Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the Colombian Government in (a) progressing peace talks with the ELN, (b) extending the bilateral ceasefire and (c) dismantling the economic, political and military structures of the paramilitary groups.

We supported the temporary ceasefire with the National Liberation Army (ELN) announced in September and provided techincal support to the Colombian Government's negotiating team. The ceasefire ended on 9 January. We condem the subsequent attacks carried out by the ELN against civilian and military targets on 10 January. The UN Security Council has called for both sides to prevent a return to conflict.