What recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Cyprus.

Last week's talks in Cyprus were a positive start to intensified negotiations. The Prime Minister has spoken, I think, to both leaders this week. We remain a keen supporter of the Cyprus settlement process and continue to believe that it presents a unique opportunity to solve this historic and difficult problem.

I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. I am sure that there are hundreds of Greek Cypriots in my Constituency who will welcome the talks continuing. However, one thing to be regarded as a success in Cyprus is the Committee on Missing Persons, which is bi-communal. It has been supported by significant funding from across the international community, and has been hugely successful-indeed, only last year one of my constituents, Andrew Michael, was able to find closure when he went to the island to bury his father, who had been missing. Will my hon. Friend the Minister give me an assurance that the funding for this important project-from both the UK and the international community-will continue?

I visited Cyprus last year. When I was there, I met the people who run the Committee on Missing Persons. The important forensic work that they do is very moving, and my hon. Friend is right to say that it gives people an opportunity to find closure through knowing what happened many years ago.

I am aware of the significant financial needs that committee members think that they will have in the next couple of years. We will work with them to make sure that those needs are met.

In fairness, the Minister sometimes winds his own side up too.

The Minister will be aware that elections are due in northern Cyprus in April, and that not all the candidates are fully behind the current talks process, so there is a danger that the window for achieving a lasting settlement is beginning to close. Given that, what more can Britain do to encourage all the parties, including the Turkish Government, to demonstrate greater flexibility, so that this truly important opportunity to achieve a lasting settlement for Cyprus is not lost?

I am grateful for the ringing endorsement from the hon. Gentleman.

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to say that this is a very important moment. The two leaders have known each other for many years, and both have staked their political careers on trying to come to a resolution of a situation on the island that feels both tragic and morally indefensible. I was in Istanbul this weekend, when I spoke to Egemen Bagis and argued with him about the need for Turkey to implement the Ankara protocol, to which it has already signed up. It is clearly important that we do our job of work in persuading both Greek and Turkish counterparts to do their fair share, but the proposal that we have put on the table is that 50 per cent. of the land currently in UK sovereign bases will be made available to a united island, once there is a resolution.