Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Mexican Government on the investigations of the death of Javier Valdez and the disappearance of 43 students in 2014.

Officials at our Embassy in Mexico City have expressed our serious concerns about the murder of Mexican journalist, Javier Valdez to the Mexican Government . We have supported calls by the EU for a prompt and transparent investigation by the Mexican authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice, and to ensure the protection of all journalists at risk.

The Government has also been clear in expressing its deep concerns about the Ayotzinapa case since the disappearance of the 43 students in September 2014, doing so most recently when Baroness Anelay visited Mexico in December last year. We will continue to monitor developments in both cases closely and press the Mexican Government to continue the investigations and support the families of those affected.

We have offered technical support to the Special Prosecutor for crimes against Freedom of Expression and the Deputy Attorney General for Human Rights to build their capacity to investigate such crimes.