Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help facilitate the successful transition of Burma to a fully democratic nation.

The UK Government has played an integral part in Burma's transition. We provided technical support to the 2015 elections and pressed for the deployment of EU observers, which helped ensure the technical integrity of the process. When State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi visited the UK in September, The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), announced a package of support for Burma worth £118 million this year, including to support Burma's transition. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. Baroness Anelay of St Johns DBE, visited Burma from 9-12 November, where she met a number of Ministers in the Burmese Government including for discussions on the country's ongoing democratic transition.