Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made representations to the Qatari government on the blocking by that country of VoIP communications software, including Skype and the effect of that on expatriate communities in Qatar.

A free and open internet is a fundamental tool for both promoting freedom of expression and creating the conditions conducive to investment and stability. We are aware of reports about the unreliability of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communications software in Qatar, although it does not appear to be a universal issue. Our Embassy in Doha continues to monitor and keep the situation under review.