Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to help (a) end the recent violence and (b) ensure the protection of minority groups in Syria.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to my answer of 4 September to Question 69285.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on diplomatic steps to end the conflict between Hamas and Israel.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The former Foreign Secretary held regular discussions with his US counterpart on shared priorities, including bringing an end to the war in Gaza, and the new Foreign Secretary will do the same.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the future role of Hamas in the Palestinian Authority.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The former Foreign Secretary held regular discussions with his US counterpart on shared priorities, including bringing an end to the war in Gaza, and the new Foreign Secretary will do the same.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to Hamas on agreeing US proposals to secure a ceasefire.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has long retained a policy of no contact with Hamas who are a proscribed terrorist organisation. We are clear that Hamas must neither govern Gaza nor be a threat to Israel anymore.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the safe provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The previous Foreign Secretary spoke to Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 23 August to discuss a number of issues including humanitarian aid. We continue to work with partners, including the United Nations and United States, to push for unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the safe provision of humanitarian aid to people in need in Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The previous Foreign Secretary spoke to Foreign Minister Sa'ar on 23 August to discuss a number of issues including humanitarian aid. We continue to work with partners, including the United Nations and United States, to push for unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the beer and pub sector on the UK’s soft power.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has consistently ranked within the top three countries in indices that measure soft power. The UK pub and beer industry are key assets for the UK economy and society and contribute to our soft power. The pub is also a key tourism destination for many visiting the UK, with over 45,000 pubs in the UK. Beer and pubs contribute £34.3 billion to the UK economy and we export over 1 billion pints of beer to over 100 different countries annually. The Soft Power Council, launched by the Foreign Secretary and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in January, which brings together some of the most influential figures across soft power and foreign policy, are steering and advising the Government on better harnessing our world class sectors.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Chinese counterpart on the Chagos Islands deal.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK/Mauritius Agreement on the Chagos Archipelago and Diego Garcia has not been discussed.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Moroccan counterpart on ensuring human rights for the Sahrawi people.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to the promotion and protection of human rights globally, including in Morocco and Western Sahara. Officials, including up to Ambassador level regularly engage on these issues with the Moroccan Government and authorities accordingly.
In the UK-Morocco joint communiqué, both countries reaffirmed their commitment to cooperation on human rights, our support for the principle of respect for self-determination and the intention to hold a third session of the UK-Morocco Human Rights dialogue before the end of 2025. It also expressed our shared conviction to renew efforts to support the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General in the search for a solution to the Western Sahara conflict, underlining that the only viable and durable solution will be one that is mutually acceptable to the relevant parties, and is arrived at through compromise. We welcome Morocco's stated commitment to further detail and willingness to engage in good faith with all relevant parties, to expand on details of what autonomy within the Moroccan State could entail for the region, with a view to restarting serious negotiations on terms acceptable to the parties.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Egyptian counterpart on the seizure of St. Catherine’s Monastery.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government recognises St Catherine's Monastery's historical and religious importance and tracks this long-standing land ownership dispute. Our Embassy in Cairo participated in discussions with the Egyptian Government on this issue on 30 May. We will continue to engage on issues of heritage protection and religious freedoms.