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

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

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stephen Gethins on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has made towards meeting the International Aid Transparency Initiative’s standards to date.

    Mr David Lidington

    In March 2013 the Government published an implementation plan outlining how we intended to achieve International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) compliance without compromising the safety and security of the UK, our staff and our partners or without compromising our diplomatic relations with other countries. Since then we have been working towards achieving compliance with the UK Aid Transparency Guarantee. All published Foreign and Commonwelath Office Official Development Assistance information can be found on https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/official-development-assistance-oda–2

  • Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Andy Slaughter – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andy Slaughter on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the reported planned execution of Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdullah al-Zaher in that country.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are very concerned about the cases of Ali al-Nimr, Dawood al-Marhoon and Abdallah al-Zaher. We have raised these cases with the Saudi Arabian authorities, most recently on 12 March, at a very senior level. Our expectation remains that they will not be executed.

  • 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 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the political and security situation in Germany since the detonation of a car bomb in Berlin on 15 March 2016; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr David Lidington

    The German authorities continue to investigate the apparent bomb attack on a car in Berlin on 15 March. The investigating authorities have stated that their investigation so far suggests that organised crime, rather than terrorism, was the background to the incident.

  • 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 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 15 March 2016 to Questions 30618 and 30619, on Ilois: resettlement, what the (a) process and (b) timetable will be for the Government’s final decision; and if he will seek to make time available for a parliamentary debate on this matter.

    James Duddridge

    I refer the Hon. Member to the Westminster Hall debate on this matter which took place on 28 October 2015. The Government is still considering its policy in this area. An announcement will be made in due course.

  • Bernard Jenkin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Bernard Jenkin – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Bernard Jenkin on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether (a) he, (b) officials in his Department and (c) advisers in his Department read the Duke of Cambridge’s speech given at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 16 February 2016 before it was presented.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    No.

  • 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 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will press for the release of former Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We have made clear on a number of occasions our deep concern about Anwar Ibrahim’s imprisonment. I made a statement on 10 February 2015, following his conviction and sentencing. The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), raised Anwar Ibrahim’s case with his Malaysian counterpart during a visit to Malaysia in July last year.

    A number of other Ministers have raised Anwar Ibrahim’s case with their Malaysian counterparts. Most recently, in separate meetings with Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister in London in November 2015, the Home Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) and I raised our concerns, including about his health and medical treatment. I have also met Anwar Ibrahim’s daughter, Nurul Izzah, several times to discuss this case, most recently in February.

    We are aware of concerns regarding judicial independence and the rule of law in this case. We will continue to raise our concerns and encourage Malaysia to recognise the importance of international confidence in its judicial system and to restore trust in its commitment to international human rights standards.

  • Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Nigel Evans – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Nigel Evans on 2016-03-15.

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

    Mr David Lidington

    There is no legal obligation on a British citizen living overseas to register with the British Embassy, but estimates suggest that more than 1.2 million UK citizens are living permanently elsewhere in the EU. These estimates do not include people who reside for part of the year in another Member State or British travellers.

  • Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Dawn Butler – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Dawn Butler on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will invite Maryam Rajavi to visit Parliament and the UK.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Maryam Rajavi remains excluded from the UK and Her Majesty’s Government has no plans to invite her to visit the UK.

  • 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 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the political and security situation in Yemen since the recent airstrikes by the Saudi Military; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Saudi Arabia and the Coalition have played a crucial role in reversing the military advance of the Houthis and forces loyal to former president Saleh. Coalition and Government of Yemen military gains must now be used to drive forward the political process. We welcome the reports of calming along the Saudi/Yemen border and prisoner releases. A political solution is the best way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and end the conflict. We are working closely with the UN to encourage parties to meet again and engage in good faith, without preconditions, and to respect future ceasefires.

  • Anne Marie Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Anne Marie Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Anne Marie Morris on 2016-03-15.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much her Department has paid in fines to the EU as a result of the Common Agricultural Policy since 2010.

    George Eustice

    As from financial year 2010/11 Defra has accrued £336m for disallowance following the conclusion of EU audits, broken down by financial year as shown in the table below. This relates to a number of different Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Schemes over a number of historical scheme years as disallowance is paid in arrears. These are the only fines that have been imposed on Defra by the EU since 2010.

    Disallowance (*) £m

    10/11

    11/12

    12/13

    13/14

    14/15

    181

    42

    2

    30

    81

    (*) Reflects the sums the European Commission have ruled cannot be reimbursed (i.e. the amounts they have “disallowed”).

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