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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-09.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2016 to Question 23906, if the Government will make it its policy to provide formal advice to banks or building societies offering second charge mortgages in territories outside the UK which are illegal under international law on potential financial risks of such products.

Harriett Baldwin

The Government has no plans to provide formal advice to banks or building societies offering second charge mortgages in territories outside the UK.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether there are any restrictions on the business activities that can be carried out by foreign diplomats based in the UK.

Mr Philip Hammond

Article 42 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic relations (VCDR) states that ‘a diplomatic agent shall not in the receiving State practise for personal profit any professional or commercial activity’. The UK expects foreign diplomats to abide by the Articles of the VCDR.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the security situation in Somalia since the attack on AMISOM forces in January 2016.

Mr Philip Hammond

The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has made significant territorial gains in Somalia since 2007, regaining all major cities and much of the territory formerly controlled by Al-Shabaab. The overall improvement in the security situation has created the space for progress towards a permanent political settlement and the recently accepted model for the 2016 electoral process is an important step forward. Recent events however, are a reminder, that although it no longer poses an existential threat to Somalia, Al-Shabaab continues to pose a significant terrorist threat in Somalia and the region.

2016 is a critical year for security and political progress in Somalia. It is therefore crucial that the Somali National Army (SNA) and AMISOM work together to renew offensive operations against Al-Shabaab and secure the electoral process. The upcoming High Level Partnership Forum in Istanbul and AMISOM Troop Contributing Country (TCC) Summit in Djibouti, are important opportunities to ensure sustained progress. As announced by the Prime Minister, my right hon. friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) at the UN General Assembly in September, the UK will bolster support to the SNA and AMISOM through a deployment of up to 70 UK troops to the UN Support Office in Somalia. The UK will also continue to provide SNA troop stipends and UK advisory teams.

We therefore stand shoulder to shoulder with Kenya, as her longest-standing defence partner, and particularly at this difficult time following the losses at El Adde. We greatly value the contribution made by Kenya and the other TCCs to AMISOM. The Prime Minister has written to President Kenyatta to offer condolences and express appreciation for the sacrifices that Kenyan Defence Forces are making in Somalia.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Written Statement of 16 July 2015, HCWS128, on alleged serious and significant offences (diplomatic immunity): 2014, how many instances of alleged criminal conduct by foreign diplomats based in the UK have been brought to the attention of his Department by the police or other enforcement agencies in the last 12 months.

Mr Philip Hammond

In the last 12 months Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection of the Metropolitan Police has notified us of a total of 945 incidents where there was a link with a diplomatic mission or international organisation in the United Kingdom. These not only include instances of alleged criminal conduct by persons attached to diplomatic missions and international organisations in the UK (including their family members), but also offences allegedly committed against such persons and occasional non-criminal incidents involving such persons or their missions.

This figure also includes occasions when diplomats or family members are required as witnesses. Statistics for only those instances of alleged criminal conduct by foreign diplomats based in the UK are not recorded centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost. Future Written Ministerial Statements on the failure of foreign missions to comply with UK law will however, contain details of serious and significant offences allegedly committed by people entitled to diplomatic immunity in the UK in 2015 and 2016.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-02-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 29 January 2016 to Question 24113, on what occasions the Government has requested the sending state to waive the rights to diplomatic immunity of an individual diplomat in the UK in the last 12 months.

Mr Philip Hammond

We do not disclose the missions from which we have sought waivers of immunity. Doing so would be likely to prejudice relations between the United Kingdom and the States in question. Statistics for the total number of waivers of immunity sought for foreign diplomats in the UK in the last 12 months are not kept centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Statistics for waivers of immunity sought in cases of serious and significant offences allegedly committed by foreign diplomats in the last 12 months have yet to be compiled. Those allegedly committed in the calendar year 2015 will be available in the next annual Written Ministerial Statements on the failure of foreign missions to comply with UK law in 2015.