The European Union’s Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States (also known as Coreper) is responsible for preparing the work of the Council and for carrying out the tasks assigned to it by the Council. The Committee may adopt procedural decisions in cases provided for in the Council’s Rules of Procedure. It does not take decisions.

The European Commission has a number of functions. It has the right of initiative in making proposals for legislation. As guardian of the EU treaties, it ensures that EU legislation is applied by all Member States under the control of the Court of Justice. As an executive body for the EU, it exercises coordinating, executive and management functions, as laid down in the Treaties, and manages the annual budget.

The President of the European Commission lays down guidelines within which the Commission is to work. The President also decides on the internal organisation

of the Commission, ensuring that it acts consistently, efficiently and as a collegiate body. The President appoints the Vice-Presidents from among the members of the Commission, with the exception of the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Member States each nominate a candidate for a Commissioner. It is for the European Commission President-elect to decide on the proposed internal organisation of the Commission. The Council, by common accord with the President-elect, adopts the list of proposed Commissioners.

The UK has a proud track record of inter faith and intra faith cooperation. The Government is working with all communities to ensure that extremist individuals do not provoke tensions

The Government regularly discusses with the Government of Botswana the situation of the San (also known as the Basarwa or Bushmen). We have consistently encouraged the Government of Botswana to seek an inclusive, sustainable and negotiated solution. We will continue to do so.

On the subject of national parliaments, different Member States have different constitutional structures. Although the UK does not have a single, written constitution, the constitutional relationship between the UK and EU is perfectly clear and it is that the UK Parliament is sovereign in the UK. The EU Act of 2011 also makes clear that directly effective and directly applicable EU law only takes effect in the UK legal order by virtue of the will of Parliament – through the European Communities Act 1972 and through other Acts of Parliament.

On the question of voting arrangements in the Council of Ministers, I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington), to the hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Sir Richard Shepherd), on 16 July 2013, HC Hansard, Official report, column 644W.

Russia’s violation of Ukrainian territorial integrity is wholly unjustified. As the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), said on 10 March, we must stand up to aggression, uphold international law and support the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people, who want the freedom to choose their own future. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), told Parliament on 4 March, the decision to sign the Association Agreement is Ukraine’s.

We believe that a closer relationship between Ukraine and the EU, and the greater stability this would bring to Ukraine, would be good for Ukraine, the EU and Russia. At a meeting on 17 March, the EU agreed to proceed to the signature and conclusion of the remaining parts of its Association Agreement with Ukraine.

No such assessment has been made. This Government believes it is in the UK’s best interest to be a member of a reformed EU that is more competitive, flexible and democratically accountable. The Government will continue to make that case vigorously as we progress with our reform proposals.

Due to the confidential nature of the UK honours process, we do not comment on or divulge details of any recommendations made in respect of honours for any particular individual.

My Department funds three programmes designed to encourage people of different faiths to come together at the local and national level in dialogue and shared endeavour. These are Near Neighbours (operated by the Church Urban Fund), Together in Service (operated by FaithAction) and support for the work of the Inter Faith Network for the United Kingdom. Muslims are among the faith groups that benefit from these programmes.

None of these organisations has at any time invited Dr Ekmeleddin thsanoglu and Dr Tayyar Altikulac to discuss the origins of the Quran.

It is the business of historians to determine the evidence with regards to issues concerning the history of religions. However if the noble Lord approaches the academic research with an open mind he will find ample evidence to confirm my statement.

As I set out in my speech at Georgetown University last month the perpetrators of persecution range from states to militant groups, and even to a person’s own family. We do not hold statistics on the perpetrators but we are clear that the jihadists, whom you referred to in the debate on 19 November, in carrying out these attacks are not being faithful to the teachings of any faith.

Neither the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills nor the Foreign and Commonwealth Office currently has any member of staff on secondment to the World Trade Organisation.

As I said on 19 November this Government supports the role that faith plays in British society, particularly when different faiths come together. Our Integration policy includes programmes that strengthen mutual understanding and, as part of this, Muslims have participated in an outstanding 95% of Near Neighbours projects, drawing on their religious requirement to work for the common good. Additionally, through The Big Iftar this year British Imams and Muslims across the country opened their doors to non-Muslims to share evening meals together. The Big Iftar culminated with the Prime Minister’s visit to Manchester's Jamia Mosque in August and the Government will continue to support initiatives that show there is no contradiction between being British and Muslim.

This Government also recognises the importance of involving a wide range of people and organisations from the public and private sector in its work to tackle extremism and terrorism. Prevent continues to work with and through the faith sector, which we recognise has a unique role to play in reaching out to young people at risk of radicalisation and addressing claims made in the name of religion by apologists for violence. The Home Office funds a number of community resilience projects across Prevent priority areas which aim to amplify the positive community response to extremism and a positive, peaceful view of Islam. These projects include establishing networks through engaging with mosques and community leaders, and providing training as well as funding for products like leaflets and websites.

An announcement was made on 22 October that a new sharia criminal code would be progressively introduced in Brunei from April 2014. On 30 October, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), raised the issue with his Bruneian counterpart Pehin Lim, and sought clarification of its implications. We will continue to assess the new code and urge the Brunei authorities to consider carefully the impact of this decision.

We regard any kind of links with organised criminal groups as unacceptable. The British Government has not assessed the statement made by Ms Sonia Alfano. However we appreciate the important work that the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Organised Crime has undertaken to counter the threats posed by organised criminal groups to Europe as a whole.

The Government will always seek to avoid breaching the scrutiny reserve resolutions of either House of Parliament and will continue to account for their actions in writing to the chairmen of the scrutiny committees in each House when this happens.

Published figures up to 31 December 2012 show 144 parliamentary scrutiny overrides in the House of Lords and 165 in the House of Commons. These figures are recorded as responses to twice-yearly Written Parliamentary Questions from the Chairman of the House of Lords European Union Committee and are available online:

July-Dec 12: http:// www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201314/ldhansrd/text/130521w0001.htm#13052174000483

Jan-June 12: http:// www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201213/ldhansrd/text/121120w0001.htm#12112051000609

Jul-Dec 11: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201213/ldhansrd/text/120625w0001.htm#12062546000777

Jan-June 11: http:// www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201212/ldhansrd/text/120110w0002.htm#12011062001575

Jul-Dec 10: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldhansrd/text/110426w0002.htm#1104267001720

On 29 August a ruling by the High Court of Botswana dismissed an application for increased access to the Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR), but granted the applicants leave to submit a fresh application to the courts. We continue to believe that dialogue offers the best hope of resolving this issue and encourages both the Government of Botswana and the applicants to renew efforts to achieve a negotiated and sustainable solution.

British Government representatives meet their Botswana counterparts on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues including CKGR, most recently in October.

The Government does not generally conduct assessments of matters of theological concern, and has not done so in this case.