§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Nepal; what assistance he has given to Nepal in the last 12 months; and what advice is being given to tourists visiting Nepal. [18903]
§ Mr. BradshawWe strongly condemn the return to violence by the Maoists in Nepal, and urge them to cease violence and return to dialogue. We understand the reasons behind the declaration of a state of emergency in Nepal, and hope that the Nepalese Government will quickly be able to bring peace to the country.
We have strongly supported the peace process in Nepal, including mobilising local and international opinion in favour of the peace effort. DFID development assistance to Nepal is currently in the region of £20 million a year and is likely to increase. The MOD has supplied training and other support to the Royal Nepalese Army as well as significant infrastructure assistance to Nepal's UN peacekeeping training centre.
We are advising British tourists to exercise extreme caution when travelling in Nepal. We are also advising those who are planning a trip to Nepal to monitor events carefully, and to consult the FCO travel advice for Nepal (available on the FCO website: www.fco.gov.uk) regularly.
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