Tag: Douglas Alexander

  • Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 3778W, on Syria, what assessment his Department has made of the likelihood of President Assad complying with the agreed Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons timetable for the removal and destruction of Syria’s stockpile of chemical weapons.

    Mr William Hague

    The regime has missed all deadlines set by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Executive Council for the removal of chemicals from Syria, including their own deadline of 27 April 2014. Around 7.5 per cent of the materials remain. This means that the 30 June 2014 deadline set by the UN for the elimination of the material can no longer be met. Responsibility for this rests with the regime.

    The functional destruction of Syria’s chemical weapon manufacturing capability and the removal of more than 90 per cent of the chemicals used in the programme are significant achievements. However, Syria’s failure to meet the deadlines for removal of the remaining chemicals is unacceptable. The UK and partners continue to press for the urgent completion of removal operations.

  • Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the UK has offered through NATO to its Baltic allies since the Russian military incursion into Crimea.

    Mr William Hague

    The UK, alongside our NATO Allies, remains committed to the preservation of stability and security in Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia and to the guarantee of collective defence under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

    The Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), announced on the 17 March the UK has offered to contribute 4 Typhoons to the Baltic Air Policing mission. NATO Foreign Ministers agreed on 1 April to consider further measures as necessary to fulfil NATO’s collective defence mission.

  • Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the oral Answer of 6 February 2014, Official Report, column 348W, on Colombia, which representatives of Colombian trades unions he met during his visit to Colombia in February 2014.

    Mr Nick Clegg

    I refer the Rt. Hon Member to the answer I gave on 11 February, Column 691. In addition to this, all members of the business delegation who accompanied me were briefed on Human Rights issues before the visit.

  • Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect of the recent Presidential elections in Syria on the prospects for future political reconciliation between the government and Opposition forces.

    Mr William Hague

    The recent Syrian Presidential elections were a parody of democracy designed to sustain the Assad dictatorship, held in the midst of a civil war and extreme regime violence with millions displaced from their homes unable to vote. They did not meet even the most basic requirements for free and fair elections.

    We judge that holding these elections was damaging to the political process. This is a view shared by the UN who warned that holding elections “will damage the political process and hamper the prospects for political solution that the country so urgently needs.”

    We will continue to support the moderate opposition who have a pluralistic, democratic vision of a future Syria and to create conditions for a future political settlement. A negotiated political transition in Syria, following the principles set out in the Geneva communiqué, is the only way to end the conflict and alleviate Syria’s humanitarian crisis.

  • Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to the government of Spain on the proposed twinning of the town of Algerciras in Spain with Rio Grande in Argentina.

    Mr William Hague

    The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not made representations to Spain about the proposed twinning of Algeciras in Spain, and Rio Grande in Argentina. Any twinning arrangement between Algeciras and Rio Grande is a matter for the local authorities of those cities.

  • Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the oral Answer of 6 February 2014, Official Report, column 348W, on Colombia, what discussions he held with (a) business, (b) government and (c) civil society representatives regarding the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Action Plan on Business and Human Rights during his visit to Colombia in February 2014.

    Mr Nick Clegg

    I refer the Rt. Hon Member to the answer I gave on 11 February, Column 691. In addition to this, all members of the business delegation who accompanied me were briefed on Human Rights issues before the visit.

  • Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on extending the deadline for agreeing a P5+1 comprehensive nuclear deal with Iran.

    Mr William Hague

    The UK, like the rest of the E3+3, remains strongly committed to reaching a comprehensive agreement with Iran by 20 July. The Geneva interim deal is renewable by mutual consent. It is important that Iran addresses our concerns and agrees to limit its nuclear activity without delay.

  • Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government’s most recent assessment is of the likelihood of President Assad complying with the agreed Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons timetable for the removal and destruction of Syria’s stockpile of chemical weapons.

    Mr William Hague

    Good early progress was made toward putting both Syria’s chemical weapons manufacturing facilities and the weapons themselves beyond use. However, the programme has fallen behind schedule and the regime has missed a number of interim deadlines, including the 31 December target for the removal of priority I chemicals, and the 5 February deadline for the removal of priority II material. It is the regime’s responsibility to comply with the timetable set out by the UN-Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

    The UN Secretary General, the OPCW Director General and the coordinator of the OPCW-UN joint mission have assessed that Syria has all the equipment it needs to ensure the expeditious removal of the chemicals concerned. To date, approximately 54 percent of the declared chemical stockpile has been removed from Syria. The regime must significantly accelerate the movement of the chemicals to port to enable their removal if the 30 June deadline for the elimination of the chemicals is to be achieved.

  • Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Deputy Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-04-29.

    To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to the Answer of 30 January 2014, Official Report, column 692W, on Colombia, which representatives of non-governmental organisations accompanied him on his visit to Colombia in February 2014.

    Mr Nick Clegg

    I was accompanied on my visit by Lord Livingston of Parkhead and a delegation representing British businesses. Whilst this delegation did not include representatives of non-governmental organisations, I met a number of NGOs before the visit and during my time in Colombia.

  • Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Douglas Alexander – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Alexander on 2014-06-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on progress on the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.

    Mr William Hague

    The March European Council held an in depth discussion on the situation in Ukraine, and the political chapters of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement were signed on 21 March. At the March European Council the EU and Member States also restated their commitment to signing the remainder of the Association Agreement with Ukraine.

    The 14 April and 15 May Foreign Affairs Committees agreed Conclusions which reiterated the EU’s commitment to sign the remaining provisions of the Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, as soon as possible after the presidential elections which took place on 25 May.