Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether any employees of Rio Tinto plc have been seconded to his Department in the last five years.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Our records show that in the last five years no employees of Rio Tinto plc have been seconded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
Asked by: Ian Lavery (Labour - Wansbeck)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will issue a statement cautioning UK businesses against investing in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara.
Answered by Hugh Robertson
The British Government advises companies considering investing in Western Sahara to obtain independent legal advice. We make companies aware that such investment raises complex and sensitive issues.
We consider Morocco to be the de facto administering power of Western Sahara. We therefore consistently encourage Morocco to meet its commitments under Chapter XI, Article 73 of the UN Charter by ensuring that it acts to protect and further the interests of the people of the territory. This includes ensuring that the resources of the territory are used for the benefit of the people of the territory.