Asked by: Mark Williams (Liberal Democrat - Ceredigion)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with the Moroccan ambassador to the UK Morocco's ban on the UN Secretary General's Personal Envoy to the Western Sahara visiting Western Sahara during his visit to that region to facilitate negotiations called for by the UN Security Council.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
With Ambassadors of other members of the Group of Friends of Western Sahara, the British Ambassador to Morocco raised this issue with the Moroccan Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs on 13 November. The Group of Friends welcomed the assurances they received that the Secretary-General's Envoy would not be prevented from visiting Western Sahara.
Asked by: Mark Williams (Liberal Democrat - Ceredigion)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will (a) discuss with the Moroccan Ambassador to the UK and (b) instruct the British Ambassador to Morocco to investigate the condition and treatment of Ali Aarrass who is on hunger strike in Sale prison.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Non-Government Organisations reported on 10 November that Ali Aarrass suspended his hunger strike after 72 days. We monitor the human rights situation in Morocco closely.
Asked by: Mark Williams (Liberal Democrat - Ceredigion)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the options that were agreed by the UK, Morocco and the Saharawi under the 1990-91 ceasefire agreement for a referendum on self-determination in Western Sahara have changed.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The options for a referendum on the self-determination of Western Sahara, as set out in the UN Secretary General’s 1990 report and the 1991 MINURSO mandate, have not changed. The UK fully supports UN-led efforts to encourage Morocco and the Polisario Front to agree a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.
Asked by: Mark Williams (Liberal Democrat - Ceredigion)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on how many (a) Saharawi people and (b) Moroccan settlers live in the part of Western Sahara under Moroccan control.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The population of Western Sahara is approximately 540,000 (UN, 2012). We are not aware of any accurate data on the composition of the population.
Asked by: Mark Williams (Liberal Democrat - Ceredigion)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has received an invitation to the Crans Montana Forum in Dakhla, occupied Western Sahara; whether he plans to send a representative to that forum; and what reports he has received on the African Union's call for that forum to be cancelled.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
I have not received an invitation to this forum and I do not plan to send a representative. I am aware of reports that the African Union has called for the forum to be cancelled.
Asked by: Mark Williams (Liberal Democrat - Ceredigion)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on reports made to the UN by Morocco as required of an administering power of Western Sahara.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Morocco is not listed by the UN as the administering Power of Western Sahara and has not therefore transmitted information on the territory in accordance with Article 73e of the charter of the UN.
Asked by: Mark Williams (Liberal Democrat - Ceredigion)
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 Spanish counterpart on (a) the position of that country in relation to the administration of Western Sahara and (b) whether Spain has submitted information to the UN about conditions in that territory, as is required of an administering power.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We have not made representations to the Spanish government relating to Western Sahara. Spain is not listed by the UN as the administering Power of Western Sahara and has not therefore transmitted information on the territory in accordance with Article 73 e of the charter of the UN.
Asked by: Mark Williams (Liberal Democrat - Ceredigion)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department recognises Morocco as the administering power in the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Like the UN, the UK does not recognise a de jure administering power in Western Sahara. Morocco exercises de facto control over part of the territory.
Asked by: Mark Williams (Liberal Democrat - Ceredigion)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on attacks by the Israeli Ground Force and Navy on farmers and fishermen in Gaza in October 2014; and if he will raise this matter with his Israeli counterpart.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The IDF has demarcated a 6-mile radius at the western nautical border. The demarcation of the northern border is not as clear to fishermen and this border area is the site of many incidents. During Operation Protective Edge, we raised our concern with the IDF several times over incidents in which fishermen were reportedly shot. The IDF maintained that the Israeli Navy fired only warning shots into the air when the fishermen ventured over the nautical border. We have received unconfirmed reports from the British Consulate General in Jerusalem on attacks in October. We have not raised the October incidents with the Israeli authorities, but continue to monitor developments closely.
Asked by: Mark Williams (Liberal Democrat - Ceredigion)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on IDF incursions into the West Bank and East Jerusalem and violence by settlers; and what plans he has to raise the issue with his Israeli counterpart.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office receives regular reports from our Embassy in Tel Aviv and our Consulate-General in Jerusalem on political developments in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) spoke to the Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, on 10 November where he said he was deeply concerned about rising tensions in East Jerusalem. On 10 November, our Ambassador to Tel Aviv raised UK concerns over rising tensions with the Israeli Ministry of Defence Director-General Political-Military and urged the need for calm.