Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the informal meeting of foreign affairs ministers of EU member states on 8 September in Gymnich, and in advance of the UN General Assembly, what action is being taken at the national and EU level to find a sustainable solution to the current political crisis in Venezuela.

We are working closely with partners, including the EU and UN, to consider a range of options to promote an end to the crisis in Venezuela. The most recent discussion at EU level took place on 12 September. The Lima Group of Foreign Ministers met in the margins of the UN General Assembly on 20 September and will re-convene in Canada in October. Any solution to the current crisis in Venezuela must come from the region. The Minister for Europe and the Americas is working closely with Peru's Foreign Minister, Ricardo Luna, in support of Peru's regional leadership. We will continue to work with partners to consider a wide range of options to prevent further violence and alleviate the suffering of ordinary Venezuelans.

Venezuela remains a Human Rights Priority Country for the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and the Minister for Europe and the Americas met the President of the National Assembly, Julio Borges, and Antonieta Lopez, the mother of opposition leader, Leopoldo Lopez, on 7 September and stressed the UK's unwavering support for the National Assembly as a democratic institution.