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  • Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Sue Hayman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Sue Hayman on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve the Rural Payments Agency call centre service.

    George Eustice

    The Rural Payments Agency always receives a high volume of calls on a wide range of subjects and continues to review its resources in response to demand. A number of new measures have recently been introduced, including more automated options, to help route customers to the best solution for their enquiry. The agency’s helpline, based in Workington, played an important role in the Basic Payment Scheme 2015 application campaign.

  • 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 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government is taking steps to encourage progress towards the holding of a referendum in Western Sahara.

    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.

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to discourage the commemoration of acts of violence against Israeli civilians in the Palestinian Authority.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We have urged the leadership of both the Palestinian and Israeli authorities to avoid doing anything to encourage violence or any steps which will make it more difficult to achieve a peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict. Our Consul General in Jerusalem regularly raises such concerns with the Palestinian leadership, including with President Abbas at their last meeting in March. We continue to support Palestinian calls to reinstate the Tripartite Committee on Incitement as the appropriate channel to deal with allegations of Palestinian or Israeli incitement.

  • Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Matthew Offord – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Matthew Offord on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to ensure that the employment rights of staff members seconded to or working within international organisations are protected.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) supports outward secondments that develop the skills and experience of our staff. Our staff are encouraged to take up opportunities where the work is in line with the FCO’s strategic priorities.

    The terms and conditions of employees working for international organisations are set by the organisation they work for during the secondment. The host organisation also takes responsibility for ensuring the duty of care to our secondees is properly discharged and that their working conditions are satisfactory. This would include having proper grievance procedures in place. The FCO takes this into account when agreeing to a secondment, and individual volunteers are expected to satisfy themselves that they are aware of any differences between the two organisations terms and conditions before agreeing any contract. Secondees remain our employees during their secondments and continue to enjoy the protection of their employment rights with the FCO.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to support a UN implementing agreement for the establishment and management of marine protected areas in the high seas.

    James Duddridge

    The UK supports the need for a new implementing agreement and the need to establish a mechanism to deliver Marine Protected Areas in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This is because whilst a range of different bodies with varying responsibilities address the protection of marine bio-diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, these bodies have sectorally or regionally restricted mandates.

    The first session of the Preparatory Committee (Prepcom) to develop a new implementing agreement took place at the UN from 28 March to 8 April. The UK was represented by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Defra officials. We will continue to engage on this issue in preparation for the remaining three sessions of the Prepcom.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate his Department has made of the number and area of marine protected areas established beyond national jurisdiction through regional seas agreements or other instruments.

    James Duddridge

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is aware of eight Marine Protected Areas that have been established beyond national jurisdiction. One has been designated by the Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and seven have been designated by the OSPAR Commission in the North-East Atlantic. The UK plays an active role in both of these organisations and is fully supportive of their work to establish networks of Marine Protected Areas in the Antarctic and the North-East Atlantic.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of areas beyond national jurisdiction is covered by (a) regional seas agreements (b) regional fisheries management organisations and (c) other relevant instruments which are legally mandated to establish marine protected areas where the most important environmental impacts are effectively addressed.

    James Duddridge

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold details of the proportion of areas beyond national jurisdiction covered by these arrangements. The United Nations Environment Programme has oversight of the 13 Regional Seas programmes. There are also five other “partner programmes” and the UK is a leading member in two of these – the Antarctic Treaty System and the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR Convention). It is also an observer in the Arctic Council.

    There are six Regional Fisheries Management Organisations which manage highly-migratory species and ten of which manage fish stocks by geographical area. Each Regional Fisheries Management Organisation has its own underpinning international legal agreement with different powers. The UK does not participate in every Regional Fisheries Management Organisation and we do not hold details of each of their powers. In general, Regional Fisheries Management Organisations cannot create Marine Protected Areas, but some do implement fisheries closures to protect Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems.

    The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources does have the legal power to establish Marine Protected Areas and has designated the South Orkney Marine Protected Area.

  • Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Oliver Colvile – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Oliver Colvile on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) promote the protection of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and (b) ensure that the agreed commitment to establish marine protected areas in 10 per cent of the world’s oceans by 2020 is effectively implemented in such areas.

    James Duddridge

    The UK is fully committed to promoting the protection of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.

    Without prejudice to Article IV of the Antarctic Treaty 1959, in 2009 the UK led negotiations within the Commission on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources which resulted in the establishment of the world’s first high-seas Marine Protected Area (MPA) covering 94 000 km2. The UK supports the establishment of further MPAs within the area covered by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, and is working closely with members to designate MPAs in the Ross Sea, East Antarctic and the Weddell Sea.

    The UK is a leading member of the OSPAR Commission which has designated 7 MPAs in the high seas of the North-East Atlantic and works closely with other regional and international organisations to manage these.

    We are a signatory to the Hamilton Declaration on Collaboration for the Conservation of the Sargasso Sea 2014, which established the Sargasso Sea Commission to encourage and facilitate voluntary collaboration toward the conservation of the Sargasso Sea.

    We support the work of the International Seabed Authority in establishing Areas of Particular Environmental Interest in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. We also support the work of the International Maritime Organisation in identifying “Special Areas” which benefit from additional pollution protection and “Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas” which may benefit from specific measures to control certain maritime activities.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to (a) the Indian government and (b) other parties involved on the release to its owners of the vessel Seaman Guard Ohio.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    I have made no representations to the Indian Government or any other parties on the release of the vessel Seaman Guard Ohio.

  • Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ian Austin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Austin on 2016-04-27.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government plans to impose financial sanctions on Russian individuals complicit in human rights abuses.

    Mr David Lidington

    EU sanctions have been imposed on Russia for its illegal annexation of Crimea and ongoing aggression and destabilisation of eastern Ukraine. The UK Government supports human rights defenders and holds the Russian Government to account, publicly and privately, when it fails to fulfil its international commitments to promote and protect human rights. For these reasons Russia also featured as a Priority Country in the annual FCO Human Rights Report released in April 2016. I also raised human rights issues with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Titov on my last visit to Moscow in December 2015.