Asked by: Jo Swinson (Liberal Democrat - East Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Italian counterpart on (a) the seizure of international NGO vessels and (b) its potential violations of international maritime law.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The United Kingdom and Italy participate frequently in discussions on Mediterranean migration, most recently at the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 15 July, the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 18 July, and at an informal Ministerial meeting hosted by France on 22 July. These discussions include the role of NGO-operated Search and Rescue vessels and relevant international maritime law. There are divergent views amongst EU member States. The United Kingdom supports a predictable mechanism for the disembarkation and relocation of rescued migrants, and for all signatories to meet their obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.
Asked by: Jo Swinson (Liberal Democrat - East Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Emirati counterpart on the prison conditions of the Emirati prisoner of conscience Ahmed Mansoor.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The case of Ahmed Mansoor was previously raised by our officials with senior Emirati officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The UK urges all countries to comply with their human rights obligations. Our close relationship with the UAE allows us to discuss important issues such as human rights and where the UK has cause for concern, we raise these concerns at official and Ministerial level.
Asked by: Jo Swinson (Liberal Democrat - East Dunbartonshire)
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 his US counterparts on (a) the accuracy of its reporting of civilian casualties due to US drone strikes and (b) the lasting effect of US drone strikes on civilian populations in Somalia.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The Secretary of State will build on the work of his predecessor and continue to have regular engagement with his US counterpart on counter-terrorism activities. We have not sought to make an independent assessment of the accuracy or impact of US strikes in Somalia; this would be challenging, given the difficult security environment. The main cause of civilian casualties in Somalia is the insurgency and indiscriminate terrorist activity of Al-Shabaab. Support from the US and others to the Federal Government of Somalia's efforts to counter terrorism is critical to limiting Al-Shabaab's capability to inflict harm.
Asked by: Jo Swinson (Liberal Democrat - East Dunbartonshire)
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 (a) his Hungarian counterpart and (b) other EU counterparts on (i) the closure of the Central European University and (ii) restrictions on academic freedom in Hungary.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The British Embassy in Budapest have discussed this with the Hungarian government on various occasions, stressing that Central European University's (CEU) relocation to Vienna is a great loss for Budapest and Hungary. We regret that the Hungarian government and CEU could not find a mutually acceptable solution as a vibrant and diverse education sector brings substantial benefits to any country.
Asked by: Jo Swinson (Liberal Democrat - East Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the Government is providing to the Somali Government to counter the proliferation of weapons within Somalia and prevent access to weapons by terrorists.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The UK plays a leading role in upholding and strengthening the UN Somalia sanctions regime in our capacity as drafters for all UN Security Council Resolutions on Somalia. The sanctions regime is central to international efforts to promote peace and security in Somalia, including through addressing the threat of Al-Shabaab. The regime includes an arms embargo with certain exemptions for humanitarian protection, the African Union Mission in Somalia, and the development of the Somali security forces. Within these exemptions, safeguards are in place to manage proliferation of arms. Our Embassy in Mogadishu regularly engages with the Somali authorities on the importance of compliance with the regime and to support the development of effective weapons and ammunition management. More broadly, the UK has an extensive programme of support to security sector reform in Somalia, helping Somalia take responsibility for its own national security and reduce conflict and terrorism.