Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps her Department has taken to help ensure the safety and welfare of Jim Fitton in detention in Iraq.

Consular officials in Iraq and the UK are continuing to provide consular assistance to Mr Fitton and his family. We cannot interfere in the judicial process of another country, just as we would not expect interference in our own. The British Ambassador in Baghdad has raised and will continue to raise our interest in Mr Fitton's case with the Iraqi Government. While he is detained, we will continue to register our interest in Mr Fitton, including that the conditions of the prison where he is detained are in line with international standards. Mr Fitton's safety and welfare remain of the upmost importance.