Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many Ambassadors and High Commissioners have left posts with his Department and subsequently been re-appointed as an official or consultant since 2010.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold information on the numbers of Ambassadors and High Commissioners that have left posts and subsequently been re-appointed as an official or consultant. This information cannot be provided without exceeding the disproportionate cost threshold.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what long-term plans his Department has to tackle the crisis for the Rohingya people in Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Answered by Mark Field
The Government continues to press to ensure full implementation of the UN Security Council Presidential Statement proposed by the UK and secured on 6 November. The UK will continue to lobby Burma and Bangladesh to ensure that Rohingya refugee returns are safe, voluntary and in dignity; support Bangladesh in its generous effort to host the refugees; work with international partners to bring the perpetrators of human rights violations in Rakhine to justice and to press Burma to allow the UN Fact Finding Mission free and unhindered access; encourage the Burmese Government to implement in full the recommendations of the Rakhine Advisory Commission and make Rakhine safe for Rohingya by ending discrimination with immediate effect.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support The Gambia to rejoin the Commonwealth.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The process for The Gambia's re-entry into the Commonwealth is being led by the Commonwealth Secretariat. We have been consistent and vocal in our support. Our High Commission in Banjul met the Commonwealth Secretariat's assessment mission in September and is engaging with the Government and other member states' representatives on the ground as the process moves forward. We look forward to welcoming The Gambia to the Commonwealth Summit next year.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the Gambia's transition to democracy.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The Government continues to support The Gambia's transition to democracy. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is funding a special advisor in the Minister of Justice's office to drive forward constitutional, institutional and legal reforms, as well as providing human rights training to the State Intelligence Service as part of the wider agenda on security sector reform. We are considering how we can build on the recent activities undertaken by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK and Westminster Foundation for Democracy in strengthening good governance and transparency in Parliament.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans his Department has to ensure that Commonwealth nations help to tackle economic problems and to embed democracy in (a) the Gambia and (b) other low and middle-income countries; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Rory Stewart
The British Government believes that the Commonwealth is a force for good around the world, through its promotion of democracy, the rule of law, good governance and economic development, as enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter. The 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in London will encourage all members to uphold these values
As the Prime Minister set out in September, the key goals of the summit will include promoting democracy and boosting prosperity across the Commonwealth, including in low and middle-income countries. We want to see The Gambia fully included as part of that wider effort.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Saudi Arabian Government on the case of Raif Badawi; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The UK remains concerned about the case of Raif Badawi and we continue to raise his case at all levels in the Saudi Arabian government. Our expectation remains that he will not receive any further lashes.
Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign and Commonwealth Office human rights priority country because of the use of the death penalty, women's issues and restrictions on other freedoms.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with aid partners in Yemen and other international counterparts on changes to the humanitarian situation in Yemen.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Yemen is one of the most serious humanitarian crises in the world. I regularly discuss the humanitarian situation in Yemen with a wide range of interlocutors including the UN, international partners, Government of Yemen and humanitarian organisations. I most recently discussed Yemen humanitarian issues on March 13 with the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and with the Kuwait Deputy Foreign Minister on March 16.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that humanitarian and commercial supplies are not prevented from entering Yemen.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Conflict is making humanitarian and commercial access into and within Yemen extremely difficult. We continue to urge all parties to the conflict to take all reasonable steps to allow and facilitate rapid and safe humanitarian access.
In addition, since 2015 the Department For International Development has supported the following UN agencies who are helping to facilitate humanitarian and commercial access:
- The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), who broker humanitarian access for the international response (£1.8 million).
- The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) to provide an air bridge into Yemen for UN and Non-Government Organistion humanitarian staff (£1 million).
- The UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) to speed up the clearance process for ships and improve commercial confidence (£1.4 million).
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on the renewal of the lease on the Chagos Islands that ends on 31 December 2016; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Government supports the US presence on Diego Garcia in the British Indian Ocean Territory, and wishes it to continue. This presence is underpinned by an Exchange of Notes which will roll over automatically for a further 20 years if neither side decides to terminate it before 30 December this year.
Asked by: Ian Murray (Labour - Edinburgh South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which overseas trips by Ministers of the Scottish Government were supported by (a) his Department and (b) British embassies and consulates in each year since 2014.
Answered by David Lidington
The information requested is not held centrally and to obtain it would incur disproportionate cost.