The Bank of Ireland (UK) plc is a subsidiary of the Bank of Ireland and is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. The Bank of Ireland (UK) plc is in partnership with the Post Office, offering a number of financial service products.

The recent troika agreement with Cyprus will not result in any deductions from customer deposits in any Cypriot bank located in the United Kingdom. The customer deposits of the Laiki UK branch were transferred to Bank of Cyprus UK, a UK subsidiary, on 2 April 2013.

The declaration made by the Government in 1960 makes clear the UK’s intention not to develop the sovereign base areas for other than military purposes.

Exploration for oil and gas in the territorial waters of the sovereign base areas would require the consent of the relevant UK authorities.

Cyprus has officially requested financial assistance from euro area member states through the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) and from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Cyprus reached an agreement with the IMF, the European Commission and the European Central Bank on the key elements of a financial assistance programme on 25 March 2013. The programme has yet to be formally approved by the euro area-only ESM, or the IMF board.

The northern part of Cyprus is not under the effective authority of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus (RoC). As such, banks there are not subject to RoC regulations and the economy is not directly subject to measures and taxes decided by the RoC.

Cypriots and foreigners have been able to cross into north Cyprus since 2003. We are not aware of any restrictions on the use of automated teller machines in north Cyprus, but EU citizens are advised to check with their bank in the first instance.

The legal currency in the United Kingdom sovereign base areas in Cyprus is the euro.

The Hellenic Bank Public Company Limited has a sub branch at both Akrotiri Station and Dhekelia Station. The Cyprus Popular Bank has a sub-branch at Episkopi Station. Service personnel also have access to British Forces Post Office facilities which also provide banking services.

The original Air Passenger Rights (APR) Regulation (261/2004) was adopted prior to the 2006 Cordoba Agreement, and as such contains a clause suspending Gibraltar's Airport. On 12 March, the European Commission published a proposal for a set of amendments to the APR regulation. At present the proposal does not contain an amendment which would remove the Gibraltar suspension clause from the original regulation. If adopted in its current form, the Commission's proposal would continue the suspension of Gibraltar's Airport from the APR regulation.

Passengers flying to Gibraltar would continue to have recourse to compensation in the event of delayed flights as per current practice. However the suspension of Gibraltar's Airport from this regulation would set a damaging precedent and the UK is disappointed that the Commission has overlooked the post-Cordoba arrangement of removing the suspension language to allow for Gibraltar’s inclusion in the amended measure. We are considering what action we might take to address this issue.

To date the Commission has not made any official representation to the UK on this issue.

The European Commission published proposals in December 2012 to amend the EC regulation on insolvency proceedings. The proposed amendments are currently under consideration. No other representations for changes to our insolvency laws have been received from either the European Union institutions or other member states.

Guardia Civil vessels made a total of 28 unlawful incursions within British Gibraltar Territorial Waters in January 2013. The Royal Navy has continued to challenge Spanish vessels illegally entering British Gibraltarian Territorial Waters during this time. All unlawful incursions are subsequently followed up with formal diplomatic protests.

The Government are in touch with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Minsk Group co-chairs on a regular basis about issues related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. We welcomed the fact that at their meeting in Paris on 28 January, the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs had the opportunity to discuss the issue of flights from the airport in Nagorno-Karabakh with the Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan. The co-chairs recalled their statement of 13 July 2012, which noted that they had received renewed assurances from the sides that they will reject any threat or use of force against civil aircraft; reaffirmed that the operation of the airport in Nagorno-Karabakh cannot be used to support any claim of a change in the status of Nagorno-Karabakh; and urged the sides to act in accordance with international law and consistent with current practice for flights over their territory. The Government

support the position of the co-chairs and continue to call on all sides to resolve this issue through diplomatic steps and to refrain from politicising it.

We have had no recent discussions with the Government of Spain on this subject.

Under the 2006 Cordoba agreement, Spain agreed to stop seeking the suspension of Gibraltar airport from any new EU aviation measure not yet adopted. In recent months, Spanish officials have informed their UK counterparts that Spain no longer wishes to recognise this commitment and will seek the exclusion of Gibraltar airport from new EU measures currently under negotiation.

The Government recognise the importance of ensuring that Gibraltar is included in all EU aviation legislation. We will continue to do all we can to hold Spain to its commitments under the Cordoba agreement, working closely with the Government of Gibraltar.

Under the Cordoba agreement, Spain agreed to end its prohibition on the operation of air services to Spain from Gibraltar. The current Spanish Government have not informed us of their position on this issue. A number of companies have operated flights between Madrid and Gibraltar since 2006 but these were withdrawn for commercial reasons. As with all other aspects of the Cordoba agreement, we will do all we can to hold Spain to the commitments that were agreed in 2006.

In addition to UK logistical and intelligence-sharing support, we understand that French and Malian forces have so far received logistical assistance in Mali from Denmark and Belgium.

Planning for the EU Training Mission to Mali is currently ongoing, and negotiations are underway between EU member states to finalise what they will contribute.

The Government have not made any assessment of potential revenues resulting from the exploitation of gas or oil reserves in the territorial waters of the Cyprus sovereign base areas.

The declaration made by the Government in 1960 makes clear the UK’s intention not to develop the sovereign base areas for any other than military purposes.

To date, 14 (out of a total 19) licences have been awarded for local TV broadcasting services, with decisions expected in the near future on the successful applicant in each of the remaining five areas. By the closing date in August 2012, Ofcom had received 57 applications in total for licences.

Those areas where licences have been awarded are:

Belfast (2 applicants);

Birmingham (4 applicants);

Brighton and Hove (1 applicant);

Bristol (1 applicant);

Cardiff (2 applicants);

Edinburgh (4 applicants);

Glasgow (4 applicants);

Grimsby (1 applicant);

Newcastle (4 applicants);

Norwich (2 applicants);

Nottingham (2 applicants);

Oxford (3 applicants);

Sheffield (3 applicants); and

Southampton (2 applicants).

Those areas where licences are yet to be awarded are:

Leeds (5 applicants);

Liverpool (5 applicants);

London (5 applicants);

Manchester (5 applicants); and

Preston (2 applicants)

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that 49% of UK trade (in 2011) was with the European Union.

Source: ONS Balance of Payments 2012

It is not possible to exclude trade which goes to the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp before being transited to locations outside of the European Union.

The ONS produces its trade statistics in accordance with international guidelines. The trade in goods figures are based on data collected by HM Revenue and Customs. Exporters are explicitly asked to state the final destination for goods. It is not possible to estimate the possible impact of the Rotterdam-Antwerp effect without increasing the burden on at least some businesses.

My Lords, that is probably slightly beyond the Question on the Order Paper. However, I can inform the noble Lord that the Minister made very clear to the Israeli ambassador Britain’s real concerns about the comments made about further settlements. I think that the ambassador was left with no doubt about the British Government’s strength of feeling on this matter.

The Government have made no specific assessment of independent television broadcasting companies who also own commercial radio stations broadcasting in the same licence area.

However, the department is aware that UTV owns radio stations in Northern Ireland and operates a national radio station, as well as being the Channel 3 licensee in that region. Global Radio operates a national radio station and many local stations, as well as operating a music television channel. Bauer Media operates many local stations, as well as operating music television channels.

On Remembrance Sunday our high commissioner to Cyprus will lay a wreath at the ceremony at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery at Wayne’s Keep where these servicemen are buried. The British Government will not be represented at the remembrance ceremony in Kyrenia.