Asked by: Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party - Moray)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what military equipment has been gifted to Ukraine in the last two years; and what estimate he has made of the value of that equipment when it was gifted.
Answered by David Lidington
The UK Government has gifted £1.266m in protective gear (helmets, body armour), medical kits, winter clothing and winter fuel to the Ukraine Armed Forces. In addition to this, 10 armoured vehicles at a cost of £1.2m were also gifted to the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission.
Asked by: Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party - Moray)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence's Study of the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) detention and Interrogation Program, what assessment he has made of the treatment of CIA detainees; and whether any detainees were transported through the UK in the conditions described in the study.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The account of the treatment of some detainees by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) as reported by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is troubling. As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) has stated, after 9/11 there were things that happened that were wrong, and we should be clear about the fact that they were wrong.
In July 2010 the Prime Minister asked Sir Peter Gibson to lead an Inquiry into whether Britain was implicated in the improper treatment, or rendition, of detainees held by other countries in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. In December 2013, the Detainee Inquiry published a report on its preparatory work setting out a series of questions which the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament is now considering. The Committee will report to Parliament and the public on completion of its work.
This Government also took the important step of publishing the Consolidated Guidance in 2010 on the obligations of our agencies and the Ministry of Defence in relation to detainees held overseas. The Intelligence Services Commissioner is tasked to monitor compliance with this – a role we have recently put on a statutory footing.
The UK Government stands firmly against torture and cruel, inhumane and degrading treatment or punishment. We do not condone it, nor do we ask others to do it on our behalf.
The US Government has assured us that there have been no cases of rendition through the UK, our Overseas Territories including Diego Garcia (British Indian Ocean Territory), or the Crown Dependencies since 11 September 2001, apart from the two cases in 2002, about which the then Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the then Member for South Shields, Mr Milliband informed the House in 2008.
Asked by: Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party - Moray)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the government of Mauritania on the detention of Mr Biram Dah Abeid and his associates.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We are aware of the recent arrest of Mr Biram Abeid and other anti-slavery activists. We are following this case closely and have met a wide range of those involved, including members of Mr Biram’s organisation. We discussed this issue with EU partners on 3 December 2014.
We will continue to engage with Mauritania on human rights issues and work closely with our international partners represented in Nouakchott including diplomatic institutions, the UN, EU and African Union.
Asked by: Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party - Moray)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many officials there were in the UK delegation to the 2013 Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in Kiruna, Sweden; and what the (a) title of position and (b) grade was of each such official.
Answered by James Duddridge
The UK continues to support the Nigerian authorities in trying to establish the location of the abducted schoolgirls. We provide surveillance assets, in the form of RAF Tornados, to assist in the search and expertise to assist in intelligence analysis. The resolve of Nigeria, the UK and international community to continue the search remains strong.
On 3 September I led the UK delegation to the ministerial meeting in Abuja on security in Nigeria, attended by Nigeria’s neighbours and international partners. I emphasised the crucial importance of regional coordination to locating the girls taken from Chibok and to defeating Boko Haram.
Asked by: Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party - Moray)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) the current text of the 1958 UK-US Mutual Defence Agreement and its annexes, as subsequently amended since the Agreement originally entered into force and (b) any amendments to the Agreement and its annexes that the Government proposes for when they are renewed.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The 2014 Amendment to the Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the United States of America for Cooperation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defense Purposes 1958, otherwise known as the Amendment Agreement to the 1958 UK-US Mutual Defence Agreement (MDA), has been laid before Parliament in accordance with the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. This Amendment Agreement is intended to renew and update certain provisions in the MDA to ensure their continuing relevance and validity for a further period of 10 years until 31 December 2024. The original MDA and its subsequent amendments are available in the libraries, as they were previously laid under the Ponsonby Rule. In line with long-established practice, and as accepted by Parliament during the 2004 renewal, the annexes of the MDA cannot be placed in the libraries because of the sensitivity of their contents.
Asked by: Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party - Moray)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the goals of the UK are, as an Arctic Council observer state, for the Canadian chairmanship of the Arctic Council from 2013 to 2015.
Answered by James Duddridge
The Government’s aim for the Arctic is to work towards a region that is safe and secure; well governed in conjunction with indigenous peoples and in line with international law; where policies are developed on the basis of sound science with full regard to the environment; and where only responsible development takes place. The UK supports the Canadian priorities for its Chairmanship of the Arctic Council, particularly around strengthening the Arctic Council; safe Arctic shipping; and responsible resource development, all of which are in line with the Government’s full Arctic policy as outlined in its Arctic Policy Framework: Adapting To Change, published in October 2013.
Asked by: Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party - Moray)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many officials in his Department work exclusively on Arctic issues; and what the (a) title of position and (b) grade is of each such official.
Answered by James Duddridge
A range of officials from across Government departments input into the UK’s Arctic policy, reflecting the breadth of the UK’s policy interests in the Arctic as set out in the Government’s Arctic Policy Framework. Within the FCO, no one works exclusively on Arctic issues but a number of officials from across the office work collaboratively to develop the UK’s Arctic policy. The policy is coordinated by the Polar Regions Department, headed by a senior SMS1 official, and which chairs the cross-Government network. There is considerable input from posts in the eight Arctic States and the Arctic Council observer states, and from relevant policy officials and legal advisors in London on issues such as climate change, energy, international law and maritime policy.
Asked by: Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party - Moray)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the total cost is of the current security contract with G4S in Afghanistan; what the tender for the next such contract is worth; who has expressed interest in that contract; and when the contract will be awarded.
Answered by David Lidington
The current security contract which has been in place since February 2010 with G4S in Afghanistan is worth approximately £120m and is due to end on 30/06/2015. The tender for the next such contract is worth an estimated value of £14-20m per annum and is likely to reduce over the lifetime of the contract. As this is currently a live tender, we are unable to provide details as to who has expressed interest in this contract, since this information is commercially sensitive.Asked by: Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party - Moray)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much UK embassies have spent on hospitality in the last two years.
Answered by David Lidington
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office undertakes a wide range of activities to establish and maintain contacts throughout its network of over 270 overseas embassies, consulates and other posts. This includes meetings and events hosted for political and business delegations (including those in support of UK Trade and Industry) to promote British interests overseas and the prosperity agenda. For financial years 2012-2013 and 2013-2014, FCO expenditure on official representation and business hospitality undertaken at our overseas posts was £8,539,350.61 and £7,888,008.22 respectively. Any such spending is undertaken for business reasons, and is kept under rigorous scrutiny to ensure value for money and effectiveness and is incurred in accordance with the principles of Managing Public Money and the Treasury handbook on Regularity, Propriety and Value for Money.Asked by: Angus Robertson (Scottish National Party - Moray)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he has taken to ensure that the outcome of the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict reflects the wide range of people affected by such violence.
Answered by Mark Simmonds
The Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict will turn the political commitments made in the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict into practical action and bring real change to those affected by this crime. We have consulted widely with experts, practitioners and international partners since the launch of the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative in 2012, including on the outcomes of the Summit. Over 1,500 delegates will attend, including legal, military and judicial practitioners, representatives from multilateral organisations, and over 100 NGOs and grassroots organisations. The Summit is an opportunity for governments from countries around the world to hear directly from those affected what action needs to be taken to effectively tackle this issue.