PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Conflict Resolution: Females (29 August 2014)

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 June 2014, Official Report, column 726-8W, on Conflict Resolution: Females, if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes of the inter-departmental meetings referenced in that Answer.

Asked by:
Bridget Phillipson (Labour)

Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office regularly meet their counterparts from the Department for International Development and the Ministry of Defence to discuss the women, peace and security agenda. The Secretaries of State from these three Departments launched the UK’s third National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security at the Ending Sexual Violence Summit in June.

Successive Governments have not disclosed minutes of internal meetings which inform the development of Government Policy as it undermines the ‘private space' needed to allow officials to have free and frank discussions, and advise Ministers on policy options.

Answered by:
Sir James Duddridge (Conservative)
4 September 2014