Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they propose to announce the appointment of a new Governor of Gibraltar.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We are completing the internal processes for confirming the appointment of the new Governor. An announcement will be made once that process is complete.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government why the last Governor of Gibraltar, General Davis, retired from his role before a new Governor had been appointed.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
A new Governor was selected before Lieutenant General Edward Davis' contract expired and we are completing the process for confirming that appointment. It is not unusual for there to be a gap between Governors. The current Deputy Governor has been sworn in as Governor and will hold that position until the new Governor is ready to assume the functions of their office.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in discussions with the government of Mauritius on an overall resolution to the issues concerning (1) the future of the Chagos Islands, and (2) the resettlement of the Chagos Islanders, since the Prime Minister met the Prime Minister of Mauritius on 20 January.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Prime Minister had a discussion with Prime Minister Jugnauth, which included the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), when he attended the UK-Africa Investment Summit in London in January. We remain open to dialogue with Mauritius on matters of shared interest, including BIOT and its Marine Protected Area (MPA).
We have no doubt about our sovereignty over the territory of BIOT, which has been under continuous British sovereignty since 1814. We have made a long-standing commitment to cede sovereignty of the territory to Mauritius when it is no longer required for defence purposes. We stand by that commitment.
In November 2016, the UK Government announced that resettlement of Chagossians could not be supported on the grounds of feasibility, defence and security interests, and cost to the British taxpayer. There remains no right of abode in BIOT. While resettlement is unrealistic the UK Government is providing a significant package of assistance to Chagossians to help boost their life chances and provide increased opportunities to participate in a rolling programme of heritage visits to the Territory
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made on the implementation of the decisions taken in London in April 2018 by the Commonwealth Heads of Government.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Over the past two years, the UK - as Chair-in-Office - has worked closely with our Commonwealth partners to drive collective delivery of the commitments agreed at the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The work is supported by over £500 million of projects to support the Commonwealth in achieving these goals, which are already delivering benefits for member states. For example, over 3,000 women-owned businesses have now received training from the Commonwealth SheTrades project, supporting inclusive economic growth and prosperity. 31 Member States have committed to take action on marine plastic pollution as part of the Commonwealth Clean Ocean Alliance. Also, the Pacific Nationally Determined Contribution Hub was officially opened by the Prime Minister of Fiji last week, helping Pacific Island Countries tackle climate change. The Government will publish a detailed update on the UK's period as Chair-in-Office in the coming months.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy on resolving the crisis in Libya; and what assessment they have made of whether that policy is consistent with the EU's approach towards that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK remains deeply concerned about the situation in Libya. We are working closely with our international partners, including the other member states of the EU, to support UN-led efforts to secure an end to the fighting and a return to a UN-led political process. Our close work with the international community, including our EU partners, to achieve these ends was demonstrated by a UN Security Council press statement of 5 July, a P3+3 (UK, US, France, Italy, Egypt and UAE) statement of 16 July, and EU statements of 12 April and 5 July.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Egypt concerning access to medical services in prison for Dr Aboul Fotouh and other political prisoners.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We have been closely engaged on the case of Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh. Officials raised his case with Egyptian authorities on 4 July in London and on 7 July in Cairo. We will continue to urge the Egyptian authorities to ensure all detainees are treated in accordance with relevant international human right standards and to highlight the importance of access to medical care.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in implementing the decisions made at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting held in London in April 2018.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs wrote to the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) on 15 May 2019 enclosing an update on progress against commitments made at the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. I refer the Noble Lord to this report, which the FAC has now published on their website.
Asked by: Lord Luce (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they, in partnership with the governments of Norway and the United States, are in dialogue with the African Union about political and economic conditions in the Sudan with a view to attempting to restore stability in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK continues to promote comprehensive peace negotiations through our role in the Troika. Alongside the US and Norway we engage regularly with the African Union, both at official level and with members of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), as part of our collective effort to address the root causes of instability in Sudan. On 8 January we, with Troika partners and Canada, released a statement expressing deep concern at the Government's violent response to recent protests in Sudan, stressing the need to implement reforms.