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173407

registered interest
date	13/01/2015
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	Nigeria
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 incidents caused by Boko Haram in Nigeria involved British citizens in the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	220630
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/01/2015 answer text <p>Five British nationals have reported their involvement in incidents caused by Boko Haram. However, we believe that more than 4,000 people were killed last year by Boko Haram, primarily in north-east Nigeria, but also in terrorist attacks throughout the country. The United Nations estimates that more than 1.5 million people have been displaced by Boko Haram’s terrorist activities.</p><p>As reflected in Travel Advice, terrorist groups in Nigeria, including Boko Haram, continue to pose a significant threat to British nationals and British interests in parts of the country. We believe that the terrorist group Ansaru are responsible for the murder of at least nine foreign hostages, including two British nationals in separate incidents in Nigeria in 2012 and in 2013. The UK has made clear our commitment to standing by Nigeria in its fight against terrorism.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 16/01/2015 13:22:50 question first ministerially corrected 16/01/2015 13:53:35 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire previous answer version 38835 answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge answering member 1559
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

173075

registered interest
date	12/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Press Freedom
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 discussions he has had with his international counterparts about press freedom.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	220359
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text <p>The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) led the UK’s expression of condolence and solidarity with France after the events in Paris last week and my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns has written to the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to commend their responses to the attacks. The public reaction was a visible demonstration of the importance attached to press freedom, and freedom of expression, in Europe and beyond. Freedom of expression has been a human rights priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), from the beginning of this Parliament; and the subject of an Expert Group which advises Ministers. We raise press freedom regularly in multilateral fora, supporting relevant initiatives and resolutions, and raise it in bilateral conversations – in private and in public. For example, issues and rights connected with freedom of expression, and press freedom, are important elements of much of the analysis in the FCO’s Annual Human Rights Report – which this year will have a particular focus on “protecting civil society space”.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 15/01/2015 16:08:05 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

173076

registered interest
date	12/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Russia
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 Russian government on the human rights implications of the decision to ban transgender people and other groups from driving.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	220363
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text <p>The Russian government’s decree of 29 December 2014 prohibited certain groups from driving. The Russian Ministry of Health stated on 13 January that the law does not relate to drivers’ sexual orientation, but did not mention transgender people. We have asked the Russian government for clarification on the application and implementation of this amendment in order to fully understand its impact.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 15/01/2015 13:55:51 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

173078

registered interest
date	12/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Palestinians
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Palestinian Authority on its accession to the International Criminal Court.
tabling member constituency	Finchley and Golders Green
tabling member printed	Mike Freer
uin	220361
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) spoke to Palestinian Authority President Abbas about this issue on 7 January.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 15/01/2015 15:41:48 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4004 label Biography information for Mike Freer

173080

registered interest
date	12/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Western Sahara
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department recognises Morocco as the administering power in the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara.
tabling member constituency	Ceredigion
tabling member printed	Mr Mark Williams
uin	220367
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text <p>Like the UN, the UK does not recognise a de jure administering power in Western Sahara. Morocco exercises de facto control over part of the territory.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 15/01/2015 15:42:54 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1498 label Biography information for Mr Mark Williams

173187

registered interest
date	12/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Burma
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 progress by Burma towards establishing democracy; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	220428
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text <p>We recognise the significant steps towards democratic reform that the government of Burma has taken over the past two years. This includes releasing hundreds of political prisoners and discharging hundreds of child soldiers. It has also included lifting of restrictions on the media, which has opened the space for the growth of a vibrant civil society.</p><p> </p><p>At the same time, we recognise much more needs to be done, and that in some areas progress has declined. We remain deeply concerned about the recent intimidation, detention and sentencing of reporters and political activists, the appalling situation of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State, and about ongoing conflict in ethnic areas and associated human rights abuses, including sexual violence. All of our concerns are thoroughly documented in our Annual Report on Human Rights, and the quarterly updates to them. I personally raise our concerns regularly with the government of Burma.</p><p> </p><p>Burma’s elections, scheduled for October or November this year, will be a critically important test of the government’s commitment to see the reforms through to their conclusion. It is vital for Burma’s future development that these are inclusive and credible. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) made this point to President Thein Sein at the Group of Twenty (G20) summit in Brisbane in November.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 15/01/2015 12:17:36 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby

173188

registered interest
date	12/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Middle East
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the Middle East peace process.
tabling member constituency	Barnsley Central
tabling member printed	Dan Jarvis
uin	220414
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text <p>The UK's priority remains the achievement of a two-state solution. We continue to believe that the best way to achieve this is through negotiations. We are in close touch with international partners to that end. At the current time we are urging the parties to avoid taking any steps which will make the search for peace harder. The Foreign Secretary has been discussing ways of progressing the MEPP with partners on a regular basis.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 15/01/2015 14:31:00 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4243 label Biography information for Dan Jarvis

173189

registered interest
date	12/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Palestinians
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Palestinian Authority on recent reports of violations of the ceasefire agreement.
tabling member constituency	Aberconwy
tabling member printed	Guto Bebb
uin	220415
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text <p>We have not made any specific representations to the Palestinian Authority (PA) on this issue, as the PA itself is not responsible for the firing. However, we have regularly urged senior Palestinians to return to the Cairo negotiations, with the Israeli government, to ensure that a durable ceasefire is put in place in Gaza.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 15/01/2015 14:31:50 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	3910 label Biography information for Guto Bebb

173190

registered interest
date	12/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	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, what recent representations Ministers in his Department have made to the Saudi Arabian government on (a) freedom of the press, (b) religious freedom, (c) the rule of law and (d) cruel and inhumane treatment.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	220417
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text <p>The British Government maintains a regular debate on a full range of human rights issues with the Saudi Arabian government and will continue to do so. Last year, the then Senior Minister of State in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Baroness Warsi, raised the issue of freedom of religion or belief with the Saudi Arabian government. The issue of rule of law was also raised by the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor and my Rt Hon Friend Chris Grayling raised the issue of rule of law with his Saudi Arabian counterpart.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 15/01/2015 14:47:55 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

173191

registered interest
date	12/01/2015
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Burma
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 improve UK-Burmese diplomatic relations; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Simon Kirby
uin	220465
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/01/2015 answer text <p>The UK’s relations with Burma have improved since 2011 when President Thein Sein embarked on a programme of reform. Since then we have been a critical friend, using our bilateral relationship to encourage reforms and speaking out where Burma has fallen short of accepted international standards of democracy and human rights. As a result of our engagement, the UK has been able to increase our access and influence with the government of Burma.</p><p> </p><p>Since the reform process began, the government of Burma has made progress in a number of areas, not least by releasing hundreds of political prisoners and child soldiers, and opening up space for the media and civil society to operate. The UK’s support has included a package of development assistance, worth £82 million in financial year 2015-16. We will continue to use our diplomatic relations to encourage reform in 2015, when elections due to be held towards the end of the year will be a critically important milestone in Burma’s transition to a more open and democratic society. At the same time, we recognise there is still a lot further to go, including on human rights, and we will continue to make our concerns known to the government of Burma, both publicly and privately.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 15/01/2015 12:21:22 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	3929 label Biography information for Simon Kirby