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Departmental Recruitment
Jeremy Lefroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the advantages to foreign and security policy of appointing men and women with military experience to posts other than that of military attaché. [98139]
Alistair Burt: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office employs staff with a broad range of skills and experiences to achieve the UK's international goals. Military experience can be extremely valuable in a range of diplomatic appointments. We rely on fair and open competition in making appointments, and in developing our staff. For those specialist roles where military experience is desirable, we may target our recruitment campaigns towards appropriate candidates.
The Ministry of Defence appoints all military attachés.
EU Institutions
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to promote Scotland as a location for EU agencies and decentralised bodies. [98074]
Mr Lidington: When the EU decides to create an agency, it invites bids from member states. The legislation setting up an agency is based on the relevant Treaty base. The formal decision on location is taken by the European Council. The member state which is awarded the agency decides where to locate it.
The UK takes such decisions on the basis of a number of factors, including transport, infrastructure and links to the issues to be covered by the agency. This is why, for example, the European Police College was located in Bramshill, which already has the Police Staff College on site and was therefore the most suitable location.
The Government have been making the case to European partners, as part of the EU inter-institutional review of agencies, that the bidding process should be more transparent, locating agencies in the most suitable city rather than in the member state which has the fewest agencies.
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish each item of documentation prepared by his Department in respect of the Government's role in securing the location of the (a) European Medicines Agency in London, (b) European Police College in Bramshill and (c) European Banking Authority in London. [98076]
Mr Lidington: Government policy is to not publish material relating to Government lobbying of other member states and the European Commission.
Iran
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the recent visit by International Atomic Energy Agency officials to Iran; and if he will make a statement. [98243]
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Alistair Burt: The latest International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report details the outcome of its recent visits to Iran. I am disappointed at the refusal of Iran to co-operate with the agency during these visits. The international community, as expressed by the IAEA Board of Governors Resolution in November 2011, has real concerns about the possible military dimensions to Iran's programme, and Iran is doing nothing to allay these concerns.
Despite this, we remain ready to work with Iran towards a diplomatic solution. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, confirmed on 6 March that the UK, US, France, Germany, Russia and China, having carefully considered Iran's latest response to Baroness Ashton, agree that the international community should demonstrate its commitment to a diplomatic solution by acknowledging Iran's agreement to meet, by testing Iran's desire to talk and by offering it the opportunity to respond to legitimate concerns about its nuclear intentions. Baroness Ashton has therefore replied to Iran offering to resume talks on the nuclear issue.
Israel
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on the situation of Mr Khader Adnan who has been on hunger strike while detained by the Israeli authorities. [98461]
Alistair Burt: The British Government followed very closely the situation of Mr Khader Adnan, who was on prolonged hunger strike while held in administrative detention by the Israeli authorities.
Our officials in Tel Aviv, along with our EU partners, raised our concerns about Mr Adnan on a number of occasions, including with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the office of the Israeli National Security Adviser and the Israeli Prison Service.
We were pleased that an agreement was reached on 21 February which enabled Mr Adnan to end his hunger strike.
We continue to encourage the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law, including in their policies on detention and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners. Most recently, I raised Israel's extensive use of administrative detention with the Israeli ambassador to London on 23 February and the Deputy Israeli Foreign Minister on 27 February.
Libya
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to invite the Prime Minister of Libya to visit London; and if he will ensure that members of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Libya are given the opportunity to meet him. [97972]
Alistair Burt: We have extended an open invitation to Prime Minister Al-Kib to visit London, which we hope he will be able to do in the near future. We will make him aware of the All Party Parliamentary Group's interest in a meeting.
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Maldives
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking (a) bilaterally and (b) through the EU to support parties in the Maldives to prepare for early elections; and if he will make a statement. [R] [98386]
Alistair Burt: We welcome the deal, brokered by India, which calls for an interim administration followed by elections at the earliest opportunity. I have spoken to former President Nasheed and President Waheed on a number of occasions calling for all sides to engage in this process.
We welcome Baroness Ashton's statement of 21 February which calls on all political parties to immediately engage in dialogue, to commit themselves to early presidential elections and to determine the legislative and constitutional measures required to ensure that these are free and fair.
The UK stands ready to help Maldives prepare for early elections, including through the EU, Commonwealth and UN.
Mr Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will raise at the UN the issue of early elections in the Maldives; and if he will make a statement. [R] [98387]
Alistair Burt: We welcome the deal, brokered by India, which calls for an interim administration followed by early elections at the earliest feasible opportunity. We are urging all parties to engage in this process and regret that as yet all parties have not agreed to its terms. We intend to re-state this position during consultations at the UN Security Council this week.
UNRWA
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has to support the UN Relief and Works Agency Summer Games Marathon to be held on 1 March 2012 in Gaza. [98459]
Alistair Burt: Some members of our staff from the British Consulate-General in Jerusalem were considering taking part in the run in a personal capacity, but they had a few unanswered security questions so in the end they did not participate.
In the run-up to the 2012 Olympics, the British Consulate-General in Jerusalem is planning a range of initiatives with a sporting theme across the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
West Bank
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of allegations of violence and vandalism committed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank; and if he will make a statement. [98460]
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Alistair Burt: We are concerned by recent incidents of settler violence, particularly deliberately provocative attacks by extremist settlers on places of worship, designed to aggravate tensions.
I raised our concerns over settler violence with the Israeli authorities during my visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories between 8 and 10 January 2012. I welcomed the clear condemnation of extremist settler attacks by Israeli leaders, and the stated intention of the Israeli Government to bring the perpetrators to justice. The package of measures announced by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in response to settler violence was a welcome step forward. I looked forward to seeing the results of these measures, and to seeing those behind these crimes punished under law.
We call on all sides in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories to do all that they can to prevent loss of life, to bring the perpetrators of crimes to justice and to reduce tensions.
Yemen
Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has had discussions with the new President of Yemen, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. [97734]
Alistair Burt: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, has publicly welcomed President Hadi's inauguration on Saturday 25 February. After more than a year of political uncertainty and instability, both the Foreign Secretary and I are committed to putting our bilateral relationship back on a normal footing. On Monday 5 March I travelled to Yemen and congratulated President Hadi in person on his election. I emphasised the UK's commitment to supporting Yemen through its ongoing transition and our intention to remain a close partner to Yemen. Progress in Yemen since the signing of the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative in November last year has been rapid and productive, but there remain very apparent challenges to be faced. We look forward to working closely with President Hadi and offering him our full support.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the election of Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi as president of Yemen; and if he will make a statement. [98247]
Alistair Burt: On a one-day visit to Yemen on 5 March I personally congratulated President Hadi on his election. I stressed our ongoing commitment to supporting him and his Government as they seek now to address Yemen's political, economic and security challenges.
The interim presidential election, successfully held on 21 February, marks a significant moment in Yemen's history. Despite some violence and boycotts, Yemeni voters demonstrated clearly their desire for change. Voter turnout of over 6 million far exceeded expectations. With an overall approval rating in excess of 50% of all eligible voters, President Hadi has a clear mandate to continue with the transition process, in accordance with the Gulf Cooperation Council-brokered plan.