Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government plans to (a) attend and (b) make representations at the next meeting of EU Ministers at which the persecution of the Rohingya is scheduled to be discussed.

The Foreign Secretary represented the UK at the EU Foreign Affairs Council on 16 October, securing agreement to the suspension of all Burmese military visits to the EU and a review of all defence cooperation, and to consider additional measures if the situation in Rakhine does not improve. This followed the Government's own announcement on 19 September that the UK would suspend practical defence co-operation with the Burmese military and visits by senior military officers to the UK.

The Foreign Secretary routinely attends EU Foreign Affairs Council meetings. He is committed to maintaining international attention and ensuring action on the situation of the Rohingya, and so would make representations at future meetings where the situation of the Rohingya is being discussed.