Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact of India’s claim to a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council and the effect of the claim on the stability of South Asia.

The British Government’s position is well known. We support a permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC) for India. India’s most recent tenure as a non-permanent member of the UNSC ended in December 2012. We want to continue to engage with India, and other partners in the region, on the full range of UN issues. However, we have been clear that reform of the Council must not reduce its capacity to address threats to international peace and security.