Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assurances the Government received from the United Arab Emirates authorities on Matthew Hedges prior to his conviction and sentencing.

The Foreign Secretary personally raised this issue with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed during his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 12 November. The Foreign Secretary raised the issue several times with the UAE’s Foreign Minister, Abdullah bin Zayed, and most recently on 12 November. We have been clear that we do not agree with the charges but we are grateful to the UAE Government for resolving the issue.