The Foreign Affairs Committee
The foreign Affairs Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the roreign and Commonwealth Office and its associaLed public bodies.
Current membership
Crispin Blunt (Conservative, Reigate) (Chair) Mr John Baron (Conservative, Basildon and Billericay) Ann Clwyd (Labour, Cynon Va/fey) Mike Gapes (Labour-Co-operative, Jlford South) Stephen Gethins (Scottish National Party, North East Fife) Mr Mark Hendrick (Labour-Co-operative, Preston) Adam Holloway (Conservative, Gravesham) Daniel Kawczynski (Conservative, Shrewsbury and Atcham) Ian Murray (Labour, Edinburgh South) Andrew Rosindell (Conservative, Romford) Nadhim Zahawi (Conservative, Stratford-on-Avon)
Yasmin Qureshi (Labour, Bolton South East) was discharged from the Committee on 31 October 2016.
Powers
The Commil Lee is one ofthe deparLmenlal select commil Lees, Lhe powers ofwhich arc seL out in House ofCommons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the internet via www.parliament.uk.
Publications
The Reports and evidence ofthe Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order ofthe House. All publications ofthe Committee (including press notices) are on the internet at http://\','\\'W.parliament.uk/b usiness/ committees/ committees-a -z/ commons-select/foreign affairs-commillee/. A list of Reports ofthe Commitlce in the present Parliament is al the back ofthis volume.
The Reports of the Committee, the formal minutes relating to that report, oral evidence taken and some or all written evidence are available in a printed volume. Additional written evidence may be published on the internet only.
Committee staff
The current staff ofthe Committee are Chris Stanton (Clerk), Nick Beech (Second Clerk), Dr Ariella Huff (Senior Committee Specialist), Nicholas Wade (Committee Specialist), Ashlee Godwin (Commillce Specialist), Clare Genis (Senior Commitlee Assistant), Su Panchanalhan (Committee Assistant) and Estelle Currie (Media Officer).
Contacts All correspondence should be addressed lo the Clerk of the Foreign Affairs Commillce, House ofCommons, 14 Tothill Street, London SW! H (NB. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 6263; the Committee's e-mail address is [email protected]. Proceedings of the Committee
Tuesday 24 May 2016
Members present:
Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Mr John Baron Andrew Rosindell Ann Clwyd Nadhim Zahawi
1. FCO management issues Ordered, That the letter dated 26 April from the FCO, providing quarterly management information for the period November 2015 to March 2016 be reported to the House for publication on the internet.
2. Ditchley Foundation conference, US, September 2016 Ordered, That the Chair have leave to attend the Ditchley Foundation conference in Long Island, US, from 16 to 18 September 2016 in a representative capacity, and that the Chair seek the approval of the Liaison Committee for expenditure in connection with the visit.
3. Future programme The Committee considered this matter.
4. ISIL financing Ordered, That a letter from Air Vice-Marshal Stringer, dated 10 May, concerning oral evidence given on 26 April to the ISIL Financing Sub-committee, be reported to the House for publication on the internet.
5. Government responses to Foreign Affairs Committee reports Resolved, That the Foreign and Commonwealth Office may as a matter of course supply responses to the Committee for publication rather than issue them as Command Papers.
[Adjourned till Tuesday 7 June at 2.15 pm
Tuesday 7 June 2016
Members present:
Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Mr John Baron Daniel Kawczynski Mike Gapes Yasmin Qureshi Stephen Gethins Andrew Rosindell Adam Holloway Nadhim Zahawi
1. The UK’s role in the fight against ISIL
Draft Special Report (The UK's role in the war against ISIL following the Cessation of Hostilities in Syria in February 2016: Government response to the Committee's Third Report of Session 2015-16), proposed by the Chair, brought up, read the first and second time, and agreed to.
Resolved, That the Report be the First Special Report of the Committee to the House.
Ordered, That the Chair make the Report to the House.
2. Political Islam
Ordered, That the following written evidence be reported to the House for publication on the internet:
ISL0002 Dr Daud Abdullah ISL0004 Dr Rifai Sulaiman Lebbe ISL0006 Stephen Merley ISL0007 Basheer Nafi ISL0009 Dr. A. Amr Darrag ISL0010 Wael Haddara ISL0011 Mark Simmons ISL0012 Dr Anas Altikriti ISL0014 Mohd Daud Mat Din ISL0020 Community Security Trust ISL0022 Dr Rafik Abdessalem ISL0023 Katharine Thane ISL0024 Abdur Razzaq ISL0025 Nezar Ghorab ISL0027 Dr Abdulmawgood Dardery ISL0029 Dr Nermeen Abdelbary ISL0030 Mohamed Abdul Malek ISL0031 Dr Gamal Heshmat ISL0034 Ehsan Siddiq, Imran Siddiq, and Mir Ahmad BinQuasem ISL0042 Ziya Meral ISL0043 Dr Barbara Zollner ISL0044 Guney Yildiz ISL0045 Averroes ISL0046 Peter Welby ISL0047 Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Ordered, That the following papers be published by placing copies in the Parliamentary Archives:
ISL0016 ITN Solicitors, on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt and the Freedom and Justice Party (part of the submission) ISL0017 ITN Solicitors, on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt and the Freedom and Justice Party: copy of the Muslim Brotherhood submission to the Muslim Brotherhood Review. ISL0038 – Michael Marcusa, PhD candidate, Brown University Papers submitted by the Egyptian Embassy in London:
‘Memorandum for Presentation to Prime Minister Dr Hazem El-Beblawy concerning “the legal grounds for the Council of Ministers to declare the Brotherhood Group a ‘terrorist organisation’” ‘A statement by the Umma’s scholars on the crimes perpetrated by the coup in Egypt and the duty towards the coup’
Ibrahim Mounir, Deputy Supreme Guide, Muslim Brotherhood, Dr Anas Altikriti, Chief Executive Officer and founder, the Cordoba Foundation, Dr Radwan Masmoudi, adviser to Rached Ghannouchi, President of the AnNahda party, Tunisia, and Sondos Asem, former Foreign Media Co-ordinator at the office of President Mohamed Morsi, Egypt, gave oral evidence.
[Adjourned till Tuesday 14 June at 2.15 pm
Tuesday 14 June 2016
Members present:
Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Ann Clwyd Adam Holloway Mike Gapes Andrew Rosindell Stephen Gethins Nadhim Zahawi Mark Hendrick
1. The UK’s relations with Russia
Ordered, That the following written evidence be reported to the House for publication on the internet:
RUS0001 Dr Patrick Xavier RUS0003 Scotland/Russia Forum RUS0004 GML Limited RUS0005 Human Rights Watch RUS0006 Harm Reduction International (HRI) RUS0007 Ms Mary Dejevsky RUS0009 Russo-British Chamber of Commerce RUS0010 Dr Richard Connolly RUS0012 Dr Rebecca Niblock RUS0013 Mikhail Khodorkovsky, Founder, Open Russia RUS0014 British Council RUS0015 The Centre for European Reform RUS0016 Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain RUS0017 National Museum Directors' Council RUS0018 Dr Andrew Foxall, The Henry Jackson Society RUS0019 Alex Sinodov RUS0020 Stephen Kinnock MP RUS0021 Embassy of Ukraine in the UK RUS0022 The Economist/CEPA (Edward Lucas) RUS0023 Embassy of Georgia to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland RUS0024 Oxford Research Group RUS0025 Anti-Corruption Foundation RUS0026 Latvian Institute of International Affairs RUS0027 A Political Risk Analyst RUS0030 Dr Valentina Feklyunina RUS0031 TheCityUK RUS0032 Amnesty International UK RUS0034 BBC World Service RUS0035 Mr David Clark RUS0036 Eastern Europe Studies Centre
Ordered, That the following paper be published by placing a copy in the Parliamentary Archives:
RUS0002 Sarah Hurst
Dr Valentina Feklyunina, Newcastle University, Professor Alena Ledeneva, University College London, and Alex Nice, Economist Intelligence Unit, gave oral evidence.
Vladimir Ashurkov, Executive Director of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, gave oral evidence.
2. ISIL financing The Committee discussed this matter.
[Adjourned till Tuesday 28 June at 9.50 am
Tuesday 28 June 2016
MORNING MEETING
Members present:
Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Ann Clwyd Daniel Kawczynski Mike Gapes Yasmin Qureshi Adam Holloway Nadhim Zahawi
1. Implications of leaving the EU for the UK's role in the world
Sir Christopher Meyer KCMG, Malcolm Chalmers, Deputy Director-General, Royal United Services Institute, and Sir Simon Fraser GCMG gave oral evidence.
[Adjourned till 2.15 pm this day
AFTERNOON MEETING
Members present:
Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Ann Clwyd Mark Hendrick Mike Gapes Yasmin Qureshi Stephen Gethins
1. FCO Main Estimate 2016-17 Ordered, That the Memorandum from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on its Main Estimate 2016-17 be reported to the House for publication on the internet.
2. Implications of leaving the EU for the UK's role in the world Resolved, That the Committee inquire into the implications of leaving the EU for the UK's role in the world.
[Adjourned till Tuesday 5 July at 11.45 am
Tuesday 5 July 2016
MORNING MEETING
Members present:
Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Ann Clwyd Stephen Gethins Mike Gapes Yasmin Qureshi
1. Implications of leaving the EU for the UK's role in the world
The Rt Hon Oliver Letwin MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, gave oral evidence.
[Adjourned till 3.00 pm this day
AFTERNOON MEETING
Members present:
Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Mr John Baron Stephen Gethins Ann Clwyd Mark Hendrick Mike Gapes Andrew Rosindell
1. ISIL financing
Draft report (The UK’s role in the economic war against ISIL), proposed by the Chair, brought up and read.
The draft Report was agreed to; the Formal Minutes relating to the consideration of the Report are published with the First Report of the Committee, HC 121.
2. Human rights
Draft Special Report (The FCO's administration and funding of its human rights work overseas: Government Response to the Committee's Fourth Report of Session 2015-16), proposed by the Chair, brought up, read the first and second time, and agreed to.
Resolved, That the Report be the Second Special Report of the Committee to the House.
Ordered, That the Chair make the Report to the House.
3. Cayman Islands Constitution (Amendment) Order Resolved, That the Committee make no objection to the Order.
4. Implications of leaving the EU for the UK's role in the world
Resolved, That the Committee visit the Assemblée Nationale in Paris on 12 and 13 July 2016 for discussions on the UK’s relationship with the EU, and that the Chair seek the approval of the Liaison Committee for expenditure in connection with the visit.
[Adjourned till Thursday 7 July at 10.30 am
Thursday 7 July 2016
Members present:
Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Mr John Baron Mark Hendrick Ann Clwyd Daniel Kawczynski Mike Gapes Andrew Rosindell Stephen Gethins 1. Developments in UK foreign policy: July 2016
The Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Tuesday 12 July at 2.30 pm
Tuesday 12 July 2016
Members present:
Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Mr John Baron Daniel Kawczynski Ann Clwyd Yasmin Qureshi Mike Gapes Andrew Rosindell Adam Holloway
1. Political Islam
Ordered, That the following written evidence be reported to the House for publication on the internet:
ISL0048 Usaama al-Azami ISL0049 Dr Anas Altikriti ISL0050 Sondos Asem ISL0051 Ibraham Mounir
Mokhtar Awad, Research Fellow, George Washington University, Ed Husain, Senior Adviser, Centre on Religion and Geopolitics, and Dr Machteld Zee, Research Fellow, the Henry Jackson Society, gave oral evidence.
[Adjourned till Tuesday 19 July at 2.15 pm
Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 July
The Chair, Mike Gapes, Stephen Gethins, Mark Hendrick, Adam Holloway and Daniel Kawczynski visited the Assemblée Nationale in Paris in accordance with the Committee’s decision of 5 July.
Tuesday 19 July 2016
Members present:
Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Ann Clwyd Adam Holloway Mike Gapes Yasmin Qureshi Stephen Gethins Andrew Rosindell Mark Hendrick Nadhim Zahawi
1. European Round Table, San Sebastian, 5-8 October 2016 Ordered, That the Chair have leave to attend the European Round Table in San Sebastian, Spain, from 5 to 8 October 2016 in a representative capacity, and that the Chair seek the approval of the Liaison Committee for expenditure in connection with the visit.
2. CFSP/CDSP Conference of National Parliament Chairs in Bratislava on 2 to4 September 2016
Ordered, That the Chair have leave to attend the CFSP/CDSP Conference of National Parliament Chairs in Bratislava on 2 to 4 September 2016 in a representative capacity, and that the Chair seek the approval of the Chair of the Liaison Committee for expenditure in connection with the visit.
3. FCO Departmental Minute
Resolved, That the Committee make no objection to the FCO Departmental Minute laid before Parliament on 29 June 2016, proposing to gift equipment to Syria Civil Defence and Free Syrian Police teams.
4. Informal meetings Ordered, That a list of informal meetings held by the Committee in the 2015-16 Session be reported to the House for publication on the internet.
5. Implications of leaving the EU for the UK's role in the world
Draft report (Equipping the Government for Brexit), proposed by the Chair, brought up and read.
The draft Report was agreed to; the Formal Minutes relating to the consideration of the Report are published with the Second Report of the Committee, HC 431.
6. Political Islam
Ordered, That the written submission from Dr Radwan Masmoudi (ISL 0052) be reported to the House for publication on the internet.
7. FCO Main Estimate 2016-17
Ordered, That correspondence from the FCO relating to the FCO Main Estimate for 2016-17 be reported to the House for publication on the internet.
8. The UK’s relations with Turkey
Resolved, That the Committee inquire into the UK’s relations with Turkey.
9. Future programme
The Committee discussed this matter.
[Adjourned till Tuesday 6 September at 10.00 am
Friday 2 September to Sunday 4 September
The Chair and a member of Committee staff visited Bratislava to attend the CFSP/CDSP Conference of National Parliament Chairs in accordance with the Committee’s decision of 19 July.
Tuesday 6 September 2016
MORNING MEETING
Members present:
Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Mr John Baron Daniel Kawczynski Ann Clwyd Yasmin Qureshi Mike Gapes Nadhim Zahawi Stephen Gethins
1. Libya: Examination of intervention and collapse and the UK's future policy options
The Committee considered this matter.
[Adjourned till 2.15 this day
AFTERNOON MEETING
Members present:
Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Mr John Baron Daniel Kawczynski Ann Clwyd Yasmin Qureshi Mike Gapes Andrew Rosindell Stephen Gethins Nadhim Zahawi Adam Holloway
1. ISIL financing
Ordered, That letters from the Embassy of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, dated 10 May 2016 and 3 August 2016, on ISIL financing, be reported to the House for publication on the internet.
2. Specialist Advisers
Resolved, That the appointments of Dr Robin Niblett, Professor Toby Dodge and Professor Anand Menon as Specialist Advisers to the Committee be renewed for a further period of one year.
3. FCO management information
Ordered, That the letter dated 21 July 2016 from the FCO, providing quarterly management information for the period March to June 2016 be reported to the House for publication on the internet.
4. Implications of leaving the EU for the UK's role in the world
Ordered, That the Chair should hold meetings with US members of Congress and senior officials while in the US for the purposes of attendance at the Ditchley Park Conference in Long Island, in order to discuss the implications for the US of the UK leaving the European Union, and that the Chair should seek the approval of the Liaison Committee for expenditure in connection with the visit.
5. Libya: Examination of intervention and collapse and the UK's future policy options Draft report (Libya: Examination of intervention and collapse and the UK's future policy options), proposed by the Chair, brought up and read.
The draft Report was agreed to; the Formal Minutes relating to the consideration of the Report are published with the Third Report of the Committee, HC 119.
[Adjourned till Tuesday 13 September at 2.15 pm
Tuesday 13 September 2016
Members present:
Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Mr John Baron Adam Holloway Ann Clwyd Daniel Kawczynski Mike Gapes Andrew Rosindell Mark Hendrick Nadhim Zahawi
1. The UK’s relations with Russia
Resolved, That the Committee visit Ukraine in October in connection with the inquiry, and that the Chair seek the approval of the liaison Committee for expenditure in connection with the visit.
2. Human rights
Ordered, That memoranda from the Kaleidoscope Trust (HRR0001) and from Reprieve (HRR0002) be reported to the House for publication on the internet.
3. ISIL financing
Draft Special Report (The UK's role in the economic war against ISIL: Government Response to the Committee's First Report of Session 2015-16), proposed by the Chair, brought up, read the first and second time, and agreed to.
Resolved, That the Report be the Third Special Report of the Committee to the House.
Ordered, That the Chair make the Report to the House.
4. Implications of leaving the EU for the UK's role in the world
The Rt Hon David Davis MP, Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, gave oral evidence.
[Adjourned till Wednesday 14 September at 2.00 pm
Wednesday 14 September 2016
Members present:
Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Mr John Baron Adam Holloway Ann Clwyd Daniel Kawczynski Mike Gapes Yasmin Qureshi Stephen Gethins Andrew Rosindell Mark Hendrick Nadhim Zahawi
1. Political Islam
Tobias Ellwood, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, and Mr Neil Crompton, Director, MENA Region, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, gave oral evidence.
The Committee considered this matter.
2. The use of UK-manufactured arms in Yemen
Draft report (The use of UK-manufactured arms in Yemen), proposed by the Chair, brought up and read.
The draft Report was agreed to; the Formal Minutes relating to the consideration of the Report are published with the Fourth Report of the Committee, HC 688.
[Adjourned till Tuesday 11 October at 2.15 pm
Wednesday 5 to Saturday 8 October
The Chair visited the European Round Table, San Sebastian, Spain, in accordance with the Committee’s decision of 19 July.
Tuesday 11 October
Members present: Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Mike Gapes Daniel Kawczynski Stephen Gethins Andrew Rosindell Mr Mark Hendrick Nadhim Zahawi Adam Holloway
1. Parliamentary Intelligence Security Forum, Washington DC, 7 December 2016 Ordered, That the Chair, Stephen Gethins and Daniel Kawczynski have leave to attend the Parliamentary Intelligence Forum hosted by US Congress in Washington on 7 December 2016 in a representative capacity, and that the Chair seek the approval of the Liaison Committee for expenditure in connection with the visit.
Ordered, That the Chair should hold meetings with US members of Congress and senior officials while in the US for the purposes of attendance at the Parliamentary Intelligence Security Forum, and that the Chair should seek the approval of the Liaison Committee for expenditure in connection with the visit.
2. Manama Dialogue, Bahrain, 9 to 11 December Ordered, That the Chair have leave to attend the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, from 9 to 11 December 2016 in a representative capacity, and that the Chair seek the approval of the Liaison Committee for expenditure in connection with the visit.
3. Implications of leaving the EU for the UK's role in the world Resolved, That the letter supplied by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 26 September by way of response to the Committee’s Second Report, on Equipping the Government for Brexit, was unsatisfactory, and that the FCO should be asked to supply a fuller response, addressing each recommendation and conclusion individually.
Resolved, That the Committee should examine the consequences for the UK and others if no deal were to be reached by the end of the two-year process of negotiation between the UK and the European Union, triggered under Article 50.
4. Political Islam
Resolved, That Merrill Brink be contracted to provide a verbatim translation of oral evidence given in Arabic by Ibrahim Mounir on 7 June.
5. Human rights
Ordered, That a memorandum from Amnesty International (HRR0003) be reported to the House for publication on the internet.
6. The future operations of BBC Monitoring
Resolved, That the Committee meet concurrently with the Defence Committee and the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee for the purposes of taking oral evidence at this day’s sitting.
Michelle Stanistreet, General Secretary, National Union of Journalists, gave oral evidence.
Francesca Unsworth, Director BBC World Service Group and Deputy Director of News and Current Affairs, BBC, Sara Beck, Director, BBC Monitoring, gave oral evidence.
Robert Deane, Head of Knowledge Management Department, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, gave oral evidence. [Adjourned till Thursday 13 October at 9.00 am.
Thursday 13 October
Members present: Crispin Blunt, in the Chair
Mr John Baron Stephen Gethins Ann Clwyd Andrew Rosindell Mike Gapes
1. The future operations of BBC Monitoring The Committee considered this matter.
2. Foreign policy developments: October 2016
The Rt Hon Boris Johnson MP, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Tim Barrow, Director General Political, and Simon McDonald, Permanent Under-Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, gave oral evidence.
[Adjourned till Tuesday 25 October at 3.00 pm.
Sunday 16 to Wednesday 19 October The Chair, Stephen Gethins, Mark Hendrick, Adam Holloway, Daniel Kawczynski, Nadhim Zahawi and three members of Committee staff visited Ukraine in accordance with the Committee’s decision of 13 September.