Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies on Western Sahara of Morocco’s autonomy plan.

The UK continues to support UN-led efforts to reach a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution, based on compromise, which will provide for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. The UK strongly supports the work of Staffan de Mistura, Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Western Sahara, and continues to encourage constructive engagement with the UN political process. The UK believes this process is the best way to solve the long-standing dispute by delivering a solution agreeable to all parties, one which would contribute significantly to regional security and prosperity.