Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

Mark Simmonds MP

Contents

Biography

Mark Simmonds was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office on 5 September 2012.

He first entered Parliament in 2001 and is the Conservative MP for Boston and Skegness.

Education

Mark was educated at Worksop College and Trent University.

Political career

Mark was elected onto Wandsworth Borough Council for the Southfield Ward in Putney in 1990, where he remained until 1994 when he stepped down to pursue a career in politics.

Positions held:

• Member of Parliament for Boston and Skegness 2001 to present
• Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Shadow Foreign Secretary 2002 to 2003
• Shadow Minister for Education 2003 to 2004
• Shadow Foreign Office Minister 2004 to 2005
• Shadow Minister for International Development 2005 to 2007
• Shadow Minister for Health 2007 to 20010
• Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office September 2012 to present

Personal life

Mark is married and has 3 children.

Foreign &
Commonwealth
Office

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

The minister is based at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Responsibilities include:

• Africa
• overseas territories (not Falklands, SBAs or Gibraltar)
• conflict issues
• climate change
• international energy
• consular
• protocol
• ministerial oversight for FCO services
• the Caribbean (not including Dominican Republic, Haiti or Cuba)

More about this role

Policies

under the responsibility of Mark Simmonds MP as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs

1. Supporting international action on climate change

   • 8 November 2013

2. Supporting British nationals overseas

   • 7 August 2013

3. Supporting the Overseas Territories

   • 14 March 2013

4. Preventing conflict in fragile states

   • 12 December 2012

View all policies

Announcements

by Mark Simmonds MP

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1. Minister for Africa expresses deep concern at violence in Darfur

   • 6 March 2014
   • Press release

2. Minister for Africa updates Parliament on Diego Garcia

   • 6 March 2014
   • Statement to Parliament

3. Minister for Africa gives keynote address at Nigerian Centenary

   • 27 February 2014
   • Speech

4. Minister for Africa to join Nigerian centenary celebrations

   • 24 February 2014
   • Press release

5. Minister for Africa condemns ceasefire violation in South Sudan

   • 19 February 2014
   • Press release

6. Celebrating the anniversary of Operation Tabarin

   • 12 February 2014
   • News story

7. Foreign Office Minister meets South Sudanese Foreign Minister

   • 12 February 2014
   • Press release

8. Central African Republic

   • 12 February 2014
   • Statement to Parliament

9. Sexual violence in DRC: Minister and Archbishops visit Goma

   • 5 February 2014
   • Press release

10. Minister for Africa visits Democratic Republic of Congo

    • 4 February 2014
    • Press release

View all announcements

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