Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many times he has met Ministers of the Scottish Government since July 2016.
Answered by Alan Duncan
I met the Scottish Government Minister for UK Negotiations on Scotland's Place in Europe in the context of the Joint Ministerial Council (Europe Negotiations) on 9 November. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) has not yet met any Minister in the Scottish Government in his official capacity, but is committed to do so as part of the FCO's continued engagement and cooperation with each of the Devolved Administrations.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the UK's decision to leave the EU on UK bilateral relations with (a) other EU and (b) non-EU countries.
Answered by Alan Duncan
As the UK leaves the European Union, the Government intends to strengthen its bilateral relationships with countries in Europe and around the world.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 August 2016 to Question 45523, for what reasons the Government has not ratified the Convention for extension to the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The British Government's ratification of the UN International Convention of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has been extended to all of the permanently inhabited Overseas Territories. It has not been extended to the British Indian Ocean Territory as there is no permanent resident population.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 August 2016 to Question 45523, what plans he has to provide a response to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination's recommendation (CERD/C/GBR//CO18-20) on the British Indian Ocean Territory and the Chagossians.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The UK has not extended its ratification of the UN International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination to the British Indian Ocean Territory, and therefore considers questions relating to the Territory to be outside the remit of the Committee.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 August 2016 to Question 45523, what steps he plans to take to update Parliament, Chagossians and others on progress on the issues discussed in that Answer.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Government will announce developments to Parliament and the public before the end of the year.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to address the humanitarian crisis in sub-Saharan Africa.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Her Majesty's Government is committed to addressing humanitarian crises in Africa through a number of means, including working bilaterally with African countries and through supporting multilateral bodies such as the European Union, United Nations, the International Financial Institutions and the African Union. The UK is also a leading donor in responding to crisis in the region; last year the Department for International Development spent £522m on humanitarian assistance across Africa, including South Sudan, Nigeria and in response to El Nino effects in Ethiopia and Southern Africa.
We also remain an active partner of the African Union, supporting the organisation to deliver its responsibility for peace and security on the continent, and in its role as the first responder to crisis. In addition,
Ministerial colleagues and I undertake regular visits to the region where prevention and responses to humanitarian crises are frequently discussed.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress the international coalition is making in its work to defeat Daesh.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
As recent progress in Qayyarah in Iraq and Manbij in Syria demonstrates, our strategy of supporting local forces, including with airstrikes is working. The Coalition assesses that Daesh has been driven out of around half the territory it once occupied in Iraq and over 20 per cent in Syria. Thousands of people have been freed from Daesh's rule and many of those who have escaped have now been able to return to their homes. The next major challenges are driving Daesh out of Raqqa and Mosul.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential implications for UK foreign policy of the President of the European Commission's State of the Union Address of 14 September 2016.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The UK will continue to share foreign and security interests and common challenges with EU Member States and other partners. We will continue to be an influential international actor, remaining a leading member of NATO, the G7 and G20, and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. We do not assess President Juncker’s speech as fundamentally altering this.Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take in respect of the recommendations in paragraph 41 of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination's concluding observations on the 21st to 23rd periodic report, published on 26 August 2016, on facilitating the resettlement of the Chagossians.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Government is aware of the recommendations of the Committee of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination in respect to the resettlement of Chagossians. Ratification of the Convention has not been extended to the British Indian Ocean Territory and such questions remain outside the remit of the Committee. The Government remains committed to its review of current policy on resettlement and will continue to keep Parliament, Chagossians and their supporters closely informed of progress on the issue.
Asked by: Paul Monaghan (Scottish National Party - Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the outcome of the EU referendum.
Answered by David Lidington
The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge and I have been holding, and will continue to hold, discussions with our international counterparts on the outcome of the EU referendum. The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Witney attended the European Council meeting on 28 June to explain the decision the British people have taken.