Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on whether any Sri Lankan nationals on Diego Garcia hold criminal records.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO does not have any information about Sri Lankan migrants' criminality that pre-dates their arrival on British Indian Ocean Territory. Any criminality on BIOT has been dealt with and recorded as appropriate by the BIOT police and BIOT Courts.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he made of the potential implications for his policies of Iran’s (a) compliance with United Nations Security Council resolutions, (b) attempts to develop its military nuclear programme and (c) deployment of missiles against civilian targets in Israel before the vote in the UN General Assembly on draft decision A/C.1/79/L.32 on missiles.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK supported draft decision A/C.1/79/L.32 alongside international partners to ensure missiles remained on the agenda of the 81st session of the UN 1st Committee. We are clear that Iran continues to destabilise the region through its political, financial, and military support for its proxies and partners - in direct contravention of multiple UNSCRs. Iran also continues to escalate its nuclear programme, which has no credible civilian justification. We will continue to tackle this destabilising behaviour by holding Iran to account at the UN and in other multilateral fora. The UK is also prepared to use all diplomatic levers to ensure that Iran never develops a nuclear weapon.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions the Government has had with the Government of Mauritius in relation to Sri Lankan nationals located on Diego Garcia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government discussed a wide range of issues with Mauritius during the negotiations over the exercise of sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago, including the migrant situation on Diego Garcia. The agreement reached between the UK and Mauritius on 3 October will shut down any possibility of the Indian Ocean being used as a dangerous illegal migration route to the UK, with Mauritius taking responsibility for any future arrivals once the treaty underpinning the agreement enters into force. Any further arrivals before the treaty comes into force will be handled in line with the recent agreement with St Helena.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what industrial disputes are ongoing within (a) his Department and (b) each of the arm’s length bodies connected to his Department; how many (i) staff and (ii) contractors are involved in each dispute; what the form of industrial action is in each dispute; which recognised trade union is involved in each dispute; what the substantive matter is that is being disputed in each case; and what steps he plans to take to end each dispute.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
PCS Union members are taking industrial action affecting the FM services at FCDO's facility in East Kilbride, known as Abercrombie House. The FM services affected include Soft Services and Security Guarding contracted by the Landlord: The Government Property Agency. The FCDO do not hold any contractual relationship with the employers of the PCS Union members, either OCS or G4S to influence negotiations regarding industrial action.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to decolonise the artwork or heritage assets in (a) his Department, (b) its Embassies and High Commissions overseas and (c) each of its Arm’s Length Bodies.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO continues to look at how best to engage with the historic artwork in its Grade One listed joint headquarters in King Charles Street, a process started under previous Foreign Secretaries. Works of art from the Government Art Collection are also selected for display in representational areas of UK and international Government buildings by Ministers, Diplomats and other Senior Civil Servants in consultation with Government Art Collection staff. This ensures that high-profile visitors experience British art that showcases the culture, creativity and values of contemporary Britain.
Artwork in Embassies, High Commissions and Residences overseas is the responsibility of our Ambassadors and High Commissioners who work closely with the Government Art Collection to best reflect the United Kingdom overseas. Similarly, the artwork in arms-length bodies of the FCDO is the responsibility of the chief executives of those organisations.