Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Colombian authorities about respect for labour rights in the oil and mining industries in that country; and if he will make a statement.

During his visit to Colombia in February this year, the former Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) raised business and human rights in his meetings with President Santos and Foreign Affairs, Finance and Trade Ministers.

In addition, our officials have had several meetings with the Colombian government, civil society and businesses in Colombia to discuss the UK Action Plan on Business and Human Rights in line with our commitment to working for widespread international uptake of the UN Guiding Principles and to developing partnerships with other countries to progress this.

The British Embassy will raise trade union rights and the issue of the rights of contracted labour in the oil and mining sectors, at their next meeting with the Colombian Ministry of the Interior in early 2015.