Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had on the Spratly Islands dispute with (a) claimants to those islands, (b) Five Power Defence Arrangements signatories and (c) the US; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Hugo Swire, Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office: Both the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), and I have discussed the situation in the South China Sea with the countries involved. Most recently the Foreign Secretray raised the issue with Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah on 3 June and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang on 10 June. The Foreign Secretary has also spoken about the situation with the US and other G7 partners. I have held similar discussions, including in Washington on 2 June. I refer my right hon. Friend to the Foreign Secretary’s comments to the House on 1 June 2015, Official Report, columns 312 to 314.

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