Speech in Written Statements - Wed 11 Jun 2014 South Sudan
"I wish to update the House on the situation in South Sudan and UK efforts to help resolve the conflict.
We remain deeply concerned about the security situation and growing humanitarian crisis in South Sudan. The agreement reached by the parties on 9 May seeks to end months of fighting, …..." Mark Simmonds - View Speech
"The Foreign Secretary launched the 2013-16 Consular Strategy in April last year, setting out a series of changes to drive innovation and excellence in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s consular services.
One year on, the FCO has already delivered significant improvements to the services received by our consular customers across …..." Mark Simmonds - View Speech
"It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship this morning, Mr Howarth. I particularly congratulate the hon. Member for Islington North (Jeremy Corbyn) on securing this important debate and on the knowledgeable and detailed way in which he set out many of the challenges across the great lakes region. …..." Mark Simmonds - View Speech
"I assure the hon. Gentleman that those conversations not only will take place, but have started already. When I was last in Goma, I met Martin Kobler and we discussed the security situation, the broader political situation and the role that Church groups and others can play in building security …..." Mark Simmonds - View Speech
"Tomorrow the UK takes on the chairmanship of the voluntary principles on security and human rights for one year. The voluntary principles provide guidance to extractive companies operating in fragile and conflict-affected areas, on effective risk management and on mitigating the risk that the security around their operations might contribute …..." Mark Simmonds - View Speech
"It is a pleasure to serve under your guidance this afternoon, Mr Davies. I congratulate the right hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr Straw) on securing this important debate and, as always, on the detailed, measured and articulate way in which he set out his case.
"I am grateful for the right hon. Gentleman’s intervention, because it leads me on quite neatly to my next remarks. Before I move on, however, I must say that I do not think he can conflate the challenges that some UK banks have—we can come on to the specifics—with the …..." Mark Simmonds - View Speech
"As I said in response to the right hon. Member for Blackburn, I do not think we can conflate the issues relating to the complexity of a bilateral trade relationship with alleged extraterritorial US sanctions. Many other issues are at stake—for example, the fact that the UK Government currently do …..." Mark Simmonds - View Speech
"The Act to which reference was made—as well as the subsequent statutory orders, most recently updated in 1997—provides measures to protect British companies from the impact of, and prevent them from complying with, US sanctions. Judgments against UK companies that result from such sanctions, in the way that has been …..." Mark Simmonds - View Speech