Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of Morocco's Western Sahara Autonomy Proposal on the Western Sahara region; and whether she has made an assessment of the viability of that proposal.
Answered by Graham Stuart
We take note of the proposals presented by the parties to the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) in 2007. We strongly support the work of Staffan de Mistura as the UNSG's Personal Envoy to Western Sahara and encourage all concerned to make the most of this opportunity for a renewed political process to reach a just, lasting and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential effect of the UK’s partnership with Rwanda on development opportunities in that country.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK is a longstanding partner to Rwanda, having provided official development assistance (ODA) to support Rwanda's social and economic development since the 1990s. Our development cooperation has delivered huge benefit to the people of Rwanda, helping to lift 2 million people out of poverty. The Migration and Economic Development Partnership builds on this, whilst also delivering a much-needed solution to global migration challenges, and will provide a substantial boost to the development of Rwanda, including on jobs, skills and opportunities to benefit both migrants and host communities.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress has been made on negotiating a new international agreement restricting Iran's (a) nuclear programme, (b) ballistic missile programme and (c) financial support for terror groups.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The UK is committed to finding a diplomatic way forward that brings the US back into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), returns Iran to compliance with its commitments, and restores the benefits of the deal. Our diplomats are working hard to negotiate a solution and we welcome the constructive discussions in Vienna so far. But we have always been clear that any sustainable solution will need to address a range of issues, in particular Iran's nuclear programme but also regional security concerns, including Iran's ballistic missile programme and destabilising activity throughout the region. This includes political, financial and military support to a number of militant and proscribed groups. We are committed to engaging regional partners in any future negotiations on regional security.
Asked by: Tom Hunt (Conservative - Ipswich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the reforms to the curriculum to strengthen anti-extremist education in Jordan since 2015.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
We frequently engage with the Government of Jordan on countering violent extremism, and Jordan has - in recent years - improved the content of its curriculum. We do not assess that the Jordanian curriculum contains materials that promote engagement with Daesh or other extremist groups, or promotes violent extremist behaviour.