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1000274

registered interest
date	02/11/2018
answering body	Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Housing, Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Pocket Parks Scheme
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how much funding will be allocated to the second round of pocket parks; and if any of those parks will be located in South Yorkshire.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	187343
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/11/2018 answer text <p>The Secretary of State recognises the importance of parks and green spaces in building safer, stronger and more integrated communities. We announced on 7 October that Government would invest £1 million in a second pocket parks programme to create new parks and also provide support to maintain and improve existing parks to help bring existing parks back into safe and regular use.</p><p>The Government will shortly be publishing a prospectus, inviting bids for funding from across the England. Following closure of the application process, bids will be reviewed and announcement of successful applicants will be announced in spring 2018.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Rishi Sunak question first answered 12/11/2018 17:21:10 answering member 4483 label Biography information for Rishi Sunak
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

100598

registered interest
date	20/10/2014
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Devolution
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, what progress he has made on plans for changes to the devolution settlement in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Ribble Valley
tabling member printed	Mr Nigel Evans
uin	905596
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2014 answer text <p>The Prime Minister has set out the timetable for further devolution to Scotland to be considered. Much work is also underway to ensure we have a balanced devolution settlement - fair to people in all parts of the United Kingdom.</p><p>For Scotland, we are implementing the Scotland Act 2012, we have published a Command Paper on the parties' proposals for further devolution and Lord Smith of Kelvin is overseeing the cross-party process to take forward the devolution commitments for Scotland. For Wales, the Wales Bill is progressing through Parliament and the Secretary of State has met the Welsh Leaders of the political parties in Westminster and there will be further discussions with them and with political leaders in the Assembly in the coming weeks. In England, work continues to devolve more powers from Whitehall to our cities and regions and the Government is examining the various constitutional issues that arise from further devolution, including the so-called West Lothian Question. For Northern Ireland, work continues to ensure that the devolved institutions function effectively.</p><p>The House, and others, will be kept updated and have the chance to contribute to these important discussions.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 23/10/2014 15:49:14 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	474 label Biography information for Mr Nigel Evans

101666

registered interest
date	29/10/2014
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Public Opinion
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, how much his Office spent on (a) focus groups and (b) surveys in (i) 2013 and (ii) 2014 to date.
tabling member constituency	Croydon North
tabling member printed	Mr Steve Reed
uin	212506
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/11/2014 answer text <p>The Office of the Leader of the House of Commons is part of the Cabinet Office. Our answer is included in the response by the Minister for the Cabinet Office.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 04/11/2014 17:47:40 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	4268 label Biography information for Steve Reed

155555

registered interest
date	11/11/2014
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Travel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, what total amount his Office spent on ministerial travel by (a) the Government Car and Despatch Agency and (b) other car hire in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10.
tabling member constituency	Salisbury
tabling member printed	John Glen
uin	214280
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2014 answer text <p>The information on ministerial travel is published at:</p><p>(i) <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080722/wmstext/80722m0008.htm" target="_blank">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmhansrd/cm080722/wmstext/80722m0008.htm</a></p><p>(ii) <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090716/wmstext/90716m0009.htm" target="_blank">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200809/cmhansrd/cm090716/wmstext/90716m0009.htm</a></p><p>(iii) <a href="http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101028/wmstext/101028m0001.htm#10102827000372" target="_blank">http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101028/wmstext/101028m0001.htm#10102827000372</a></p><p>The information requested for other car hire is not held centrally.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 19/11/2014 12:03:39 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	4051 label Biography information for John Glen

166409

registered interest
date	26/11/2014
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Sinn Féin
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, what recent discussions he has had with other parties represented in the House of Commons on the payment of allowances to hon. Members representing Sinn Fein; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Lagan Valley
tabling member printed	Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson
uin	216085
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>None. Short money is not available to parties whose Members have not taken the Oath.</p><p>However, under a resolution of the House of 8 February 2006, financial assistance is provided to opposition parties represented by Members who have chosen not to take their seats. It is under this resolution that Sinn Fein Members claim expenses in connection with the party's representative business.<br><br>It is the Government's view that this issue of representative money for parties that do not take the Oath is primarily a matter for the House itself to resolve.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 01/12/2014 16:19:46 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	650 label Biography information for Sir Jeffrey M Donaldson

167874

registered interest
date	01/12/2014
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Backbench Business Committee
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, what assessment he has made of the effect of the creation of the Backbench Business Committee on the work of the House.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North East
tabling member printed	Mr William Bain
uin	906424
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/12/2014 answer text <p>I have not made a recent assessment of the effect of the creation of the Backbench Business Committee on the work of the House, but the Government response to the Procedure Committee review, published in February 2013, agreed that the Backbench Business Committee had been 'widely welcomed as a successful and effective innovation'.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 04/12/2014 15:52:32 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	1610 label Biography information for Mr William Bain

170524

registered interest
date	15/12/2014
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Written Questions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, what estimate he has made of the savings to his Office from the Q&A system in the (a) 12 months and (b) five years since 4 June 2014; what additional ICT systems or improvements to existing systems his Office has introduced or plans to introduce that would not have been feasible without the Q&A system; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which the system has made it easier to answer questions from hon. Members on time.
tabling member constituency	Newcastle upon Tyne Central
tabling member printed	Chi Onwurah
uin	218788
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>I have made no estimate of the savings specific to my Office following the introduction of the electronic Q&amp;A system, but like other Whitehall Departments, I expect to see savings delivered through the more efficient use of staff time, including through the removal of the need to deliver paper copies of answers, as well as in the reduction of the overall use of paper and other resources.<br><br>My Office has introduced no additional ICT systems or improvements due to the implementation of electronic Q&amp;A.<br><br>One of the benefits of the new system is the possibility for the reporting of the timeliness of answers to Parliamentary Questions to be delivered with greater consistency and accuracy across all answering bodies.<br><br>It will be for the Procedure Committee to evaluate the effectiveness of the new system in improving performance when it assesses the evidence following the end of the Session.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 18/12/2014 17:05:32 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	4124 label Biography information for Chi Onwurah

171677

registered interest
date	18/12/2014
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	House of Commons Governance Select Committee
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, if he will ensure that a debate with an opportunity for a division is held on the report by the House of Commons Governance Committee on the Governance of the House of Commons, HC 692.
tabling member constituency	Lichfield
tabling member printed	Michael Fabricant
uin	219399
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>Yes. I will ensure that the House has an early opportunity to debate the report from the House of Commons Governance Committee and to act upon it on an agreed basis.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 05/01/2015 16:19:17 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	280 label Biography information for Michael Fabricant

171678

registered interest
date	18/12/2014
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Private Members' Bills
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, if he will (a) reassess and (b) increase the amount of parliamentary time allocated for Private Members' Bills.
tabling member constituency	Colne Valley
tabling member printed	Jason McCartney
uin	219447
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>No. In July 2012 the House voted against a proposal to consider Private Members' bills on Tuesday evenings, following a report from the Procedure Committee on Sittings of the House. In its subsequent report on Private Members' bills, the Committee assessed the timing of consideration for these bills but did not recommend a significant increase in the total amount of time available.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 05/01/2015 16:22:00 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	3953 label Biography information for Jason McCartney

175518

registered interest
date	23/01/2015
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Leader of the Opposition
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, what the cost to the public purse was of the Leader of the Opposition's Short Money travel allowance, paid to the Labour Party, in each individual financial year in the 2010 Parliament to date.
tabling member constituency	South Basildon and East Thurrock
tabling member printed	Stephen Metcalfe
uin	221925
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/01/2015 answer text <p>As part of the Short Money scheme, the Office of the Leader of the Opposition receives an annual sum to meet costs incurred in caryring out its parliamentary business. Travel costs for the Leader of the Oppsition are not funded separately. However, each party in receipt of Short Money may claim for travelling expenses incurred by opposition spokespeople in relation to the party's parliamentary business. Payments made in respect of both budgets are shown below:</p><table><tbody><tr><td>Financial Year</td><td>Office of the Leader of Opposition</td><td>Labour Party Travel</td></tr><tr><td>2010/11 (from 7 May 2010)</td><td>£604,493.00</td><td>£129,991.79</td></tr><tr><td>2011/12</td><td>£700,699.00</td><td>£150,679.43</td></tr><tr><td>2012/13</td><td>£734,333.00</td><td>£157,912.04</td></tr><tr><td>2013/14</td><td>£757,096.86</td><td>£162,807.53</td></tr><tr><td>2014/15 (to 26 January 2015)</td><td>£583,153.86</td><td>£0.00</td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 28/01/2015 14:18:34 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	4092 label Biography information for Stephen Metcalfe

179043

registered interest
date	10/02/2015
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Speaker's Commission on Digital Democracy
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, what assessment he has made of the implications for the Government's policies of the report from the Speaker's Commission on Digital Democracy entitled Open Up, published in January 2015; and which recommendations of that report he plans to implement.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	224060
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>The majority of the recommendations in the report from the Speaker's Commission on Digital Democracy are for the House itself to consider and respond to.<br><br>In relation to the recommendations regarding the legislative process, the Government is committed to ensuring that the legislation it puts before Parliament is of a high standard and to ensuring that Parliament has the necessary means by which to perform its scrutiny function.<br><br>In April 2013, the Government launched the Good Law initiative, designed to promote law which is effective, clear and accessible. Various initiatives have been introduced this Parliament designed to improve the legislative process, including the use of explanatory statements on amendments, improved explanatory notes and piloting public reading stages of Bills. The Government has also given sufficient time to allow proper scrutiny in public bill committees and provided additional days at Commons report stages where necessary.<br><br>The Speaker's Commission also recommended that secure online voting should be an option for all voters by 2020. To make online voting available for UK elections could be attractive in light of current advances in IT. However, there are concerns that e-voting is not sufficiently transparent or secure.<br><br>The major issue raised by those opposed to the introduction of e-voting is that it is not sufficiently robust or trusted. In addition, the cost of introducing such a system would be substantial. Public support for such measures is still far from universal and traditional means of voting (such as polling stations and postal voting) remain popular with the electorate. Therefore, any means of e-voting would have to be introduced as an additional voting channel. Whilst e-voting may be something for the Government to consider in the future, it is not an immediate priority. The experience of the referendum on Scottish independence shows us that if people are engaged in the democratic process they will turn out to vote using the existing mechanism.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 23/02/2015 18:40:44 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden

224506

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Devolution: England
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, what the effects on the budgets of the devolved administrations will be from his proposals for English votes for English laws.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	225800
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>On 16 December 2014, the Government published 'the Implications of Devolution for England' covering proposals on decentralisation within England and proposals on English Votes on English Laws. Whichever option is ultimately decided upon must be clear, decisive and effective in producing fairness for the whole United Kingdom. In the absence of an agreed Government position, I am unable to speculate on the potential effects of any proposal.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague grouped question UIN 225799 question first answered 05/03/2015 13:48:48 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

224507

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Out of Area Treatment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, what plans the Government has to facilitate Wales and England cross-border health policy debate after his proposals for English votes for English laws have been implemented.
tabling member constituency	Arfon
tabling member printed	Hywel Williams
uin	225799
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>On 16 December 2014, the Government published 'the Implications of Devolution for England' covering proposals on decentralisation within England and proposals on English Votes on English Laws. Whichever option is ultimately decided upon must be clear, decisive and effective in producing fairness for the whole United Kingdom. In the absence of an agreed Government position, I am unable to speculate on the potential effects of any proposal.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague grouped question UIN 225800 question first answered 05/03/2015 13:48:48 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	1397 label Biography information for Hywel Williams

224771

registered interest
date	02/03/2015
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Backbenchers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, what steps he has taken to enhance the role of backbenchers.
tabling member constituency	Gillingham and Rainham
tabling member printed	Rehman Chishti
uin	907891
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/03/2015 answer text <p>One of the most significant reforms to have taken place in this Parliament has been the establishment of the Backbench Business Committee, which has given backbenchers the ability to bid for debates of their choosing in both the Chamber and Westminster Hall.<br><br>I welcome this successful innovation and look forward to the Committee's own appraisal of what has worked well, and what has not, since 2010, to see if there are any further improvements that could be made.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 05/03/2015 08:30:12 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	3987 label Biography information for Rehman Chishti

225505

registered interest
date	05/03/2015
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Members: Employment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, what his policy is on hon. Members' having second jobs.
tabling member constituency	Newport West
tabling member printed	Paul Flynn
uin	226463
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/03/2015 answer text <p>The independent Committee on Standards in Public Life have previously recommended that MPs should remain free to have paid employment unrelated to their role as MPs, and that this is desirable in performing their role (1st Report Committee on standrdas in Public Life).<br><br>It is important that there is transparency about what MPs do, who pays them and for what. The House changed its rules before the last election to ensure that this detail is shown in the Register of Members' Financial Interests. MPs are here to work for their constituents and that should remain the principal purpose of all MPs elected to this place.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 10/03/2015 16:06:29 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	545 label Biography information for Paul Flynn

226057

registered interest
date	09/03/2015
answering body	Leader of the House
answering dept id	34
answering dept short name	Leader of the House
answering dept sort name	Leader of the House
hansard heading	Devolution: England
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Leader of the House, what his planned timetable is for introducing English Votes for English Laws.
tabling member constituency	North East Hertfordshire
tabling member printed	Sir Oliver Heald
uin	226807
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/03/2015 answer text <p>on 16 December 2014, the Government published 'the Implications of Devolution for England' covering proposals on decentralisation within England and proposals on English Votes for English Laws. There is no agreed Government position on the timetable for the introduction of English Votes for English Laws.</p> answering member constituency Richmond (Yorks) answering member printed Mr William Hague question first answered 12/03/2015 12:57:07 answering member 379 label Biography information for Lord Hague of Richmond
tabling member	69 label Biography information for Sir Oliver Heald

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