To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the changes to the constitution proposed in the forthcoming referendum in Chechnya, Russia; and if he will make a statement. (162879)

We continue to watch developments closely as Chechnya, and the rest of the north Caucasus, remain fragile and vulnerable to human rights violations. We believe that the best guarantee of political stability is for the federal and local authorities to work together in the republic to improve the democratic accountability of government structures, and to address the social and economic needs of the population.