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  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received of the situation of the Bahá’i community in Iran.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Baha’i community in Iran is subject to mounting persecution, and we are concerned by state efforts to identify, monitor and arbitrarily detain Baha’is. We have repeatedly expressed our concern at the harassment faced by Baha’is in Iran and at the sentencing of seven Baha’i leaders to 20 years in prison. We urge the Iranian Government to ensure that all Iranian citizens are able to practise their faith freely, as required by international conventions.

  • Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his European counterparts on providing possible alternative oil and gas supply to the Baltic states.

    Grant Shapps

    I have not had bilateral discussions with European counterparts on providing possible alternative oil and gas supply to the Baltic states. The UK’s support to the Baltic states on diversification of their oil and gas supply takes place largely through the European Union. The UK continues to work closely with Brussels in pursuit of security of supply, and our efforts to improve EU energy security are carried out through the Energy Union Project. The UK appreciates the pressures that the Baltic states are under, and ending their island status in gas and oil is a key area of our work on gas supplies within the Energy Union. On the 15 October 2015, the European Commission signed a joint-declaration with the Baltic States on constructing the Gas Interconnector Poland – Lithuania (GIPL), aimed at providing a secure gas supply for the Baltic region and reducing reliance on Russian gas. Construction is intended to be completed in 2019.

  • Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ben Howlett – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ben Howlett on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take a greater role in facilitating a two state solution in Israel.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    My priority remains the achievement of a two-state solution. I will continue to consult with international partners as to the best means to make greater progress, and to encourage the parties to take steps which lead us towards peace. I am extremely concerned by the violence that we have seen across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in recent weeks. This only strengthens my conviction that a negotiated two state solution is of the greatest urgency. We are encouraging both sides to maintain calm and avoid taking actions which could make peace more difficult. I have also been pushing both parties to take steps that improve the situation on the ground and preserve the viability of the two state solution.

  • Lady Hermon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Lady Hermon – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lady Hermon on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make it his policy to ensure that interest earned on Libyan assets frozen in the UK is used to compensate the victims of IRA/Libyan-sponsored violence; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    There is no legal basis upon which the UK could re-direct Libyan assets or the interest accrued to individuals for the purposes of compensation. Regarding assets which belonged to Qadhafi or other regime figures, the UN Security Council has stipulated that when these are unfrozen, they will be made available to, and for the benefit of the Libyan people. For the duration of time that these assets are frozen, they and any interest they accrue will be governed in accordance with the specific sanctions in place over the individuals or entities to which the assets belong. In this case, the asset freezing measures are set out under EU Regulation 204/2011 which prohibits the release of frozen funds and the interest accrued belonging to listed individuals or entities except in very specific circumstances, which do not apply here.

  • Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Cunningham – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Cunningham on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the Russian intervention in Syria; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We remain committed to seeking a political solution to the conflict. Russia’s intervention in Syria, including targeting the moderate opposition, has complicated an already difficult situation. We are actively engaging with international partners to address this and to reinvigorate a political process that leads to a solution based on the principles of the Geneva Communiqué.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the humanitarian situation in Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    The UN assesses that the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) is a protracted crisis with humanitarian consequences, driven by insufficient respect for international law by all sides. According to the UN, Palestinians in the OPTs face a range of serious threats including threats to life, liberty and security, destruction or damage to homes and other property, forced displacement, restrictions on freedom of movement and access to livelihoods, and lack of accountability and effective remedy. We are particularly concerned by the recent violent clashes across the OPTs and Israel, which underline the need for a just and lasting political settlement that ends the occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Israeli government on the planned demolition of the village of Umm al-Hiran.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Government is deeply concerned about the proposals to demolish Bedouin villages in Israel. I visited the Khan al Ahmer Bedouin during my visit in October 2014 and saw the devastating impact resettlement plans had on the communities. Officials at our Embassy in Tel Aviv are monitoring the situation of Umm al-Hiran closely. Embassy officials have also been in contact with the Adalah Legal Centre who continue to provide updates on the legal situation. They have also been in contact with organisations that work within the Bedouin community, such as Itach-Maaki and The Arab-Jewish Center for Equality, Empowerment and Cooperation-Negev Institute for Strategies of Peace and Development, to help inform the UK’s lobbying of the Israeli authorities on this issue. On 10 September, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised their concerns about the Bedouin with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

  • Mark Durkan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Mark Durkan – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Mark Durkan on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for peace talks in Colombia of the on-going violence perpetrated by paramilitaries in that country.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We strongly believe that the best way to achieve a sustainable peace in Colombia after decades of conflict is through the current Peace Process. We welcome the announcement by both sides on 23 September, on an agreement for justice and victims’ reparations. The agreement ends any notion of impunity, including those alleged to be involved in Paramilitary groups.

    Our Embassy in Bogotá receives regular reporting on the security and human rights situation in Colombia from a range of sources including non-governmental organisations operating in Colombia. This includes allegations of abuses by paramilitary groups such as attacks against leaders of land restitution claims and human rights defenders. The majority of such abuses continue to take place in areas affected by the ongoing conflict. We remain concerned about the ongoing activity of paramilitary forces operating in Colombia and we continue to raise this issue of Human rights regularly with the Colombian authorities.

  • Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    Nicholas Soames – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nicholas Soames on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what recent progress has been made on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership; and if he will make a statement.

    Anna Soubry

    There continues to be good progress on the free trade agreement currently being negotiated between the EU and US, also known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), in particular on the technical work which would underpin the final deal.The next negotiating round is taking place 19-23 October in the US.

    A trade and investment agreement between the EU and US offers an enormous economic benefit in jobs, investment and lower prices, worth potentially £10 billion a year to the UK Our ambition remains to reach political agreement during the Obama administration and this goal has been given renewed impetus by the completion of the Trans Pacific Partnership.

  • Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-10-14.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of weapons (a) manufactured in the UK or (b) sold by companies based in the UK being used by the government of Saudi Arabia in the military conflict in Yemen.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Munitions are supplied to the Saudi Air Force under pre-existing contractual arrangements. UK companies are providing precision guided Paveway weapons. The Royal Saudi Air Force is flying British built aircraft in the campaign over Yemen, but this does not represent a direct UK involvement in operations. The UK operates one of the most rigorous and transparent export control regimes in the world. All exports of military and dual-use goods are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. We are satisfied that extant licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the Consolidated Criteria.