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229379

registered interest
date	24/03/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Tunisia
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 EU counterparts on the statement by the President of the European Council published on 18 March 2015 on support for Tunisia in response to the recent shootings in that country.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	228900
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) discussed and agreed the Statement with his counterparts at the European Council on 20 March following the terrorist attack in Tunisia on 18 March. Discussions continue at official level on how the EU will intensify its existing cooperation with Tunisia to counter the terrorist threat and support Tunisia’s political, social and economic development.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 26/03/2015 08:37:34 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

229419

registered interest
date	24/03/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Armed Conflict: Interpreters
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to support a United Nations Convention or similar instrument to protect interpreters and translators working in conflict zones.
tabling member printed	Baroness Coussins
uin	HL5944
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>We have noted the call by the International Federation of Translators and other non-governmental organisations for a UN Convention or international safety document for the protection of translators and interpreters, but as yet no concrete proposals have been made as to how this would work in practice. There already exists an extensive body of international conventions, such as the Geneva Conventions, to support employees working in the field with the military or on diplomatic missions, and it is not clear that a new convention would add materially to the protection already afforded.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 26/03/2015 12:44:44 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	3829 label Biography information for Baroness Coussins

228958

registered interest
date	23/03/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Pakistan
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they plan to take to encourage the government of Pakistan to ensure the protection of Christian and other religious minorities in that country.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL5923
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>We remain deeply concerned by the violent persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in Pakistan and continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to protect the human rights of all its citizens as laid down in the Pakistan Constitution and take concrete action to deliver on commitments to protect minorities.</p><p>On 15 March the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood), joined our High Commissioner in Islamabad in condemning the most recent attack on Christians in Lahore. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), discussed Pakistan’s misuse of the blasphemy laws with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in November 2014. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office monitors religious freedom in Pakistan in its annual Human Rights report, published on 12 March.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 26/03/2015 12:53:42 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

228970

registered interest
date	23/03/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Ilois: Resettlement
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how they will meet commitments made before the 2010 election to arrive at a just and fair settlement of the issue of the exile of the Chagos Islanders in the light of the award of 18 March by the Arbitral Tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in the case of Chagos Marine Protected Area Arbitration (<i>Mauritius v. United Kingdom</i>), and the conclusion by the KPMG report commissioned by the then Foreign Secretary that return by the islanders is feasible.
tabling member printed	Lord Avebury
uin	HL5935
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>I refer the noble Lord to the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 24 March on Progress in reviewing policy on resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), (HLWS440). In relation to the Arbitral Tribunal, it remains the case that there is no question about the UK’s sovereignty of BIOT and we have always maintained that the Marine Protected Area is not a bar to resettlement.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 26/03/2015 12:44:03 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	1665 label Biography information for Lord Avebury

228972

registered interest
date	23/03/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Easter Rising
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have for Easter 2016 to recognise the Irish Republican Easter Rising against the United Kingdom.
tabling member printed	Lord Kilclooney
uin	HL5937
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>Planning for the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising is a matter for the Irish government. We are aware that on 30 March 2015 the Irish Government will launch its formal programme of events to mark the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising. The positive dialogue that exists between the UK and Irish governments will continue as detailed plans for 2016 take shape.</p><p>The British Government is committed to working closely with the Irish government during the decade of centenary commemorations of 1912-1922 to promote a greater understanding of our shared history, and to do so in the spirit of mutual respect, reconciliation and historical accuracy.</p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 26/03/2015 12:45:16 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	657 label Biography information for Lord Kilclooney

228973

registered interest
date	23/03/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Burundi
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the security, political and human rights situations in Burundi ahead of the forthcoming general elections planned for May and June.
tabling member printed	Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale
uin	HL5938
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>Since the end of the civil war in 2005, Burundi has made limited progress towards becoming a more stable democracy. Burundi remains a fragile post-conflict country, with a government that consistently uses the media and justice system to repress political opposition. There have been increasing reports of politically motivated violence, including extrajudicial killings. This political violence threatens regional stability, and could lead to population displacement into Rwanda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Burundi was included as a case study on political violence in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Human Rights and Democracy Report 2014.</p><p>We continue to use our influence in the UN and in the EU to keep Burundi on the international community’s agenda. We believe that maintaining the spirit of the Arusha peace accords is vital: compromise, reconciliation and dialogue are essential if we are to have an electoral process which is inclusive, peaceful and transparent.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 26/03/2015 12:49:52 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	4168 label Biography information for Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale

228974

registered interest
date	23/03/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Burundi
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will support the organisation of a European Union Electoral Observation Mission in Burundi ahead of and during the general elections of May and June.
tabling member printed	Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale
uin	HL5939
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>The EU will deploy an electoral observation mission from April 2015. The EU's support for the electoral process, through both the presence of this observation mission and the provision of financial assistance, is contingent on the electoral process being inclusive, transparent, and open to all political parties and actors in a fair manner. The UK supports this approach.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 26/03/2015 12:47:21 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	4168 label Biography information for Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale

228975

registered interest
date	23/03/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Burundi
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of Burundi in relation to (1) the prosecution of members of the Movement for Solidarity and Democracy following protests last year, and (2) the human rights of opposition group members there.
tabling member printed	Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale
uin	HL5940
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>We continue to raise our concerns about the diminishing political space and use of political violence during regular exchanges with the Burundian government. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), did so during a meeting with the Burundian Foreign Minister in September 2014. We have also joined EU partners in expressing our concerns publicly, most recently in the form of March EU Council Conclusions on Burundi. We were involved in the successful campaigns for the release of imprisoned activists such as Pierre Claver Mbonimpa and Bob Rugurika. Officials met Mbonimpa in his offices shortly after his release in October 2014. Our Ambassador to Burundi visited Rugurika in prison on 12 February 2015. Both meetings were publicised on social media channels to demonstrate our support for the activists and their work.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Anelay of St Johns question first answered 26/03/2015 12:46:36 answering member 3474 label Biography information for Baroness Anelay of St Johns
tabling member	4168 label Biography information for Lord McConnell of Glenscorrodale

229121

registered interest
date	23/03/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Mauritius
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 (a) legal and (b) judicial costs to the UK have been of contesting the claim brought by Mauritius under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to date; and what estimate he has made of future such costs.
tabling member constituency	Islington North
tabling member printed	Jeremy Corbyn
uin	228803
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2015 answer text <p>The legal costs in terms of Counsels’ fees incurred by the UK in defending the proceedings brought by Mauritius were £681,220. As the award has been handed down by the Arbitral Tribunal, we do not at this stage expect there to be any significant future legal costs.</p><p>The Tribunal has concluded that Mauritius and the UK should share the costs of the Tribunal in hearing this case. In that regard, the UK has made a payment of 1.3 million Euros (approximately £957,000). We will shortly be receiving a final note of fees of the Tribunal. We understand that it is likely that the UK’s payment exceeded the UK’s share of the Tribunal’s costs and that accordingly, a proportion of the UK’s payment will be remitted back. We therefore cannot at this stage give a final indication of the Tribunal’s total costs.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 26/03/2015 10:00:22 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	185 label Biography information for Jeremy Corbyn

229122

registered interest
date	23/03/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Saudi Arabia and 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 steps he is taking to secure the release of Raif Badawi and Alaa Abdel Fattah.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Greg Mulholland
uin	228725
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2015 answer text <table><tbody><tr><th> </th><td><table><tbody><tr><td>The UK condemns the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment in all circumstances. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) raised the matter last month with the Deputy Crown Prince, Second Deputy Premier and Interior Minister of Saudi Arabia, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Naif. My right hon. Friend also raised the case again when he visited the Kingdom on 23 March. The Saudi authorities have confirmed that the case has been referred to the Saudi courts for further consideration. <br><br>We have raised this case of Alaa Abdel Fattah in our conversations with the Egyptian government and will continue to do so. We remain concerned by the Protest Law under which Alaa Abdel Fattah was charged. Egypt’s constitution rightly demands respect for freedom of expression and association. I call on the Egyptian government to ensure that they implement these rights for Egyptian citizens, including by reviewing the Protest Law.</td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 25/03/2015 17:49:56 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1540 label Biography information for Greg Mulholland