Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department held with the Mauritian Government on the sovereignty of the Chagos Islands in (a) January 2009 and (b) July 2009.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The then government explained to Parliament in 2009 that the purpose of the meetings in 2009 was to establish a dialogue between the UK and Mauritius on the British Indian Ocean Territory. Officials set out their respective views on the issue of sovereignty at that time. There were discussions on other issues, including fishing rights, environmental concerns, and future visits to the territory by members of the Chagossian community.
It was not until 2022, under the immediately preceding government, that negotiations regarding sovereignty began. That government then undertook 11 rounds of negotiations on sovereignty and related matters, with the last public update on progress being issued on 29 April 2024.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information her Department holds on the policy reasons why his Department commenced negotiations with the Government of Mauritius on the sovereignty of a) Diego Garcia and b) the wider Chagos Archipelago in 2009.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2009/10 interactions between the UK and Mauritius focussed on the creation of the Marine Protected Area (MPA), which the UK declared in 2010 and which Mauritius objected to. It was not until 2022, under the previous government, that negotiations regarding sovereignty began.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with Syrian Democratic Forces on the repatriation of Islamic State-linked individuals to the United Kingdom from the al-Roj camp.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 28 January on the situation in North-East Syria, and I will provide further updates to the House in due course as the situation evolves.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many Islamic State-linked a) men, b) women and c) children have been allowed to return to the UK following detention in camps within Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 28 January on the situation in North-East Syria, and I will provide further updates to the House in due course as the situation evolves.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when she expects to have updated the 1966 Exchange of Notes with the United States regarding the ongoing use of Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the Urgent Question debate on 26 January and the Opposition Day debate on 28 January, where these and other issues were addressed at length.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) residential and (b) commercial properties in London are owned by the People's Republic of China.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government does not control the purchase of private property within the United Kingdom, and keeps no central record of purchases made on behalf of individual nation states.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many (a) residential and (b) commercial properties in the UK are owned by the Chinese state.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government does not control the purchase of private property within the United Kingdom, and keeps no central record of purchases made on behalf of individual nation states.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions has she had with her Danish counterparts on support for the nation regarding the sovereignty of the territory of Greenland.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the statement made to the House by the Foreign Secretary on 5 January, and her responses to questions raised in that debate, where she set out in comprehensive terms the UK's position on Greenland. The Foreign Secretary and I are in regular contact with our Danish counterparts.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of recognising Palestine as a state on the application of the Foreign Enlistment Act of 1870 to British-Israeli dual nationals serving in the Israeli Defence Forces in (a) Gaza and (b) the West Bank.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not hold specific information on British Nationals who have served in the Israeli Defense Forces, but the UK recognises the right of British dual nationals to serve in the legitimately recognised armed forces of the country of their other nationality.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the new Venezuelan President, Delcy Rodríguez, has had sanctions imposed upon her by the UK Government.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the current list of designated persons publicly available on GOV.UK at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/financial-sanctions-venezuela.