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
10.05.2012	How the UK Government deals with EU Business
	This Note looks at UK Government and Civil Service structures and culture; what happens at the UK-EU interface, and methods for transposing EU law into UK law.
20.04.2012	The Chagos Islanders
	This note provides brief background about the situation of the Chagos Islanders, paying particular attention to the legal dispute over whether they have the right of return and the recent establishment of a Marine Protection Area around the British Indian Ocean Territory (with the exception of Diego Garcia). The note is not comprehensive in its coverage and will not be automatically updated.
12.04.2012	In brief: The Arms Trade Treaty - the moment of truth approaches
	This note surveys the state of the UN-based negotiations on an Arms Trade Treaty, which are due to be completed at a conference in New York in July 2012
11.04.2012	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.
28.02.2012	Does Somali piracy have any 'developmental effects'?
	There has been growing debate about where the spoils of Somali piracy have been going. How far are they helping to support the Islamist terrorist group al-Shabaab? Is some of the money going into the pockets of local politicians and businessmen with links to the pirates? Could a surprisingly large portion of the spoils be percolating through to ordinary Somalis? This note briefly surveys recent debates on the last two of these questions.

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.