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Departmental Responsibilities

Volume 503: debated on Wednesday 6 January 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what factors determine the allocation of questions for written answer to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Rhondda; and on what issues (a) within and (b) outside his listed Ministerial responsibilities he will answer questions. (308542)

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State answers questions tabled by the right hon. Member for Richmond, Yorks (Mr. Hague) and the hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr. Davey). He answers questions from all hon. Members on security matters.

Questions are allocated to me in accordance with my responsibilities, which are listed on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/who-we-are/our-ministers/c-bryant:

European Union; Europe, including Balkans, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova; Russia, South Caucasus, Central Asia; OSCE and Council of Europe; Overseas Territories; South America; Australasia and Pacific; Consular policy; Olympics; human resources and diversity; Public Diplomacy, including British Council and BBC World Service; Shanghai Expo 2010; and Protocol. I also answer questions on the Caribbean and Central America and Foreign and Commonwealth Office Services. Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers will on occasion answer questions on behalf of their colleagues, for example if a Minister is travelling.