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  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will work with (a) Oman and (b) other Middle Eastern countries to broker a deal to end the current conflict in Yemen.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), met his Saudi, Emirates and US counterparts on 19 July in London to review the situation in Yemen. A political solution is the best way to bring long-term stability and end the conflict. We welcome and fully support the UN led talks in Kuwait: now is the time to reach an agreement. We will continue to work closely with the UN and partners in the Middle East, including Oman, to encourage both sides to engage constructively.

  • Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Blackman on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Bangladesh on tackling increasing levels of violence against minority Hindu communities in that country.

    Alok Sharma

    The British Government is extremely concerned by the increase in extremist-related violence against a number of minority groups including Hindus in Bangladesh since September 2015. The former Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) most recently talked to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh about countering extremism in the margins of the G7 meeting in Japan on 27 May. The former Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) raised this with Foreign Minister Ali on 5 July. The British High Commissioner regularly discusses these issues with Bangladesh government ministers. We welcome Prime Minister Hasina’s “zero tolerance” approach towards terrorism, but this must be implemented in a way that fully respects the international rights standards that Bangladesh has signed up to and which, as a member of both the Commonwealth and the UN Human Rights Council, it has pledged to uphold.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he and his Department have discussed the position of the bedoon community with the Kuwaiti government.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We regularly raise the issue of the Bidoon at the highest levels of Kuwait’s Government. Human rights, including the status of the Bidoon, are also discussed bilaterally at the biannual UK-Kuwait Joint Steering Group meetings, the most recent of which was held in London at the end of May.

  • Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Bob Blackman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bob Blackman on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will take steps to encourage the government of Bangladesh to put the perpetrators of violence against religious minorities in the region on trial as soon as possible.

    Alok Sharma

    The British Government is extremely concerned by the increase in extremist-related violence against a number of minority groups including Hindus in Bangladesh since September 2015. The former Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) most recently talked to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh about countering extremism in the margins of the G7 meeting in Japan on 27 May. The former Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) raised this with Foreign Minister Ali on 5 July. The British High Commissioner regularly discusses these issues with Bangladesh government ministers. We welcome Prime Minister Hasina’s “zero tolerance” approach towards terrorism, but this must be implemented in a way that fully respects the international rights standards that Bangladesh has signed up to and which, as a member of both the Commonwealth and the UN Human Rights Council, it has pledged to uphold.

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help secure the long-term status of UK citizens in other EU member states before Article 50 negotiations formally begin; and if she will make a statement.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The Government has repeatedly stated that there will be no immediate changes in the circumstances of UK nationals and their family members entering or currently residing in the European Union.

    During the period of the negotiations, the UK remains a full member of the EU, entitled to all the benefits and obligations of membership. We have published guidance on gov.uk which makes this clear.

    It is a Government priority to protect the legal rights of British nationals living in EU countries, as well as EU nationals in the UK, and we are confident that we will be able secure those things together during discussions with our EU partners.

    As part of this process, the Secretary of State will continue to work closely with EU counterparts and with relevant stakeholders.

  • Naz Shah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Naz Shah – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Naz Shah on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Indian government to ensure the welfare and safe return of British citizens affected by the curfew in Kashmir.

    Alok Sharma

    Our High Commission in Delhi is monitoring the situation closely. We have updated our travel advice and encourage British nationals in Kashmir to monitor it. We have not made any representations to the government of India on this issue.

  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will call for an end to the extraction of natural resources from Western Sahara through agreements that disregard the interests and wishes of the indigenous Saharawi people.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    UK policy on commercial activity in Western Sahara is clear and longstanding and follows the legal opinion sought by the UN in 2002: that such activity is not in itself in violation of international legal principles unless it proceeds without respect to the interests and wishes of the people of Western Sahara. We continue to urge any commercial entity considering investing in Western Sahara to follow this advice and seek their own legal advice.

  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on how many (a) Saharawi and (b) Moroccan people are employed by MINURSO in Western Sahara.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office holds no information on the ethnicity or origin of United Nations staff.

  • Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alan Brown – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alan Brown on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the UN Security Council on setting a date for a free and fair referendum in Western Sahara with an option for independence on the ballot paper.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    It is for the parties to the dispute to agree a resolution of the final status of Western Sahara. The UK encourages both sides to cooperate with the United Nations process to reach a mutually acceptable solution that provides for the self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.

  • David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    David Anderson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by David Anderson on 2016-07-18.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to impose an embargo on the sale of arms between the UK and Israel.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria. We do not believe that imposing a blanket arms embargo on Israel would promote the urgent progress towards the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which we want to see. We continue to monitor the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories and take into account the latest circumstances when assessing licence applications. Israel, like any state, has the right to ensure its own security, as its citizens also have the right to live without fear of attack and we will continue to support Israel’s right to defend itself.