Foreign and Commonwealth Office

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and consular services. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
01.03.2013	In brief: The Arms Trade Treaty - trying again
	This note surveys the state of the UN-based negotiations on an Arms Trade Treaty, which were due to be completed at a conference in New York in July 2012, but which were unable to reach agreement on a final text. However, the UN General Assembly has just agreed to convene a further UN Conference in March 2013. One way or another, the odds favour a treaty being agreed next year.
01.02.2013	Southeast Asia: an update
	The political and economic profile of Southeast Asia as a region continues to rise. The UK is scaling up its engagement with the region. This briefing provides country snapshots of the main events in six of the countries in the region since the start of 2012 and also looks at significant developments over the past year or so in the UK's relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its member states.
17.01.2013	Antarctic Bill - Committee Stage
	The Antarctic Bill is presented as a Private Member's Bill by Neil Carmichael MP. This note sets out the issues discussed in the Bill Committee on 21 November 2012. These included: the timing of the enactment of the provisions relating to the liability annex, compatibility with existing shipping liability provisions, and the wider issue of the future of the British Antarctic Survey.
31.12.2012	The Turks and Caicos Islands
	This note briefly reviews the crisis of political and economic governance which has affected the Turks and Caicos Islands since 2008. A period of direct rule came to an end when fresh elections were held in November 2012. Only time will tell whether the Turks and Caicos Islands are now set on a new course - and, if so, what that course is.
31.10.2012	Mali in crisis: a political and security overview
	Mali has been in crisis since March 2012, when the military overthrew the government of Amadou Toumani Touré. Within weeks of the coup, a coalition of Tuareg rebels and militant Islamist armed groups pushed the national army out of the north of the country. There is now growing momentum behind proposals to create a regional military intervention force. But many questions remain about the wisdom of this course of action.

Research Papers

Date	Description
21.01.2011	UK Defence and Security Policy: A New Approach?
	Both the National Security Strategy and the Strategic Defence and Security Review were published in October 2010, five months after the Government took office. This paper examines the main priorities and recommendations set out in each of those documents
23.06.2008	British foreign policy since 1997
	British foreign policy since 1997. House of Commons Library Research Paper 08/56.

Select Committee Reports

Date	Description
15.12.2011	Government response to the ninth report from the Foreign Affairs Select Committee on UK-Brazil relations....
	Government response. Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Foreign Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]
14.09.2011	FCO's human rights work 2010-11.
	Government response. Foreign and Commonwealth Office report [Commons]
07.09.2011	Spending reduction in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
	Public Accounts Committee report [Commons]
14.07.2011	Role of the FCO in UK government.
	Government response. Foreign and Commonwealth Office report [Commons]
26.05.2011	FCO performance and finances.
	Government response. Foreign and Commonwealth Office report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
25.10.2010	COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIPS
	That this House pays tribute to the important role Commonwealth scholarships have played in educating young people from Commonwealth countries, especially those in the developing world; ...
27.04.2009	COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP PLAN
	That this House congratulates the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan on its 50th anniversary this year; notes the major impact of the plan in producing leaders and highly-skilled ...
29.04.2008	COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIPS
	That this House notes with concern the potential impact of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) decision to withdraw funding from Commonwealth and Chevening scholarships on the ...

Lords Library Notes

Date	Description
14.04.2011	Debate on 28 April: Co-ordination between Government Departments on the use of Soft Power
	This Library Note provides background information for the debate on 28 April 2011 on co-ordination between Government departments on the use of soft power.