Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has discussed the recent US partial cessation of weapons sales to Saudi Arabia with his US counterpart.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
UK officials have discussed the recent US announcement with their US counterparts.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to his Foreword to the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, First Annual Report 2016, Cm 9161, what definition the Government uses of soft power; and how the Government quantifies the statement that the UK has some of the strongest and most effective soft power in the world.
Answered by Lord Sharma
A commonly accepted definition of soft power, based on the work of Joseph Nye, is 'the ability to affect others through influencing, persuading, and eliciting positive attraction, in order to achieve outcomes'. The UK's soft power stems from a wide range of resources, many of which are completely independent of government. This includes the UK's values, the English language, our cultural heritage and assets, and our world class education system, all of which attract tourists, students and business investment. In addition, the Government has chosen to invest in organisations such as the British Council and the BBC World Service, which build understanding between countries and promote the exchange of information and ideas.
The UK is recognised as a leader in soft power by a range of external organisations. The UK has ranked in the top three in four different soft power rankings since 2012, most recently ranking second in the 2016 Portland Soft Power index.
Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to fulfil Article 2 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
Answered by David Lidington
NATO Summits do not formally discuss Articles of the Washington Treaty as items of their formal agenda. However, the importance of strong institutions at national level was reflected in several of the themes and topics addressed at the Warsaw Summit on 8-9 July. For example, Allies reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the NATO defence investment targets agreed at the 2014 Wales Summit through national action plans; to improving NATO-EU cooperation in support of a comprehensive approach to security; and to building resilience in the face of hybrid threats, also requiring strong national institutions. NATO remains at the heart of UK defence and security policy and we are at the forefront of NATO’s efforts to modernise and adapt to today’s threat picture. We continue to work through NATO with our key allies across the globe to multiply the effects of our own determined approach, to project stability and increase our collective security, including in line the aims of with Article 2 of the Washington Treaty.Asked by: Douglas Chapman (Scottish National Party - Dunfermline and West Fife)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether Article 2 of the North Atlantic Treaty will be on the agenda of the forthcoming NATO summit.
Answered by David Lidington
NATO Summits do not formally discuss Articles of the Washington Treaty as items of their formal agenda. However, the importance of strong institutions at national level was reflected in several of the themes and topics addressed at the Warsaw Summit on 8-9 July. For example, Allies reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the NATO defence investment targets agreed at the 2014 Wales Summit through national action plans; to improving NATO-EU cooperation in support of a comprehensive approach to security; and to building resilience in the face of hybrid threats, also requiring strong national institutions. NATO remains at the heart of UK defence and security policy and we are at the forefront of NATO’s efforts to modernise and adapt to today’s threat picture. We continue to work through NATO with our key allies across the globe to multiply the effects of our own determined approach, to project stability and increase our collective security, including in line the aims of with Article 2 of the Washington Treaty.