Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which Minister is leading on the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy; and which senior officials are working on that review.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Prime Minister is leading on the Integrated Review with the National Security Council, with support from a cross-Whitehall team and a small team in Downing Street. On the Civil Service side, the National Security Advisor is leading on the Integrated Review, with support from the Deputy National Security Advisor.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when (a) he and (b) Ministers from his Department next plan to meet with the Pakistani High Commissioner.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
We are in regular contact with the Pakistani High Commissioner and his staff. They are key to furthering the good relations between the UK and Pakistan in a wide range of areas, including security cooperation, anti-corruption, and bilateral trade.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration is adhered to by all parties.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
We believe that meaningful political dialogue, taken forward by Hong Kong under its high degree of autonomy, is the best way to resolve the current impasse. It is important that the basic freedoms enshrined in the Sino-British Joint Declaration are maintained.
The Sino-British Joint Declaration is a legally binding treaty, registered with the UN, that remains in force. The UK, as a co-signatory, has an obligation to monitor its implementation closely, and we are committed to doing so.
The Prime Minister discussed developments in Hong Kong with other leaders at the recent G7 Summit, and the Foreign Secretary has recently spoken with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Written Statement of 5 November 2018, on uploading the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, HCWS1061 whether he has plans to allow UK registered subsidiaries of US companies to trade with Iran through the Special Purpose Vehicle; and what discussions officials in his Department have had with representatives of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Undertaking trade with Iran is a commercial decision for individual businesses to take on the basis of considering all possible risks, and firms should seek their own legal advice before doing so. Once it is established, the same will be true for companies that may wish to use the Special Purpose Vehicle. As a party to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), the British Government remains committed to its full implementation and is in regular communication with the remaining parties to the deal.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his Department's annual spend on consular services in India was in each of the last five years.
Answered by Mark Field
The full costs attributed to providing consular services fluctuate from year to year depending on the overall cost to Government of operating the overseas network and how these costs are shared amongst the different Government Departments and FCO services using the platform. The full costs attributed to providing consular services in India for the last five years were:
Financial Year | Spend (to the nearest £) |
2017-18 | £2,789,001 |
2016-17 | £2,517,064 |
2015-16 | £3,145,730 |
2014-15 | £4,116,127 |
2013-14 | £2,460,504 |
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many departmental personnel were assigned to consular service roles relating to Indian casework in each of the last five years.
Answered by Mark Field
We currently have 19 staff in India assigned to consular service roles, of whom two are British diplomats. Staffing numbers for consular services have remained steady across the consular overseas network during the last five years. Our Consular staff in India are supported by colleagues in the High Commission and Deputy High Commissions, and specialist colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's preferred outcomes are for the Western Balkans Summit on 10 July.
Answered by Alan Duncan
This week's Western Balkans Summit will be a demonstration of the Government's longstanding commitment to the region and to European security. The Summit will focus on three areas:
First, regional security, where we hope to increase cooperation against common threats, including corruption and organised crime.
Second, economic stability, to improve the business environment, entrepreneurship, and digital skills.
Third, political cooperation, to help the region overcome legacy issues stemming from the conflicts of the 1990s.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to urge Iranian compliance with Security Council Resolution 2216.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK remains concerned by Iran's destabilising behaviour across the region, particularly its proliferation of ballistic missiles and support to non-state groups, including the Houthis in Yemen. We have consistently raised concerns with Iran about its regional behaviour, including at the highest levels, and urged them to end supply of weapons including missiles to the Houthis. Such transfers threaten regional security and prolong the conflict in Yemen. In addition, the EU has in place more than 200 sanctions against Iranian individuals and entities for activities of concern including ballistic missile activity and IRGC links, including against the IRGC in its entirety. The EU arms embargo against Iran remains in place.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking in upholding the Korean Armistice Agreement.
Answered by Mark Field
The United Kingdom is one of sixteen Sending States to the United Nations Command (UNC) in the Republic of Korea, which is responsible for maintaining the Korean Armistice Agreement. We have three staff officers permanently based in the UNC, and contribute additional staff to the UNC for annual joint United States-Republic of Korea military exercises. The United Kingdom's Defence Attaché to the Republic of Korea is the UK Member of the Military Armistice Commission, which supervises the implementation of the Agreement and settles any violations of the Armistice through negotiations.
Asked by: Kevan Jones (Labour - North Durham)
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 (a) South Korean and (b) Japanese counterparts on the outcome of the US-North Korea summit which took place on 12 June 2018.
Answered by Mark Field
The Foreign Secretary regularly speaks to his counterparts in Japan and Republic of Korea (ROK) about securing a diplomatic solution to the security threat posed by North Korea. Since the summit he has spoken to ROK Foreign Minister Kang on 15 June