Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether his Department raised the Paradise Golf and Beach Resort development during the fourth session of the Morocco-UK Strategic Dialogue.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK remains committed to doing what we can to help British investors who lost their investments in the Paradise Golf & Beach Resort (PGBR) project. The UK continues to raise the issue of PGBR with the Moroccan authorities, both by British Embassy officials and His Majesty's Ambassador to Rabat with the relevant interlocutors in Morocco, and by FCDO officials in the UK with the Moroccan Embassy to the United Kingdom in London, where we encourage the Embassy to engage with British investors to the greatest extent possible.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent progress he has made on the Paradise Golf and Beach Resort development.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK remains committed to doing what we can to help British investors who lost their investments in the Paradise Golf & Beach Resort (PGBR) project. The UK continues to raise the issue of PGBR with the Moroccan authorities, both by British Embassy officials and His Majesty's Ambassador to Rabat with the relevant interlocutors in Morocco, and by FCDO officials in the UK with the Moroccan Embassy to the United Kingdom in London, where we encourage the Embassy to engage with British investors to the greatest extent possible.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer on 27 April 2023 to Question 182319, what the outcomes of the meetings were with Moroccan officials.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK remains committed to providing support where possible to the British investors who lost their investments in the Atlantic Paradise Golf & Beach Resort (APGBR) project. Although strictly a legal matter for the Moroccan courts, His Majesty's Ambassador to Morocco regularly raises the issue of compensation with senior Moroccan interlocutors. On 7 July he met the Wali of Tangier and the President of the Commercial Court of Tangier to specifically discuss APGBR. These meetings were constructive but not conclusive. We will continue to urge the Moroccan authorities to find a speedy resolution to this dispute.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department is providing to British citizens who lost investments in Paradise Golf and Beach Resort.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK remains committed to providing support where possible to the British investors who lost their investments in the Atlantic Paradise Golf & Beach Resort (APGBR) project. Although strictly a legal matter for the Moroccan courts, His Majesty's Ambassador to Morocco regularly raises the issue of compensation with senior Moroccan interlocutors. On 7 July he met the Wali of Tangier and the President of the Commercial Court of Tangier to specifically discuss APGBR. These meetings were constructive but not conclusive. We will continue to urge the Moroccan authorities to find a speedy resolution to this dispute.
Asked by: Bell Ribeiro-Addy (Labour - Clapham and Brixton Hill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Moroccan counterpart on the Paradise Golf Resort development in Tangiers, Morocco and potential redress for British investors.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK remains committed to providing support where possible to the British investors who lost their investments in the Atlantic Paradise Golf & Beach Resort (APGBR) project. Although strictly a legal matter for the Moroccan courts, His Majesty's Ambassador to Morocco regularly raises the issue of compensation with senior Moroccan interlocutors. On 7 July he met the Wali of Tangier and the President of the Commercial Court of Tangier to specifically discuss APGBR. These meetings were constructive but not conclusive. We will continue to urge the Moroccan authorities to find a speedy resolution to this dispute.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the total sum of lost investments made by British citizens in the Paradise Golf and Beach Resort.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK remains committed to providing support where possible to the British investors who lost their investments in the Atlantic Paradise Golf & Beach Resort (APGBR) project. Although strictly a legal matter for the Moroccan courts, His Majesty's Ambassador to Morocco regularly raises the issue of compensation with senior Moroccan interlocutors. On 7 July he met the Wali of Tangier and the President of the Commercial Court of Tangier to specifically discuss APGBR. These meetings were constructive but not conclusive. We will continue to urge the Moroccan authorities to find a speedy resolution to this dispute.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the number of British citizens that have lost investments in the Paradise Golf and Beach Resort.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK remains committed to providing support where possible to the British investors who lost their investments in the Atlantic Paradise Golf & Beach Resort (APGBR) project. Although strictly a legal matter for the Moroccan courts, His Majesty's Ambassador to Morocco regularly raises the issue of compensation with senior Moroccan interlocutors. On 7 July he met the Wali of Tangier and the President of the Commercial Court of Tangier to specifically discuss APGBR. These meetings were constructive but not conclusive. We will continue to urge the Moroccan authorities to find a speedy resolution to this dispute.
Asked by: Kirsten Oswald (Scottish National Party - East Renfrewshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last met with representatives of the Moroccan Government.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK remains committed to providing support where possible to the British investors who lost their investments in the Atlantic Paradise Golf & Beach Resort (APGBR) project. Although strictly a legal matter for the Moroccan courts, His Majesty's Ambassador to Morocco regularly raises the issue of compensation with senior Moroccan interlocutors. On 7 July he met the Wali of Tangier and the President of the Commercial Court of Tangier to specifically discuss APGBR. These meetings were constructive but not conclusive. We will continue to urge the Moroccan authorities to find a speedy resolution to this dispute.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, if he will hold discussions with Invest Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Tourist Board on the potential for increasing tourism during the return of the Open Championship to Royal Portrush in 2025.
Answered by Steve Baker
The Open Championship in 2025 represents an opportunity for Northern Ireland to showcase its world-class tourism capabilities, scenery and outstanding golfing facilities. Royal Portrush was a successful setting for the 2019 Open Championship.
The Government would be glad to work with an incoming Northern Ireland Executive, and Northern Ireland Economy Minister, on maximising the economic benefits of the event.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his Department’s publication entitled Government procurement card HMT spend greater than £500: January 2023, published 31 May 2023, for (a) which individuals and (b) how many nights was accommodation purchased at (i) Hotel Taj Samudra on 20 January 2023 and (ii) JW Golf on 23 January 2023; and what was the purpose of those stays.
Answered by Gareth Davies - Shadow Financial Secretary (Treasury)
The purpose of these stays was to attend the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meetings for G20 as well as provide diplomacy and engagement with the Sri Lankan government.