Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to expedite the release of Shaker Aamer from Guantanamo Bay.

Mr Aamer’s case remains a high priority for the UK Government. Senior Members of the Government, including the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) and the Secretary of State for Defence my right hon. Friend the Member for Sevenoaks (Mr Fallon) continue to make clear to the US Government that we want Mr Aamer released and returned to the UK as a matter of urgency. However, any decision regarding Mr Aamer’s release ultimately remains in the hands of the United States Government.