Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what communications there have been between UK Ministers or officials and (a) the Somali government and (b) Somali officials regarding the Soma Oil and Gas deal; what the nature of those communications was; and if he will make a statement.

Foreign and Commonwealth officials have discussed the Soma Oil and Gas deal with the Somali authorities on several occasions. During those discussions, UK officials stressed the importance of managing natural resources in a transparent and conflict sensitive way to benefit all Somalis.

The British Government is currently funding the World Bank to provide technical assistance to review the legal framework for the petroleum sector and support a Somali-led process leading to a revenue sharing agreement.