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177160

registered interest
date	02/02/2015
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
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2015, Official Report, column 79, whether he met the Saudi Arabia Deputy Foreign Minister; and with whom he has discussed the case of Raif Badawi.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mr Douglas Alexander
uin	222907
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2015 answer text <p>Due to the late King’s ill health at the time, the <del class="ministerial">Deputy</del> <ins class="ministerial">Vice</ins> Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia did not attend the Counter ISIL meeting in London as had been planned. Instead, I raised the case of Raif Badawi with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to London, as the most senior member of the Saudi delegation, at the inaugural meeting of the Small Group of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, on 22 January.</p> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 05/02/2015 11:13:30 question first ministerially corrected 05/02/2015 13:43:29 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 43055 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	632 label Biography information for Mr Douglas Alexander

177164

registered interest
date	02/02/2015
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	British Council
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to note 19 on page 106 of the British Council's Annual Report, 2013-14, what the reasons were for the losses and special payments.
tabling member constituency	Nottingham East
tabling member printed	Chris Leslie
uin	222848
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2015 answer text <p>As stated in the British Council's Annual Report, during the year ended 31 March 2014, the British Council made no payments that fall within the category of special payments as defined in Managing Public Money.</p><p> </p><p>The losses referenced in the Annual Report fall into three major categories:</p><p>1) £1.9m worth of claims waived or abandoned. This included a write off of £1.7m worth of fees for work done in 2011-12. These fees were owed by education institutions in a country where the deteriorating political and security situation meant they are not likely to be recoverable in the foreseeable future. £0.4m of this was provided for in the year to March 2013 and only the balance was charged in the year ended March 2014. The debt was part of the Council’s full cost recovery work and no grant-in-aid funds were involved. Approval was sought from HMT and granted.</p><p> </p><p>2) £540k worth of fruitless payments. This included:</p><p>a) £402k (122 cases) of historic contract balances from 2007 to 2010 in relation to funds granted to beneficiaries under the Youth in Action agreement, which were deemed ineligible for reimbursements to the British Council by the European Union. These were provided for in the year to 31 March 2013.</p><p>b) £137k in relation to a final court judgement of damages due from a long running court case in the UAE about a failed premises project that concluded in January 2014.</p><p> </p><p>3) £170k worth of cash losses. This included net losses from frauds in Kenya and Senegal disclosed in the Governance Statement on page 54 of the Annual Report.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 05/02/2015 18:19:48 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	422 label Biography information for Mr Chris Leslie

177171

registered interest
date	02/02/2015
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	Conflict, Stability and Security Fund
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department has allocated to the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund in (a) 2014-15 and (b) 2015-16.
tabling member constituency	Wakefield
tabling member printed	Mary Creagh
uin	222958
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2015 answer text <p>The new Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) will replace the Conflict Pool in April 2015. The Conflict Pool received an allocation from the Treasury of £683m in 2014/15 - no allocation was made to the CSSF. The CSSF allocation from the Treasury for 2015/16 will be £1033m. Departmental allocations are being finalised and Parliament will be informed in due course.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 05/02/2015 17:56:57 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1579 label Biography information for Mary Creagh

176770

registered interest
date	29/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Africa and Middle East
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to tackle the persecution of Christians in (a) Africa and (b) the Middle East.
tabling member constituency	Belfast South
tabling member printed	Dr Alasdair McDonnell
uin	222675
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2015 answer text <p>The promotion and protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief is one of the UK’s human rights priorities. We regularly urge foreign governments at senior levels to uphold the rights of all minorities; work to build international consensus on freedom of religion or belief; and support practical projects on community dialogue with civil society and faith groups.</p><p>An example of our lobbying in Africa was the case of Meriam Ibrahim, who was sentenced to death for apostasy. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), the Secretary of State for International Development, my right hon. Friend the member for Putney (Ms Greening) and the Minister for Africa my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Sounthend East (Mr Duddridge) all publicly condemned her sentencing, and called on the Government of Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion or belief and international human rights laws. Following UK and international pressure Ms Ibrahim was subsequently released.</p><p>We are deeply concerned by the difficulties facing many Christians and religious minorities in the Middle East and deplore all discrimination and constraints on freedom of religion.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 03/02/2015 17:38:20 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	1596 label Biography information for Dr Alasdair McDonnell

176832

registered interest
date	29/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Egypt
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the Egyptian government about the death of Shaimaa El-Sabbagh; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Harrow West
tabling member printed	Mr Gareth Thomas
uin	222764
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/02/2015 answer text <p>We deplore the deaths in Egypt in recent days. We are deeply concerned by the use of deadly force against those demonstrating peacefully on 25 January. My rt hon friend the Foreign Secretary spoke to Egypt’s Foreign Minister, Sameh Shukri, on 27 January and conveyed his deep concern about the violence and the deaths, including that of Shaimaa El-Sabbagh. He urged that an independent investigation take place as soon as possible. I also raised these concerns with the Egyptian Ambassador on 27 January.</p><p>Egypt’s long-term stability and success requires protection of the rights that underpin peaceful politics, including accountability of the security forces and revision of the demonstrations law.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 03/02/2015 17:56:23 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

176441

registered interest
date	28/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Burma
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 of Burma has taken steps to implement the declaration to end sexual violence which it signed in June 2014.
tabling member constituency	Bradford East
tabling member printed	Mr David Ward
uin	222511
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2015 answer text <p>While we welcomed the Burmese government’s endorsement of the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict and attendance at the Global Summit in June 2014, their implementation of the commitments contained within it has been limited. <br><br>We continue to raise the issue of sexual violence with the Burmese government, as I did I when I met Deputy Foreign Minister U Thant Kyaw in June 2014. Most recently, my Right Hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone), in her capacity as Champion for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, discussed sexual violence with senior members of the Burmese government and civil society during her visit to Burma in January. <br><br>While there have been some developments, such as the conviction in a civilian court last year of a Burmese soldier for the rape of a minor, there is much more that can and should be done. We continue to encourage the Burmese government to take concrete action, by strengthening legislation, reducing impunity for perpetrators, and improving access to justice for survivors. <br><br>The Declaration also commits the international community to support conflict-affected states in strengthening their capacity to prevent and respond to sexual violence in conflict. The UK has allocated over £300,000 to projects doing this in Burma. The prevention of sexual violence in conflict is also a key element of our defence engagement with Burma and is included, along with the importance of human rights and the rule of law, in any education courses we deliver to the military in Burma.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 02/02/2015 12:23:14 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	3923 label Biography information for Mr David Ward

176454

registered interest
date	28/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	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 recent representations he has made to the Egyptian government about the case of Karim Ashraf Mohamed al-Banna.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	222392
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2015 answer text Our Embassy in Cairo is closely monitoring the case of Karim Ashraf Mohamed al-Banna. I raised the importance of protecting the human rights enshrined in Egypt’s constitution, which include freedom of belief and worship, with a number of senior figures in the Egyptian Government, most recently during my visit to Cairo on 12-16 January. UK officials also discussed the importance of religious freedom with the Egyptian Deputy Assistant Minister for Human Rights, Dr Mahy Abdel Latif, on 14 January 2015. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers have been clear throughout recent events in Egypt that freedom of religion or belief needs to be protected. We deplore all discrimination against any individual on the basis of their religion or belief as well as constraints on their freedom to manifest their religion or belief. As article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 02/02/2015 15:07:18 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

176455

registered interest
date	28/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	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 possible Iranian reactions to increased sanctions; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Westmorland and Lonsdale
tabling member printed	Tim Farron
uin	222393
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2015 answer text <p>Under the Joint Plan of Action (JPoA) the E3+3 committed, for the JPoA's duration, not to introduce new nuclear-related sanctions against Iran. The Government believes that further sanctions legislation between now and 30 June - when the JPoA expires - would severely undermine Iranian confidence in the negotiations on a comprehensive nuclear agreement and would risk derailing the process. This is why the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), made the case against new sanctions legislation on his recent visit to Washington.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 02/02/2015 15:03:36 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1591 label Biography information for Tim Farron

176457

registered interest
date	28/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Visits Abroad
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, who, other than Ministers of the Crown and members of the Diplomatic Service, has been sent from the UK to represent the Government at inaugurations of foreign Heads of State and government since May 2010; and what the cost was of that representation in each such case.
tabling member constituency	Bassetlaw
tabling member printed	John Mann
uin	222394
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2015 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 January 2015 (PQ 219962) given by The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire).</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 05/02/2015 15:28:22 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	1387 label Biography information for Lord Mann

176460

registered interest
date	28/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Laos
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 make representations to the Government of Laos about (a) the case of Pastor Sompong Supatto and (b) freedom of religion.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	222409
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/02/2015 answer text <p>We regularly raise human rights concerns with the Lao government, including adherence to their international human rights commitments which protect freedom of religion and belief. We are aware of several cases of Christians being arrested for worshipping, including the case of Pastor Sompong Supatto. Laos is currently undergoing its UN Universal Periodic Review, a UN Human Rights Council led review of its human rights record. We submitted an advance question to the Review on freedom of religion. The annual EU-Laos Human Rights Dialogue is scheduled for October, and we expect freedom of religion and individual cases to be raised. We will continue to work with the EU and other like-minded partners to raise our concerns about religious freedom with the Lao government.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 02/02/2015 12:26:40 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell