To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the new South Sudanese Cabinet.

My right honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Henry Bellingham, met Foreign Minister Nhial Deng Nhial on 24 September at the UN General Assembly.

Our ambassador in South Sudan and the head of the Department for International Development (DflD) Juba office also regularly meet members of the newly formed cabinet of South Sudan.

In the last month our ambassador has met President Salva Kiir; Vice-President Riek Machar; Foreign Minister Nhial Deng Nhial; and a number of other Cabinet Ministers.

The Head of the Department for International Development Juba Office has met with Health Minister Hussein, General Education and Instruction Abango, and Agriculture Minister Ogwaro.

As my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (William Hague) noted in his Written Ministerial Statement on 11 July 2011 (Hansard, cols. WS 44-45), we look forward to strengthening our relationship with the Republic of South Sudan and to helping it on the path towards stability, good governance and prosperity.