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  • Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Virendra Sharma – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has received on the involvement in human rights abuses of police officers from the United Arab Emirates who have been trained by UK police officers.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not received any representations on the involvement in human rights abuses of police officers from the United Arab Emirates who have been trained by UK police officers. If we have concerns about alleged abuses we would make these clear to the Emirati authorities, as part of our broader strategic engagement.

  • Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Michelle Donelan – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Michelle Donelan on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral contribution by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, 28 January 2016, Official Report, column 426, on arms sales to Saudi Arabia, how many (a) arms export licences have been awarded to Saudi Arabia and (b) reviews of arms sales to Saudi Arabia have been conducted in 2016.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK Government is satisfied that extant licenses for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licensing criteria. The Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms exports control regimes in the world.

    Information on military and dual use export licences is published as Official Statistics in the quarterly and annual reports on Strategic Export Controls which are all available to view on GOV.UK. These reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination (including Saudi Arabia). The statistics include the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. Information covering the period 1 October to 31 December 2015 will be published on 19 April 2016. The 1st quarter results for 2016 covering the period 1 January to 31 March 2016 will be published on 19 July 2016.

    Since the outset of the conflict in Yemen, the Government has kept all extant licenses and new licensing to Saudi Arabia under continuous review, and has exercised special caution and vigilance in granting new licences for exports to Saudi Arabia, handling each on a case-by-case basis.

  • Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Tom Brake – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Tom Brake on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the legality of the death sentence handed down to Andrew Tsege in Ethiopia.

    James Duddridge

    The UK Government is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We have serious concerns about the process by which Mr Andargachew Tsege was transferred from Yemen and his ongoing lack of access to a lawyer. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) has raised Mr Tsege’s case 21 times with his Ethiopian counterpart. I have also raised this case, most recently on 8 January. We continue to lobby for Mr Tsege to be granted access to a lawyer.

  • Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gareth Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gareth Johnson on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of UK nationals in prison in other EU countries.

    Mr David Lidington

    We collate statistics on the numbers of British nationals detained globally twice a year. On 30 September 2015 we were aware of 797 British nationals detained (either pre- or post- sentencing) across European Union member states.

    This figure reflect only those British nationals who have chosen to notify the Embassy, High Commission or Consulate of their detention, and includes those who were detained on remand at the time the information was collated.

  • Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Craig Whittaker – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Craig Whittaker on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the influence of ISIS in Yemen; and what steps his Department is taking with regional allies to curb that influence.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We remain concerned by the terrorist threat in Yemen, including the presence of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and Daesh-Yemen. Long term instability increases the risk that terrorist groups continue to exploit the deteriorating situation to consolidate their support base and capabilities.

    Throughout 2015, we saw an expansion of Daesh-Yemen, albeit starting from a small base. We judge that they remain a threat to UK strategic interests in the region, rather than a direct threat to the UK. We continue to work with regional partners to tackle the terrorist threat from Yemen. For operational reasons we cannot comment in detail on this activity.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on the number of political prisoners in the Maldives.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Maldives Police Service reports that in the past two years there have been 140 cases brought against those arrested at political rallies for disobeying police orders, obstructing police duties or committing or encouraging acts defined by the Maldivian authorities as terrorism. The opposition claims the total number facing politically motivated charges is much higher.

    However, the number of individuals who have been sentenced to prison on charges we assess to be politically motivated is significantly lower. These individuals include former President Mohamed Nasheed, Adhaalath Party leader Sheikh Imran Abdulla and former Defence Minister Mohamed Nazim amongst others.

  • Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Julie Cooper – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Julie Cooper on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Maldivian government about freedom of the press in that country.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Government has a number of concerns about human rights, including freedom of the press, in the Maldives. Most recently, on 4 April, I tweeted my concern over the arrest of 16 journalists who were protesting in Malé. I also raised human rights concerns, including restrictions on the freedom of expression, when I met representatives of the Maldives Government in London on 11 February, and when I met President Yameen and Foreign Minister Dunya during my visit to the Maldives on 17 and 18 January.

  • John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    John Glen – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by John Glen on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has made representations to the Palestinian Authority on reported payments by that authority to Palestinian prisoners in Israel.

    Mr Desmond Swayne

    UK officials meet regularly with the Ministry of Finance and consistently lobby it at the highest levels on whether prisoner payments can be made more transparent and affordable. I raised the issue of prisoner payments in September 2015 with the Palestinian Authority Finance Minister Bishara.

  • Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Daniel Kawczynski – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Daniel Kawczynski on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote provision of international support to the Government of National Accord in Libya in (a) governing effectively, (b) managing that country’s security situation, (c) achieving political unity and (d) achieving international recognition.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK has been at the forefront of international support to Libya; promoting political participation, strengthening security, and supporting economic growth. We have allocated up to £14 million in the new financial year to support Libya and to tackle some of the challenges emanating from that country, such as migration and the terrorist threat.

    We hosted a meeting with the UN in London in October 2015 to create the international community support plan. Representatives of 40 countries, UN agencies, and international bodies, as well as a number of independent Libyan experts attended. We co-hosted with the UN a follow-up meeting in Tunis on 12 April, with Government of National Accord representatives in attendance.

  • Will Quince – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Will Quince – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Will Quince on 2016-04-08.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on the level of EU subsidies provided to sugar manufacturers.

    George Eustice

    There are no specific EU subsidies provided to sugar manufacturers under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). However, those that produce their own sugar beet are entitled to make a claim for support under the CAP Basic Payment Scheme. Details of the amounts received by UK beneficiaries can be found on the UK CAP Payments website at http://cap-payments.defra.gov.uk/Default.aspx.

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