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1192713

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
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	USA: Coronavirus
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 reach a reciprocal agreement with the United States to ensure that UK citizens in that country whose visas have expired or are about to expire are granted the same concessions as those enjoyed, for the duration of the covid-19 pandemic, by US citizens visiting the UK.
tabling member constituency	North Thanet
tabling member printed	Sir Roger Gale
uin	42866
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK is in regular contact at the highest levels with our US partners on our joint response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, including discussions on how to enable travelling nationals to return home where necessary.</p><p>For UK citizens in the US on non-immigration visas, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) are accepting timely extension of stay (EOS) or change in status (COS) applications. The granting of either status will allow UK citizens whose visas have expired to lawfully remain in the US for an agreed period of time. More information can be found on the USCIS website.</p><p>UK citizens currently in the US on an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) visa are able to apply for Satisfactory Departure from the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This discretionary authority permits USCIS and CBP to extend an ESTA admission for a period not to exceed 30 days.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 11/05/2020 16:53:49 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	87 label Biography information for Sir Roger Gale

1192729

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
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	South China Sea
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 Chinese counterpart on the harassment of the West Capella, a ship operated by a UK-registered company.
tabling member constituency	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
tabling member printed	Jonathan Edwards
uin	42987
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The British Government's position is to oppose any action which raises tensions in the South China Sea. We regularly make this position clear to the Chinese authorities and encourage all parties, including China, to settle their disputes peacefully through the existing legal mechanisms, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and to uphold existing Arbitration rulings.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 11/05/2020 13:18:00 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	3943 label Biography information for Jonathan Edwards

1192731

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
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	Colombia: Peace Negotiations
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 Colombian counterpart on peace talks with the National Liberation Army; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Walton
tabling member printed	Dan Carden
uin	43152
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK remains extremely concerned about the continued activity of illegal armed groups in Colombia, including the National Liberation Army (ELN), and the impact their violence has on Colombian society - even more so at this challenging time. We noted the unilateral ceasefire declared by the ELN on 30 March at a UN Security Council meeting on 14 April and hoped it would facilitate efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as potentially representing a positive step towards peace. We regret that this ceasefire has not been renewed by the ELN.</p><p>The UK has reaffirmed its unwavering support to the Colombian authorities as they seek to ensure sustainable peace in Colombia, and has reiterated the importance of pressing ahead with work to consolidate peace and build stability. At the same time, the UK, alongside international partners, has continued to urge the ELN to end its campaign of violence and to play a part in bringing an end to this conflict.</p><p>The UK has been vocal in expressing our concern about the effect the activity of armed groups has on the future of peace in Colombia. We regularly raise these issues with the Colombian Government and in multilateral fora. Most recently, our Permanent Representative to the United Nations spoke on this issue at the UN Security Council on 14 April, and we consistently press the Colombian Government to focus on extending the rule of law to all parts of the country.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 11/05/2020 13:22:12 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4651 label Biography information for Dan Carden

1192733

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
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 Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what criteria the Government uses to prioritise the repatriation of constituents stranded overseas.
tabling member constituency	Erith and Thamesmead
tabling member printed	Abena Oppong-Asare
uin	43202
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government is working with the airline industry and host governments across the world to help bring back British travellers to the UK as part of the plan announced by the Foreign Secretary on 30 March - with up to £75 million available for special charter flights from priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers.</p><p>We will prioritise vulnerable British nationals most at risk from the effects of Coronavirus who normally live in the UK and are trying to return home for these flights, together with their families who normally live with them in the UK. We are giving additional consideration to the local context and the situation of the individual themselves, this can include lock-down processes in country, access to reliable healthcare, possible reduction in access to routine medication, and those at additional risk if they contract the virus for example the elderly or those with pre-existing medical conditions.</p><p>In many countries, commercial flights have also continued to operate and have been able to return British nationals to the UK. We are working with host governments to keep flights running and airspace open where possible for this to continue to happen.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 11/05/2020 16:23:26 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4820 label Biography information for Abena Oppong-Asare

1192781

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
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	Greece: Refugees
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 since the beginning of covid-19 pandemic with (a) the European Commission and (b) the Greek Government on resettling refugees from the island of Lesbos.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
uin	43045
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>The Foreign Secretary last discussed the migration situation with the Greek Foreign Minister on 18 March, and on 22 April the Minister for Immigration Compliance signed the UK-Greece Migration Action Plan with his Greek counterpart and discussed a range of bilateral and regional migration issues.</p><p>This Migration Action Plan sets out the framework for future bilateral co-operation with Greece on migration. It includes renewed deployment of a Border Force cutter to the Aegean to carry out search and rescue; facilitation of family reunification of unaccompanied asylum seeking children, where it is in their best interests; sharing of expertise on asylum processes and migrant returns in line with international laws; and the establishment of a strategic migration dialogue.</p><p>In terms of the Greek migrant camps, we remain in close contact with the Greek authorities. We are also in regular discussions with our European partners, both bilaterally and through multilateral channels, and continue to monitor the situation via our Embassy in Athens closely.</p><p>The UK's refugee resettlement schemes offer a safe and legal route to the UK for the most vulnerable refugees, and purposefully target those in greatest need of assistance. The Government's long-standing policy is to provide support to and resettle the most vulnerable refugees directly from conflict regions.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 12/05/2020 08:47:37 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

1192818

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
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	Europe Day
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the Government has to mark Europe Day 2020.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
uin	43046
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>As the UK is no longer a member of the European Union we have no plans to mark Europe Day.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 11/05/2020 13:23:37 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

1192850

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
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 Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus
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 the EU on the repatriation of (a) British citizens and (b) UK residents overseas during the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Newport West
tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
uin	43165
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>The welfare of British nationals remains our top priority, and we remain committed to ensuring that British travellers around the globe, and British nationals who are resident overseas but wish to return home to the UK, are able to do so. We have been working closely with our European partners to support our respective repatriation efforts, including coordinated lobbying on maintaining commercial routes for nationals to return.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 12/05/2020 08:44:44 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1192851

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
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 Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus
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 the African Union on the repatriation of (a) British citizens and (b) UK residents overseas during the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Newport West
tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
uin	43166
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK is grateful for the continued support of our international partners, including African Union member states. Our African partners have assisted us in flying our citizens home, including by keeping key transit hubs open to air traffic. FCO officials at diplomatic missions in African Union member states maintain close engagement with local authorities to support UK residents in these countries and to discuss issues related to the repatriation of British Nationals. On 21 April, I spoke with the Commissioner of Social Affairs at the African Union Commission. We discussed the African Union-UK collaborative response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the work of the Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC). We also have a Senior Public Health England Advisor seconded to Africa CDC, to whom I spoke in April, and I have also spoken to our Ambassador in Addis Ababa on multiple occasions over the last three months, most recently on 7 May.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 13/05/2020 14:02:38 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1192852

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
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 Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus
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 the Caribbean Community on the repatriation of (a) British citizens and (b) UK residents overseas during the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Newport West
tabling member printed	Ruth Jones
uin	43167
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/05/2020 answer text <p>The welfare of British nationals remains our top priority, and we remain committed to ensuring that British travellers around the globe are able to return home. The British Government is working closely with host governments of the Caribbean Community to help bring back British travellers to the UK as part of the plan announced by the Foreign Secretary on 30 March - with up to £75 million available for special charter flights from priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers. On 8 May, we have brought back more than 300 people from Jamaica and Guyana on charter flights organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. However, we have supported nearly 11,000 to return home from the Caribbean via commercial means.</p><p>We are aware that there are British nationals remaining overseas in the Caribbean region and our effort is focused on supporting their return as quickly and safely as possible.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 12/05/2020 15:28:31 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4716 label Biography information for Ruth Jones

1192859

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
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 Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus
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 counterparts in (a) Philippines, (b) Turkey and (c) New Zealand on facilitating the repatriation of UK nationals from those countries.
tabling member constituency	Twickenham
tabling member printed	Munira Wilson
uin	43178
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK is grateful for the continued support of our international partners. Their assistance in flying our citizens home and keeping flight routes running by keeping key transit hubs open to air traffic, are invaluable to our efforts to repatriate British nationals.</p><p>We are in regular contact with the Government of the Philippines on the repatriation of British nationals. This engagement has been critical to our efforts to repatriate approximately 1100 British Nationals from the Philippines, including via two UK charter flights. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Foreign Minister Locsin on 31 March. I also spoke to Foreign Minister Locsin on 26 April to finalise planning for the second UK charter flight to bring British nationals home. We are supporting all remaining BNs with information on commercial flights and keeping the option of a third charter flight under review.</p><p>We have regular discussions with the Turkish authorities on these issues, both through our Embassy in Turkey and through Ministerial contact. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and Americas, most recently discussed the repatriation of British nationals with her Turkish counterpart on 21 April. We are working hard with Turkey to ensure that British nationals in Turkey can return to the UK using the remaining commercial flights as soon as possible.</p><p>The Foreign Secretary spoke to New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, on 30 April. The Foreign Secretary thanked him for New Zealand's support in facilitating the five charter flights which have returned over 1500 British nationals to the UK and asked for his continued support for a further three charter flights scheduled to begin on 11 May.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 11/05/2020 13:20:10 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4776 label Biography information for Munira Wilson