014
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
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 his Department has made to the government of Spain on the proposed twinning of the town of Algerciras in Spain with Rio Grande in Argentina.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195113
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not made representations to Spain about the proposed twinning of Algeciras in Spain, and Rio Grande in Argentina. Any twinning arrangement between Algeciras and Rio Grande is a matter for the local authorities of those cities.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

46774

registered interest
date	03/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's most recent assessment is of the likelihood of President Assad complying with the agreed Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons timetable for the removal and destruction of Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195099
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>Good early progress was made toward putting both Syria's chemical weapons manufacturing facilities and the weapons themselves beyond use. However, the programme has fallen behind schedule and the regime has missed a number of interim deadlines, including the 31 December target for the removal of priority I chemicals, and the 5 February deadline for the removal of priority II material. It is the regime's responsibility to comply with the timetable set out by the UN-Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). <br><br>The UN Secretary General, the OPCW Director General and the coordinator of the OPCW-UN joint mission have assessed that Syria has all the equipment it needs to ensure the expeditious removal of the chemicals concerned. To date, approximately 54 percent of the declared chemical stockpile has been removed from Syria. The regime must significantly accelerate the movement of the chemicals to port to enable their removal if the 30 June deadline for the elimination of the chemicals is to be achieved.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

46775

registered interest
date	03/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's latest assessment is of the security situation in Egypt following the recent suicide bombing outside Cairo University grounds.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195100
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>Our assessment, as published in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice, is that there is a high threat from terrorism in Egypt, including Cairo. We believe that terrorists continue to plan attacks, which could be indiscriminate and occur without prior warning. Attacks have mainly been aimed at the security forces, their facilities and other government buildings. However, attacks targeting foreigners cannot be ruled out. We continue to keep our travel advice under constant review.</p><p>During my meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmy on 2 April, I condemned the recent attacks in Cairo and sent condolences to the family of the victim and those who have been injured.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

46777

registered interest
date	03/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what level of engagement, support or resource the Government is contributing to the expected EU mission in the Central African Republic.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195102
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>I welcome the launch of the EU's Central African Republic (CAR) military operation, EUFOR, on 2 April 2014. EUFOR will help the International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) and French (Sangaris) forces to provide security in Bangui until a hand-over to MISCA or a possible UN Peacekeeping Operation can take place.</p><p>I encouraged the quick deployment of the mission when I attended the Mini-Summit on CAR on 2 April in the margins of the EU-Africa Summit. The UK will pay its share of the common costs for EUFOR, and has played a strong role in planning, including through provision of a military officer to EUFOR's Operational Headquarters in Larissa. Discussions are currently underway about the possibility of providing strategic airlift assistance with countries that have contributed troops.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

46903

registered interest
date	03/04/2014
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
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 times he has visited Gibraltar in an official capacity since taking up his present office.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195188
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>I have not yet had the opportunity to visit Gibraltar since taking up office. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington) visited in April 2011.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

46904

registered interest
date	03/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on what occasions he has met the First Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, since Mr Picardo became First Minister.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195189
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>I have met Mr Fabian Picardo three times since December 2011. I had discussions with him in the margins of the reception for Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee on 5 June 2012 and during the Conservative Party Conference in October 2012. We also had a substantive meeting in London on 28 August 2013. In addition to those meetings, the Chief Minister and I have spoken on a number of occasions by telephone about various policy issues concerning Gibraltar.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

46905

registered interest
date	03/04/2014
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
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 meetings the Minister for Europe has held with the European Commission to discuss incursions by Spanish government vessels into British-Gibraltar territorial waters in the last two years.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195140
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>We are confident of UK sovereignty over British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW) under international law, a matter over which the European Commission has no locus to intervene. As a result the the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), the Minister responsible for Europe, has not had any meetings with them in the last two years where the sole purpose was discussing Spanish incursions into BGTW.</p><p>However, my right hon. Friend has raised on a number of occasions, at a senior level in the European Commission, the adoption by the European Commission of a proposal from the Spanish government to designate a site of community importance (SCI) under the EU habitats directive (92/43/EEC). The SCI in question overlaps virtually the whole BGTW area. Spain has used this fact to justify certain incursions on the grounds that they are enacting obligations in relation to EU environmental legislation.</p><p>The British Government maintains that the purported site known as the Estrecho Oriental was unlawfully designated and, in any event, cannot have any legal effect in BGTW due to UK sovereignty over this territory. We have made our position on this clear to the European Commission and the Spanish government.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

46908

registered interest
date	03/04/2014
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
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 meetings the Minister of State for Europe has held with the European Commission with the sole purpose of discussing incursions by Spanish government vessels into British Gibraltar territorial waters.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195190
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>We are confident of UK sovereignty over British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW) under international law, a matter over which the European Commission has no locus to intervene. As a result the the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), the Minister responsible for Europe, has not had any meetings with the EC in the last two years where the sole purpose was discussing Spanish incursions into BGTW.</p><p>However, my right hon. Friend has raised on a number of occasions, at a senior level in the European Commission, the adoption by the European Commission of a proposal from the Spanish government to designate a site of community importance (SCI) under the EU habitats directive (92/43/EEC). The SCI in question overlaps virtually the whole BGTW area. Spain has used this fact to justify certain incursions on the grounds that they are enacting obligations in relation to EU environmental legislation.</p><p>The British Government maintains that the purported site known as the Estrecho Oriental was unlawfully designated and, in any event, cannot have any legal effect in BGTW due to UK sovereignty over this territory. We have made our position on this clear to the European Commission and the Spanish government.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

46911

registered interest
date	03/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what further steps his Department is taking to ensure that the international investigation into the human rights situation in Sri Lanka is carried out transparently, robustly and swiftly.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195202
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>On 27 March, the UN Human Rights Council passed a renewed resolution on Sri Lanka which establishes an international investigation into allegations of violations of international law on both sides of Sri Lanka's military conflict, and calls upon the Sri Lankan government to make progress on human rights and reconciliation.</p><p>The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights will now begin the process of establishing an investigation and assessing the evidence. It is expected that the investigation will draw on expertise from a range of fields and examine a broad range of information and evidence. The High Commissioner will provide an oral update to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) this September, and will provide a comprehensive report to the UNHRC in March 2015.</p><p>The British Government fully supports the Human Rights Council and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. We will continue to work with them and international partners, and continue to encourage the Sri Lankan government to ensure proper implementation of the resolution.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

46912

registered interest
date	03/04/2014
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
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 Cabinet Secretary was tasked with assessing whether there were gounds for a further inquiry into the events surrounding the storming of the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195280
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>The Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood's investigation looked at why the UK provided advice to the Indian authorities, the nature of the UK assistance and the impact of that assistance in Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple. As I told Parliament in my statement to the House on 4 February 2014, Official Report, columns 139-142, the report and the documents we published clearly show the limited nature of UK advice on Operation Blue Star, and that there were no grounds for a further inquiry.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

46924

registered interest
date	03/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which Government Minister took the decision that there were no grounds for a futher inquiry into the events in Amritsar in 1984.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195279
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>The Cabinet Secretary, Sir Jeremy Heywood, was asked by the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) to lead a review to establish the facts relating to the UK's involvement in Operation Blue Star at the Golden Temple. The report was submitted to the Prime Minister and as I told Parliament in my statement to the House on 4 February 2014, Official Report, columns 139-142, it clearly showed the limited nature of UK advice on Operation Blue Star, and that there were no grounds for a further inquiry.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

47056

registered interest
date	04/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on which occasions Ministers in his Department have met President Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka since May 2010.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195309
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>The Minister of State for Foreign and Commmonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) and I met President Rajapaksa at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka in November 2013.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

47057

registered interest
date	04/04/2014
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
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 naval incursions there have been into British Gibraltar territorial waters by Spanish government vessels in each month since June 2010.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195310
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>The numbers of unlawful incursions by Spanish government vessels are as follows:</p><p>MONTH NUMBER OF UNLAWFUL INCURSIONS</p><table><tbody><tr><td>June 2010</td><td>18</td></tr><tr><td>July 2010</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>August 2010</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>September 2010</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>October 2010</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>November 2010</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>December 2010</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>January 2011</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>February 2011</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td>March 2011</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>April 2011</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>May 2011</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>June 2011</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>July 2011</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>August 2011</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>September 2011</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>October 2011</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>November 2011</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>December 2011</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>January 2012</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>February 2012</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>March 2012</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>April 2012</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>May 2012</td><td>23</td></tr><tr><td>June 2012</td><td>19</td></tr><tr><td>July 2012</td><td>40</td></tr><tr><td>August 2012</td><td>34</td></tr><tr><td>September 2012</td><td>29</td></tr><tr><td>October 2012</td><td>22</td></tr><tr><td>November 2012</td><td>31</td></tr><tr><td>December 2012</td><td>22</td></tr><tr><td>January 2013</td><td>29</td></tr><tr><td>February 2013</td><td>35</td></tr><tr><td>March 2013</td><td>23</td></tr><tr><td>April 2013</td><td>36</td></tr><tr><td>May 2013</td><td>50</td></tr><tr><td>June 2013</td><td>50</td></tr><tr><td>July 2013</td><td>46</td></tr><tr><td>August 2013</td><td>68</td></tr><tr><td>September 2013</td><td>35</td></tr><tr><td>October 2013</td><td>61</td></tr><tr><td>November 2013</td><td>54</td></tr><tr><td>December 2013</td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td>January 2014</td><td>17</td></tr><tr><td>February 2014</td><td>58</td></tr><tr><td>March 2014</td><td>37</td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

47058

registered interest
date	04/04/2014
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
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 made to his Venezuelan counterpart on exercising restraint in response to protests in that country.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195311
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>I am concerned by reports of excessive use of force in protests, and reports of armed groups using violence. I condemn all acts of violence and call on all sides to show restraint. It is important that the Venezuelan government respects the right to protest peacefully and ensures public security. The Government has called for all sides to take steps to avoid confrontation, reduce tensions and to create the right conditions for genuine dialogue to take place.</p><p>My right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Hugo Swire MP) has written to the Venezuelan government emphasising the importance of respecting peaceful protest and the importance of dialogue to take place between the parties. He has offered the UK's assistance in the reconciliation process and asked to speak to his Venezuelan opposite number. The British Embassy in Caracas urges peaceful dialogue through its contacts with a range of actors in Venezuelan society.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

47059

registered interest
date	04/04/2014
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
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 security situation in Ukraine.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195312
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2014 answer text <p>I refer my honourable friend to the statement I made to the House on 8 April 2014, Offical Report, column 101. We are gravely concerned about the situation in Crimea and in the east of Ukraine where armed groups have seized government buildings in Donetsk, Kharkiv and Lugansk. There can be no justification for this action, which bears all the hallmarks of a Russian strategy to destabilise Ukraine. Russia should be clear that the deliberate escalation of this crisis will bring serious political and economic consequences.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague grouped question UIN 195329 question first answered 09/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

47060

registered interest
date	04/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to increase the UK's bilateral financial support for Ukraine in the next six months.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195313
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>The UK has pledged £10m in assistance to Ukraine from the Department for International Development bilateral programme. The Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening) will keep this allocation under review. The UK also provides support to Ukraine through our core contributions to the EU, the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Monetary Fund and the UN.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

47061

registered interest
date	04/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the Minister of State, the hon. Member for East Devon, will next travel to Sri Lanka.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195359
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text <p>There are no current plans for the Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) to visit Sri Lanka. We continue to engage regularly with the Sri Lankan government at Ministerial and official level on a wide range of issues.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

47062

registered interest
date	04/04/2014
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
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 likelihood of a further Russian military incursion into eastern Ukraine.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195329
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2014 answer text <p>I refer my honourable friend to the statement I made to the House on 8 April 2014, Offical Report, column 101. We are gravely concerned about the situation in Crimea and in the east of Ukraine where armed groups have seized government buildings in Donetsk, Kharkiv and Lugansk. There can be no justification for this action, which bears all the hallmarks of a Russian strategy to destabilise Ukraine. Russia should be clear that the deliberate escalation of this crisis will bring serious political and economic consequences.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague grouped question UIN 195312 question first answered 09/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

47063

registered interest
date	04/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what action the Government is recommending on the UN Human Rights Council to tackle the persecution of Christians around the world.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195330
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2014 answer text <p>We welcomed the recent consensus adoption at the Human Rights Council of both the European Union's regular resolution on ‘freedom of religion or belief' and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference's resolution on ‘religious intolerance'. This gives the international community a valuable starting point on which to base discussions on how best to implement these resolutions in practice. <br><br>Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi, is leading an international initiative to build up greater political support for practical measures to combat religious intolerance and promote the social and economic benefits of religious pluralism.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 09/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

47065

registered interest
date	04/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what advice his Department has given to the Commonwealth (a) Secretariat and (b) Chairperson on the attendance of President Rajapaksa at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195331
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/04/2014 answer text <p>Invitations to the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow are issued by the Commonwealth Games Association of each participating nation. <br><br>The Minister of State, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) discussed attendance at the Commonwealth Games and other games related matters during his meeting with the Commonwealth Secretary-General on 19 March.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 09/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

47251

registered interest
date	07/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has asked President Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka to resign as Chairperson in Office of the Commonwealth in the light of the decision to investigate potential human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	195541
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2014 answer text Any decision on the Chair-in-Office role is for all Commonwealth Heads of Government to take by consensus. answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

49014

registered interest
date	29/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what meetings he has had with (a) representatives of the Colombian government, (b) Colombian civil society and (c) Colombian businesses to discuss his Department's Action Plan on Business and Human Rights since its launch in September 2013.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	107176
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p>I visited Colombia in February this year and discussed business and human rights in my meetings with President Santos, and in meetings with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance and Trade, and with civil society. I welcomed the development of the Colombian national policy on business and human rights during these meetings and raised the importance of protecting Trade Unionists and human rights defenders. We have a strong partnership with the government of Colombia on implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, in the context of the November 2011 Joint Declaration on Human Rights by the Prime Minister and President Santos.</p><p>In addition, British Embassy officials in Bogota have had several meetings with the Colombian government, civil society and businesses in Colombia to discuss the UK Action plan on business and human rights in line with our commitment to working for widespread international uptake of the UN Guiding Principles and to developing partnerships with other countries to progress this.</p><p>Last year, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office funded a project to assist Colombia in drafting its national policy. The Colombian public policy on business and human rights has been formed as a result of consultation across 33 regions and involving over 19,000 people.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

49015

registered interest
date	29/04/2014
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his assessment is of the effect of his Department's Action Plan on Business and Human Rights since its launch in September 2013.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	197163
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2014 answer text <p>The UK Action Plan on Business and Human Rights was the first country plan produced, setting out how the Government will implement the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. We reported progress in implementation in the recently launched Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Human Rights Report. <br><br>Internationally the UK's plan has shown our commitment to the widespread uptake of the UN Guiding Principles. Other countries have sought our guidance and advice in developing and producing their own plans.</p><p>The Action Plan has set out our expectations of UK business and industry on business and human rights, to encourage initiatives to introduce human rights due diligence and remedy measures into their policies and operations. The Companies Act now requires listed companies to report on their human rights impacts, and The Home Office published a draft Modern Slavery Bill last December to strengthen law enforcement capability to combat human trafficking and labour exploitation.</p><p>We are committed to reviewing the effectiveness of our Action Plan in 2015.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 06/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

49914

registered interest
date	06/05/2014
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
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 held with EU High Representative Catherine Ashton, regarding the EU monitoring mission to Egypt in advance of this month's presidential elections.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	197758
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p>Baroness Ashton briefed European Union member states on the Election Observation Mission (EOM) at the April EU Foreign Affairs Council. The EU has deployed an EOM to Egypt for the presidential elections scheduled on 26-27 May 2014, in response to an invitation by the Egyptian authorities. We support this deployment.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

49915

registered interest
date	06/05/2014
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
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 convene a special session of Commonwealth representatives to discuss the suitability of President Rajapaksa as Chairperson in Office.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	197767
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p>Any decision on the Chair-in-Office role is for all Commonwealth Heads of Government to take by consensus, and we have no plans to convene a session on this. On 27 March 2014, the UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution which establishes an international investigation, and calls on the Sri Lankan government to make progress on human rights and reconciliation. We encourage the Sri Lankan government to cooperate with the resolution and the investigation, which is led by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

49919

registered interest
date	06/05/2014
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
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 Ukraine's interim government about the $3.2 billion immediately released by the IMF as part of its support package.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	197746
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2014 answer text <p>I discussed the International Monetary Fund (IMF) package during my visit to Kyiv on 6-7 May, when I met Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia and the Head of the National Security and Defence Council. We are supportive of the IMF programme for Ukraine and welcome the Ukrainian government's commitment to reform.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 12/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

49922

registered interest
date	06/05/2014
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
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 made to his Egyptian counterpart about the sentencing to death of 683 people in that country.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	197747
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2014 answer text <p>The British Government is deeply concerned about the sentencing to death of 683 people by a court in Minya on 28 April. I made a statement on 28 April expressing my concern over the sentences and reports that some of the defendants may not have had adequate legal representation. On 2 April, during my last meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Fahmy, I raised the death sentences imposed on 529 people by the same court on 24 March, and asked the Egyptian government to ensure that the defendants' human and legal rights are properly upheld. The Government will continue to raise these concerns with the Egyptian government.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 13/05/2014 12:00:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

60717

registered interest
date	09/06/2014
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	Iran
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 he has made of the likelihood of reaching a comprehensive agreement between the P5+1 and Iran on its nuclear programme in advance of the 20 July 2014 deadline.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	199568
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The current negotiations with Iran, which have built on the Geneva interim deal, have been constructive, but challenging. Any deal will require Iran to take significant steps to address comprehensively our proliferation concerns. But there remains commitment on all sides of the table to reach a deal.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 16/06/2014 15:46:54 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

60718

registered interest
date	09/06/2014
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	Egypt
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when a Minister from his Department will meet representatives of Egypt's new President.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	199569
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The National Security Adviser visited Cairo on 10-11 June and met President el-Sisi. Ministers and senior officials are in regular contact with the government of Egypt and I issued a message congratulating President el-Sisi on 3 June. We look to him to take steps to implement the rights contained in Egypt's constitution by opening up political space, especially with regard to freedom of expression and association. We believe the best way for Egyptians to achieve the goals of the 25 January revolution of 2011 is through an inclusive political process in which all groups can participate.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 16/06/2014 15:48:58 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

60719

registered interest
date	09/06/2014
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	Egypt
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 Egyptian counterpart on the likely date for parliamentary elections in Egypt.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	199570
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>I met Egyptian Foreign Minister Fahmy during his visit to the UK on 14 May and discussed a range of issues, including the timing of parliamentary elections. We believe the best way for the Egyptians to achieve goals of the 25 January revolution of 2011 is through free and fair elections and an inclusive political process in which all groups can participate.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 16/06/2014 15:50:06 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

60720

registered interest
date	09/06/2014
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	Iran
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 expects the International Atomic Energy Agency's inquiry into the military dimension of the Iranian nuclear programme to be complete before the deadline for agreeing a comprehensive nuclear deal set by the P5+1.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	199672
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>It is unlikely that the complex questions surrounding the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear programme (PMD) will be resolved by 20 July. We call on Iran to grant immediately access to all sites, equipment, persons and documents requested by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran must demonstrate real progress on PMD in order to reassure the international community that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 16/06/2014 16:18:55 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

60721

registered interest
date	09/06/2014
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	China
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 he has received of allegations of repressive measures taken towards civil society activists in China related to commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown; and whether the Government has made representations to the Chinese government on that matter.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	199671
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>We are concerned at reports of detentions in relation to the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident, and we raised our concerns about this with the Chinese authorities during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in London on 20 May 2014. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), also raised this issue with the Chinese authorities on 19 May and made a statement on 21 May. We also fully support the EU statement of 28 May calling for the release of all those imprisoned for the peaceful expression of their views.</p><p>We were pleased to see that on 5 June the Chinese authorities released a number of those who had been arrested after attending an event to commemorate the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 16/06/2014 16:15:26 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

60722

registered interest
date	09/06/2014
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	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 representations he has made to his Sudanese counterpart on the case of Meriam Ibrahim and the persecution of Christians in that country.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	199678
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>I am appalled at the death sentence given to Meriam Ibrahim, and her continued imprisonment. At my request, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Sudanese Embassy in London was summoned to the Foreign Office on 19 May. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Ms Featherstone), also raised our deep concerns with the Sudanese Foreign Minister when she met him on 20 May. Our Embassy in Khartoum continues to press the Sudanese authorities for Meriam Ibrahim's release, and is in close contact with her legal team.</p><p>Along with our international partners, we regularly raise the persecution of Christians and other minorities with the Sudanese government. We have called on it to respect the right to freedom of religion and international human rights laws as enshrined in its own constitution.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 16/06/2014 16:21:15 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

60723

registered interest
date	09/06/2014
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	Egypt
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 the new Egyptian President about freedom of religion.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	199600
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The Government has been clear throughout recent events in Egypt, that the freedom of religious belief needs to be protected and that the ability to worship in peace is a vital component of a democratic society. I have not yet met President el-Sisi, but will look to work with him and the Egyptian Government to implement the rights contained in Egypt's constitution, which includes protections for freedom of religious belief.</p><p>Hugh Robertson, Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, discussed the situation faced by Coptic Christians and implications of the new constitution in a meeting with Bishop Yulios during his visit to Cairo in December.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 16/06/2014 16:00:05 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

60724

registered interest
date	09/06/2014
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	Libya
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role he sees for the EU in helping to facilitate Libyan parliamentary elections in July 2014.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	199601
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The UK is firmly committed to supporting the Libyan people and Government, and I welcome the elections for the Libyan House of Representatives due on 25 June. I hope it will be conducted in a fair, transparent and accountable way which is respected by all parties. I believe that the EU, along with our international partners, can play a crucial role in supporting these elections. An EU Election Experts' Mission monitored the Constitutional Assembly elections in February, and set out recommendations for improvements which were shared with the Libyan authorities in a report. We believe this, along with other EU programmes related to democratic transition in Libya, has laid a solid foundation to facilitate the June elections.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 16/06/2014 16:03:15 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

60725

registered interest
date	09/06/2014
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	Ukraine
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 the newly-elected Ukranian President about the support the UK can offer to stabilise the situation in that country.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	199602
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) spoke to President Petro Poroshenko on 29 May, when he congratulated him on his election victory and praised the Ukrainian people for their determination to hold elections in such difficult circumstances and choose their own future. I also did so when I met him on 6 June. The Prime Minister praised Mr Poroshenko's clear messages on democracy, as well as financial and political reform, and offered his continued support in helping him to build a secure and prosperous Ukraine, through an inclusive national dialogue.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 16/06/2014 16:04:41 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

60726

registered interest
date	09/06/2014
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	Syria
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he considers the existing mandate of the UN Special Envoy to Syria is sufficient.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	199572
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The UK fully supports the role of the UN Special Representative and the efforts to bring about political transition as set out in the Geneva Communiqué. The scope of the mandate for Mr Brahimi's successor is under consideration by the UN.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 16/06/2014 15:52:57 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

60727

registered interest
date	09/06/2014
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	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, with reference to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 377W, on Sri Lanka, what assessment he has made of the suitability of President Rajapaksa to serve as Chairperson in Office of the Commonwealth.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	199620
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The position of Chair in Office, which is occupied by the host of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) for two years after the event, was formally created in 2009. No formal guidance exists on the role. The decision for Sri Lanka to host CHOGM, and become Chair in Office thereafter, was taken at CHOGM in 2009. There has been no consensus amongst member states to revisit this decision.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 16/06/2014 16:09:52 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

60728

registered interest
date	09/06/2014
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	Syria
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 3778W, on Syria, what assessment his Department has made of the likelihood of President Assad complying with the agreed Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons timetable for the removal and destruction of Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	199619
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The regime has missed all deadlines set by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Executive Council for the removal of chemicals from Syria, including their own deadline of 27 April 2014. Around 7.5 per cent of the materials remain. This means that the 30 June 2014 deadline set by the UN for the elimination of the material can no longer be met. Responsibility for this rests with the regime.</p><p>The functional destruction of Syria's chemical weapon manufacturing capability and the removal of more than 90 per cent of the chemicals used in the programme are significant achievements. However, Syria's failure to meet the deadlines for removal of the remaining chemicals is unacceptable. The UK and partners continue to press for the urgent completion of removal operations.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 16/06/2014 16:06:59 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander