Douglas Alexander

We had regular discussions with Hadi al-Bahra, while he was President of the Syrian National Coalition, most notably through the UK Special Representative for Syria. The UK Special Representative last met President al-Bahra on 18 December. I held detailed discussions with President al-Bahra on the situation in Syria when they met in London on 10 November 2014. All of these discussions covered the humanitarian situation throughout the whole of Syria as well as UK support to the Syrian opposition and the wider political process.

The Department for International Development have already responded to the urgent needs of Syrian refugees that have fled from Kobane to Turkey, by working with the relevant authorities and our partners to provide mattresses, non-food items and shelter for distribution to the most needy families. We stand ready to respond positively should further aid be needed.

The UK remains committed to the stability and security of Iraq. To date we have provided substantial support to the Iraqi government and Kurdish authorities to combat the ISIL threat, including airstrikes, Intelligence, surveillance and targeting support, training and lethal and non-lethal military equipment.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) submit formal requests for assistance to the international coordination cell in Erbil, the Organisation for Security Cooperation Iraq (OSC-I), on a weekly basis.

We continue to look at ways in which we can support Kurdish forces, in coordination with the federal government of Iraq, and consider additional requests for equipment or training as they are received.

The UK has made no direct representations to the government of Russia on this issue. We strongly support recent comments made by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Secretary General Stoltenberg calling on Russia to obey the norms of international air traffic. On 2 December NATO Foreign Ministers also agreed on the need to maintain contact through NATO/Russia military channels to help ensure that Russian military flights, or naval activities, do not give rise to unintended accidents or escalation.

The total number of UK civilian staff in Afghanistan, excluding security and logistics personnel, will reduce from approximately 180 staff at present to approximately 110 staff by 2015.

The Core Group of the Friends of Syria countries (UK, USA, France, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and United Arab Emirates – also known as the London 11) meets at regular intervals at both senior official and ministerial level. The UK is a leading member and the group most recently met at senior official level on 10 November 2014 in London. There are currently no fixed plans for a next meeting but the group will reconvene when it is appropriate to do so. The group remains committed to helping end the long-running Syrian crisis.

The Government remains committed to reopening the British Embassy in Tehran once we have resolved the outstanding steps required to bring the Embassy back to a functional level and made progress on arrangements for re-establishing a visa service in Tehran. We are in ongoing discussion with the Iranian government to identify solutions on both issues.

The Government remains committed to reopening the British Embassy in Tehran once we have resolved the outstanding steps required to bring the Embassy back to a functional level and made progress on arrangements for re-establishing a visa service in Tehran. We are in ongoing discussion with the Iranian government to identify solutions on both issues.

The Government remains committed to reopening the British Embassy in Tehran once we have resolved the outstanding steps required to bring the Embassy back to a functional level and made progress on arrangements for re-establishing a visa service in Tehran. We are in ongoing discussion with the Iranian government to identify solutions on both issues.

The British Government is determined to make rapid progress on implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2170, to prevent illicit finance reaching any groups associated with Al Qaeda or ISIL, and on UNSCR 2178 to tackle the flow of foreign fighters. In doing so, the UK is working with like-minded partners. The Qatari authorities share our belief that ISIL needs to be defeated, including through denying it access to funding. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood) discussed these issues with the Qatari Foreign Minister, Dr Khalid Al Attiyah, during his recent visit to Doha on 12 November. He welcomed their efforts to tackle terrorist financing through the introduction of a Charities Commission to prevent abuse of charities, and look to them to work with us on this agenda in the future.

Our Embassy in Tripoli has been temporarily closed since 6 August, due to ongoing fighting and instability. We advise against all travel to Libya and are not currently able to provide consular services in Libya. A small team of British diplomats focused on relations with Libya are currently working from our Embassy in Tunis, as well as a team in London. Our core diplomatic activity also includes the work of the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy, Jonathan Powell, who is continuing to work with the UN on the ground in Libya to pursue mediation efforts to agree a negotiated political settlement, which offers the best hope of stability for the country. We are keeping these arrangements under constant review, and the safety and security of our staff is paramount. We will review re-opening our Embassy in Libya when the security situation has sufficiently stabilised.

I congratulated the Tunisian government and people on their successful parliamentary elections last month. The future government, like governments everywhere, will face economic and security challenges. But these elections, which represent a significant milestone for Tunisia’s democratic transition, will provide a stable and credible platform for the government to address these challenges. The peaceful transfer of power bodes well for what the Tunisians themselves call their ‘start-up democracy’.

The 2015 parliamentary elections will be a watershed for Burma’s road to democracy. We have made clear to the Burmese government that we want to see inclusive and credible elections, underpinned by freedom of expression and respect for human rights. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) most recently discussed the elections with the Minister for Immigration in October, the Minister for Electric Power in July and the Deputy Foreign Minister in June.

The Department for International Development has allocated around £25m over five years to strengthen democratic governance, including support to the elections. UK funding will support the provision of technical advice to the Burmese election commission, voter education and monitoring and observation of the electoral process.

The British Government has provided significant support for Tunisia since its 2011 revolution. When the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood) met the Tunisian Deputy Foreign Minister at our Bilateral Forum earlier this month he congratulated him on Tunisia’s successful Legislative elections and reiterated our support. Bilaterally, our Arab Partnership programmes have supported political participation, good governance, transparency, and freedom of expression. On elections we have supported programmes on voter awareness and registration campaigns. We have provided financial support including through the UN for technical advice and operational support to the Independent Electoral Commission (ISIE). We have also supported civil society in monitoring campaign finances for both the legislative and presidential campaigns. Our support for economic development has been primarily channelled through multilateral donors. This support will continue, including in the period leading up to the Presidential elections.

We assess there to be a high threat of terrorism in Egypt. To date this has largely been focused against the Egyptian security services. The threat is highest in the Governorate of North Sinai to which we advise against all travel due to the significant level of criminal activity and fatal terrorist attacks on security services. We advise against all but essential travel to parts of southern Sinai with the exception of the Sharm El Sheikh area, which benefits from its geographical location and the enhanced security measures provided by the Egyptian security services. We also advise against all but essential travel to the area west of the Nile Valley and Delta Regions, excluding Siwa, Fayoum and the coastal area. We continue to review regularly the security situation when considering our travel advice for the country. During the recent visit of Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri to the UK, Ministers discussed the security situation with him and reiterated the UK’s commitment to working with Egypt on countering terrorism, including to tackle ISIL and the threat it poses in the region.

Ministers discussed the situation in Gaza and the talks between Israel and the Palestinians with Egyptian Foreign Minister Shukri during his visit to the UK on 27 October and stressed the importance we place on Egypt’s mediation role. Foreign Minister Shukri said that Egypt was still committed to the negotiation process and that talks would resume as soon as possible. We continue to discuss this issue with the Egyptian government.

We assess there to be a high threat of terrorism in Egypt. To date this has largely been focused against the Egyptian security services. The threat is highest in the Governorate of North Sinai to which we advise against all travel due to the significant level of criminal activity and fatal terrorist attacks on security services. During the recent visit of Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shukri to the UK, Ministers discussed the security situation with him and reiterated the UK’s commitment to working with Egypt on countering terrorism, including to tackle ISIL and the threat it poses in the region.

The E3+3 have made progress with Iran in the nuclear negotiations but significant gaps - especially over Iran's enrichment capacity - remain. Reaching agreement on these areas in particular by 24 November will be challenging.

The UK is providing support to the Tunisian government to promote economic stability and to provide support for security. Both through the EU and bilaterally: (a) EU programmes in Tunisia (€169m in 2014), to which the UK contributes as a Member State, promote stability by supporting economic growth and development of civil society and political institutions. The EU, together with the IMF and World Bank, lead on economic policy dialogue and provide technical assistance for reforms, which will also promote long term stability. A €300m EU macro-financial assistance loan to support economic stability was approved in March 2014. The UK funded an expert to lead a €3m comprehensive EU review of the needs for security sector reform in 2013. The review was approved by Tunisia in May 2014; programmes should launch in 2015. (b) Bilateral UK-Tunisia security cooperation has increased hugely since the revolution. This includes work on security sector reform to build capacity to counter threats; crisis response; security in tourist areas; and border security.

The UK will co-sponsor the regular resolution on Freedom of Religion or Belief tabled by the EU at the next session of the UN Human Rights Council in March 2015. The UK also supports the work of Professor Heiner Bielefeldt , the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief. He will deliver his annual presentation to the Human Rights Council at the March 2015 session, followed by an interactive dialogue during which we intend to make a statement.

The Counter Terrorism Programme Fund (CTPF) budget has been:
2010-11 £38 million
2011-12 £38 million
2012-13 £36 million
2013-14 £30 million

This reflects the redirection of Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) resources and the shift of some programmes to other government departments. The CTPF is only one element of the FCO's resources for countering terrorism. It is complemented by other budgets used for counter-terrorism related activities and the tri-departmental (FCO, Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence) Conflict Pool (ref WMS of 24 June). The FCO Strategic Programme Fund Allocation for 2014-15 will be announced shortly.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not release details of specific activities funded by the Counter-Terrorism Programme Fund (CTPF) for operational and security reasons.

Keeping Britain and British nationals safe from terrorism is a top priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and we are fully committed to safeguarding the UK's national security. We constantly monitor and review our projects, programmes and diplomatic engagement, as our part of the wider Government efforts on counter-terrorism, to ensure our resources are having the maximum possible impact in the right places as the global security environment changes.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) is one of the largest policy Departments in the FCO. The Counter Terrorism Programme Fund (CTPF) is the main fund for terrorism-related assistance to foreign countries used by CTD. The administrative budget for CTD was £237,500 in 2013-14 and the allocation for CTPF was £30 million. The administrative budget for CTD in 2014-15 is £211,000. The figures exclude the staffing costs of individuals working on counter-terrorism in the FCO and across our overseas network. CTPF is complemented by other budgets used for counter-terrorism related activities and the tri-departmental (FCO, Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence) Conflict Pool, as I set out in my statement to the House on 24 June 2014, Official Report, columns 9-12WS. A Written Ministerial Statement will follow on the FCO Strategic Programme Fund allocation for 2014-15, which will include the CTPF.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not release information about staffing on counter terrorism for operational and security reasons.

Keeping Britain and British nationals safe from terrorism is a top priority for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and we are fully committed to safeguarding the UK's national security. We constantly monitor and review our projects, programmes and diplomatic engagement, as our part of the wider Government efforts on counter-terrorism, to ensure our resources are having the maximum possible impact in the right places as the global security environment changes.

The Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) is one of the largest policy Departments in the FCO. The Counter Terrorism Programme Fund (CTPF) is the main fund for terrorism-related assistance to foreign countries used by CTD. The administrative budget for CTD was £237,500 in 2013-14 and the allocation for CTPF was £30 million. The administrative budget for CTD in 2014-15 is £211,000. The figures exclude the staffing costs of individuals working on counter-terrorism in the FCO and across our overseas network. A Written Ministerial Statement will follow on the FCO Strategic Programme Fund allocation for 2014-15, which will include the CTPF. The CTPF is complemented by other budgets used for counter-terrorism related activities and the tri-departmental (FCO, Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence) Conflict Pool, as I set out in my statement to the House on 24 June 2014, Official Report, columns 9-12WS.

The position of Chair in Office, which is occupied by the host of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) for two years after the event, was formally created in 2009. No formal guidance exists on the role. The decision for Sri Lanka to host CHOGM, and become Chair in Office thereafter, was taken at CHOGM in 2009. There has been no consensus amongst member states to revisit this decision.

On 22 May Russia and China vetoed a resolution that would have referred the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court, despite it having overwhelming international support, including from 13 members of the UN Security Council, 65 co-sponsors, over 100 Non-governmental organisations from across the world and the Syrian National Coalition.

Nonetheless, we need to ensure that those responsible for atrocities in Syria are held to account. Russia and China cannot indefinitely shield those responsible for horrific crimes. The UK is funding efforts to document war crimes and crimes against humanity, and we are pressing for an expansion of EU sanctions to cover those responsible.

Since Mr Brahimi stepped down we have had discussions with the UN and with a number of EU partners about arrangements for a successor. The appointment is still under consideration by the UN Secretary General.

The Constitution Drafting Assembly (CDA) in Libya is responsible for drafting the new constitution. The elections for the CDA took place on 20 February and Ali Tarhouni was subsequently elected as Chair of the body. Discussions are on-going to fill outstanding slots for minority groups. I welcome the recent G7 Communiqué which underscored the commitment of the international community to support the work of the CDA. The UK attends the UN Elections and Constitution coordination meetings in Libya which monitors the work of the CDA.

Whilst there is still much work to do in a challenging timescale and testing security environment, the CDA recently produced an initial programme of what they plan to include in the constitution including the main references and guiding principles. I welcome the efforts the CDA are making in developing a transparent and inclusive process which will benefit all peoples of Libya.

We will work to encourage states to sign and to ratify, in order to reach the 50 ratifications that are required to bring the Treaty into force. Like the negotiations on the Treaty itself, this will take time and require the considerable efforts and persistence of a broad coalition of supporters.

The UK has allocated £350,000 to support projects that will help countries to sign, ratify and implement the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT). We are working through the UN and EU with countries that require technical assistance and advice on how to implement certain aspects of the Treaty e.g. enforcement training and framing legislation correctly. Other activities include raising awareness with key partners in regions such as West Africa, where communities are seriously affected by the illicit trade in Small Arms.

This year, through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's counter-proliferation programme, we will be funding a series of ATT-related projects specifically focused on ATT signature, ratification, implementation and early entry into force.

The March European Council held an in depth discussion on the situation in Ukraine, and the political chapters of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement were signed on 21 March. At the March European Council the EU and Member States also restated their commitment to signing the remainder of the Association Agreement with Ukraine.

The 14 April and 15 May Foreign Affairs Committees agreed Conclusions which reiterated the EU's commitment to sign the remaining provisions of the Association Agreement, including the Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area, as soon as possible after the presidential elections which took place on 25 May.

The UK, like the rest of the E3+3, remains strongly committed to reaching a comprehensive agreement with Iran by 20 July. The Geneva interim deal is renewable by mutual consent. It is important that Iran addresses our concerns and agrees to limit its nuclear activity without delay.

The recent Syrian Presidential elections were a parody of democracy designed to sustain the Assad dictatorship, held in the midst of a civil war and extreme regime violence with millions displaced from their homes unable to vote. They did not meet even the most basic requirements for free and fair elections.

We judge that holding these elections was damaging to the political process. This is a view shared by the UN who warned that holding elections “will damage the political process and hamper the prospects for political solution that the country so urgently needs.”

We will continue to support the moderate opposition who have a pluralistic, democratic vision of a future Syria and to create conditions for a future political settlement. A negotiated political transition in Syria, following the principles set out in the Geneva communiqué, is the only way to end the conflict and alleviate Syria's humanitarian crisis.

The regime has missed all deadlines set by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Executive Council for the removal of chemicals from Syria, including their own deadline of 27 April 2014. Around 7.5 per cent of the materials remain. This means that the 30 June 2014 deadline set by the UN for the elimination of the material can no longer be met. Responsibility for this rests with the regime.

The functional destruction of Syria's chemical weapon manufacturing capability and the removal of more than 90 per cent of the chemicals used in the programme are significant achievements. However, Syria's failure to meet the deadlines for removal of the remaining chemicals is unacceptable. The UK and partners continue to press for the urgent completion of removal operations.