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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain McKenzie on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Thai government on the restoration of democracy in that country.

Mr Hugo Swire

Following a statement by the Foreign Secretary on 22 May, I made a statement on 25 May expressing my strong concerns about the situation in Thailand and calling for a clear timetable for elections and the restoration of democracy.

Our Ambassador to Thailand has communicated through senior Thai civilian officials our serious concerns about the military takeover. Through them, he has urged the Thai military authorities to provide a clear and detailed timetable for the restoration of civilian government. Most recently he met with the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 3 June. The Head of ASEAN Department in London met the Thai Charge d’affaires, also on 3 June to deliver the same message. Our Defence Attaché in Bangkok meets members of the Thai military on a daily basis and repeats these points each time.

We have made it clear to the Thai authorities that we will not continue to have normal bilateral relations until an elected government is in place. We are currently reviewing the scope of our cooperation with Thailand.

We are consulting with EU members, the US, Australia and other allies, to ensure that the international community speaks with one voice on this.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain McKenzie on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what extra consular assistance his Department will provide for British citizens in Brazil attending the World Cup.

Mark Simmonds

During the World Cup, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office will have a comprehensive consular plan in place to assist any British nationals that require our assistance. This includes a Consular Operations Centre in Rio de Janeiro on the day preceding, the day of and the day following all England games, a dedicated consular telephone number (which has been advertised on our travel advice and in the Football Supporters Federation’s tournament and match day programmes), a team of consular officers at every England game and consular officers from around the region and Portugal on standby to assist the Brazil network with any consular surges. We will also have a rapid deployment team from the Americas region on standby should they be required.

In the build up to the World Cup we have run a comprehensive travel advice campaign called ‘Be on the Ball’ that has featured Twitter Q&A sessions, attendance at fans forums in London, media interviews in printed and video forms. We have also run a number of exercises across the Brazil network so that consular officials are prepared should we need to assist British nationals in the case of major incidents.

I visited Sao Paulo on 4 June to view preparations which the Foreign & Commonwealth Office is making to give consular assistance during the World Cup. I also met the Deputy Mayor of Sao Paulo to discuss the local preparations for the tournament.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office has also been working with the Football Association, UK Football Policing Unit, Brazilian local authorities and other stakeholders on contingency and crisis planning.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain McKenzie on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to address human rights abuses in Pakistan.

Hugh Robertson

Pakistan is included as a “country of concern” in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Human Rights Report. We regularly raise the subject of human rights for all Pakistan’s citizens with the Government of Pakistan in accordance with their constitution and international standards. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) and other ministers raised human rights concerns with the Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif during his recent visit.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Iain McKenzie on 2014-06-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of political developments in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement.

Mr David Lidington

On 25 May the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) congratulated the Ukrainian people on the conduct of the presidential election. The high turnout showed the Ukrainian people’s determination to decide their own future without outside interference, and sent a decisive signal of their support for unity, reform and a new future for their country. The Foreign Secretary also paid tribute to election commission staff who were subjected to appalling levels of intimidation by illegal armed groups who sought to deny the citizens of Donetsk and Luhansk their right to vote but who strove to do their duty, and to the citizens in eastern Ukraine who overcame all obstacles to vote or who tried to do so. Each vote cast there was an individual act of courage.

The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) spoke to Mr Petro Poroshenko on 30 May, congratulating him on his election as the President of Ukraine and welcoming his clear messages on democracy and financial and political reform. The Prime Minister also praised the Ukrainian people for their determination to hold elections in such difficult circumstances and choose their own future, offering his continued support in helping Mr Poroshenko to build a secure and prosperous Ukraine through an inclusive national dialogue.

On 4 June G7 Leaders welcomed the successful conduct under difficult circumstances of the 25 May Ukrainian presidential election, and commended Mr Petro Poroshenko for reaching out to all the people of Ukraine. G7 Leaders stand by the Ukrainian government and people in the face of unacceptable interference in Ukraine’s sovereign affairs by the Russian Federation, and call upon the illegal armed groups to disarm. G7 Leaders continue to encourage the Ukrainian authorities to maintain a measured approach in pursuing operations to restore law and order and fully support the substantial contribution made by the Organisation for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to the de-escalation of the crisis through the Special Monitoring Mission and other OSCE instruments. The G7 remains committed to continuing to work with Ukraine to support its economic development, sovereignty and territorial integrity and encourages the fulfilment of Ukraine’s commitment to pursue the difficult reforms that will be crucial to support economic stability and unlock private sector-led growth.

G7 Leaders confirmed the decision by G7 countries to impose sanctions on individuals and entities who have actively supported or implemented the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and who are threatening the peace, security and stability of Ukraine. G7 countries are implementing a strict policy of non-recognition with respect to Crimea/Sevastopol, in line with UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 and stand ready to intensify targeted sanctions and to implement significant additional restrictive measures to impose further costs on Russia should events so require.

The Prime Minister met President Putin on 5 June and reiterated that there is an opportunity for a successful, peaceful and stable Ukraine, but the current situation needs to change. He said that Russia must properly recognise and work with this new president and there must be action to stop arms and people crossing the border.