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  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) migrants and (b) people seeking asylum who have attempted to travel to Europe via Egypt in each of the last two years.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We do not hold figures for the number of migrants and asylum seekers who have attempted to travel to Europe via Egypt. According to the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders (Frontex), in 2014 there were 170,760 detections of illegal border-crossings on the Central Mediterranean route (not only from Egypt). In 2015, the number of detections was 153,946.

  • 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 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to assist the Maldivian government with its governance reform plan.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Government, along with others in the international community, has a number of concerns about governance and human rights in the Maldives. This includes the decreasing independence of institutions, the diminishing freedoms of expression and association, and the arbitrary detention of political figures. I discussed these issues with President Yameen and his Government when I visited the Maldives in January 2016.

  • 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 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the Maldivian government in counter-terrorism efforts.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Counter-terrorism is an area on which we are keen to work closely with the Maldivian Government. I discussed this with representatives of the Government, including President Yameen, during my visit to the Maldives in January 2016. Most recently, in April 2016, a group of Maldivian police officers visited the UK to discuss further cooperation.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of reports that on 11 March 2016 on Palestinian television President Abbas described all of Israel as being an occupation of Palestinian territory.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    While we have not made an assessment of these specific reports, we have urged the leadership of both the Palestinian and Israeli authorities to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, the type of action and language which will make it more difficult to achieve a peaceful negotiated solution to the conflict. Our Consul General in Jerusalem met with President Abbas on 17 March where he raised our concerns on incitement.

  • Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Hilary Benn – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Hilary Benn on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has (a) drafted a motion for or (b) discussed a draft of a motion with other members of the UN Security Council since 20 April 2016 that would refer the perpetrators of suspected (i) genocide and (ii) war crimes in Syria or Iraq to the International Criminal Court.

    Mr Philip Hammond

    In August 2014, the UK sponsored UN Security Council resolution 2170 which reaffirmed the call for those who have committed or are responsible for violations of international humanitarian law in Iraq and Syria to be held accountable. UN Security Council resolution 2249, passed in November 2015, again confirmed the importance of holding the Islamic State in the Levant (also known as Da’esh) to account. These resolutions follow an attempt in May 2014 to have the Security Council refer the situation in Syria to the ICC which was vetoed by Russia and China. We continue to discuss with partners on the UN Security Council further ways to ensure that the perpetrators of crimes committed in Syria and Iraq are held to account and face justice.

  • Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stephen Doughty – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Doughty on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to work with the Egyptian government to prevent people traffickers operating from (a) Alexandria and (b) other Egyptian ports.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Government officials regularly engage the Egyptian authorities on irregular migration. Most recently, senior officials from the Home Office met their Egyptian counterparts on 27 April to discuss a range of issues, including how best to co-operate on countering irregular migration. They are now considering what areas of technical expertise and programmatic support we can provide the Egyptian authorities to strengthen their enforcement capabilities. The UK is also contributing to the “European Union Naval Force – Mediterranean” mission, aimed at disrupting human smuggling and trafficking networks in the Mediterranean and reducing the loss of life at sea.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Ministry of Defence

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps the UK is taking to assist its allies in adapting to the recent use of hit-and-run tactics by Daesh.

    Penny Mordaunt

    We are aware that Daesh has deployed tactics, especially in Libya, to attack high profile targets like oil fields.

    These, and other attacks on Libyan infrastructure and towns, demonstrate the threat that Daesh poses to the stability of Libya and the wider region, and potentially to the UK and our interests. We need to tackle this threat wherever it arises, and that is why we are engaging the new Libyan government on this issue as a high priority. The UK is working closely with international partners to develop a comprehensive approach to defeat Daesh.

  • Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Rosindell – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Rosindell on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will press to agree a definition of the term foreign fighter with his EU counterparts.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    I and the Home Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), have been actively working with our EU counterparts to agree an appropriate definition of the term foreign fighter. All member states agree on the need to tackle this threat and the Presidency is seized of the importance of agreeing a definition within the coming months.

  • Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andrew Percy – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote diplomatic connections between the UK and other Commonwealth countries.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We have well established Diplomatic connections between the UK and other Commonwealth countries both through the FCO’s global network and through Ministerial and official contacts with Commonwealth High Commissions and the Commonwealth Secretariat. These enable us to engage with the 52 other Commonwealth members both bilaterally and on Commonwealth business. In 2014 we appointed the first UK Commonwealth Envoy specifically to forge closer ties with London-based High Commissioners and the Commonwealth Secretariat. Our membership of international organisations such as the UN Security Council and EU means that we are uniquely placed to make our voice heard, particularly in support of the Commonwealth’s smaller members.

  • Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Catherine West – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions the Government has had with the Indonesian government on the situation of the Gafatar community.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    Our Ambassador in Jakarta has raised these issues with the Minister of Religious Affairs, Indonesian civil society, and religious leaders. He urged them to ensure the rights of all individuals to practise their religion or belief freely were fully respected and protected. Our Deputy Head of Mission in Jakarta has also raised the situation of the Gafatar community with the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection.