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170680

registered interest
date	16/12/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Papua
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential to hold the perpetrators of recent human rights violations in West Papua to account in international law; and if his Department will develop plans to increase support for the protection of Papuan civilians.
tabling member constituency	Islington North
tabling member printed	Jeremy Corbyn
uin	219022
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>We are concerned by reports of a number of deaths in Paniai, Papua province, on 8 December, apparently following attempts to disperse a group of protesters. We support calls by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights for the authorities to conduct an independent and thorough investigation into the incident. Such an investigation should be in line with international legal standards.</p><p><br>We regularly discuss the situation in Papua with the Indonesian authorities, including during visits by our Embassy to the province. It is for the Indonesian authorities to provide adequate protection to all its citizens and we continue to press them to do so.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 05/01/2015 15:26:04 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	185 label Biography information for Jeremy Corbyn

170681

registered interest
date	16/12/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Tibet
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had on the human rights situation in Tibet.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	219015
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>We continue to have concerns about the human rights situation in Tibet. We raise these regularly with Chinese counterparts, including a number of Tibetan cases during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in May 2014. We highlight broader concerns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy. We also raise concerns multilaterally, such as during China’s Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in October 2013. On 10 December, I took part in a Westminster Hall Adjournment Debate on Tibet where I outlined a range of our concerns.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 05/01/2015 15:07:51 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

170682

registered interest
date	16/12/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Tibet
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to improve the human rights situation in Tibet.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	219016
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>We have concerns about the human rights situation in Tibet which we continue to raise with the Chinese government. Through bilateral dialogue, the UN Human Rights Council, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy, we press the Chinese to exercise restraint, respect religious and cultural freedoms, and lift restrictions on access to Tibetan areas for international journalists, non-governmental organisations and diplomats. Our UK-China Human Rights Dialogue also provides for detailed, expert, engagement on human rights issues, including Tibet.</p><p> </p><p>We believe that meaningful dialogue is the best way to address and resolve the underlying differences between the Tibetan overseas communities and the Chinese government, and encourage all sides to restart talks as soon as possible.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 05/01/2015 15:19:56 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

170683

registered interest
date	16/12/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Zimbabwe
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of restrictive measures against the regime in Zimbabwe imposed by the EU.
tabling member constituency	Sleaford and North Hykeham
tabling member printed	Stephen Phillips
uin	218977
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>The EU Restrictive Measures have been an important tool in the EU’s efforts to promoting democracy and reform in Zimbabwe. The EU will be reviewing all Restrictive Measures on Zimbabwe in February 2015. Their future will be a decision for all member states</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 05/01/2015 10:49:00 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4054 label Biography information for Stephen Phillips

170684

registered interest
date	16/12/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Tibet
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Tibet; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	219017
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Tibet, particularly in regards to freedom of expression and ethnic minority rights. We regularly raise our concerns with the Chinese authorities, and highlight them in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy. On 10 December, I took part in a Westminster Hall Adjournment Debate on Tibet where I outlined a range of our concerns.</p><p>We believe that meaningful dialogue is the best way to address and resolve the underlying differences between the Tibetan overseas communities and the Chinese government, and encourage all sides to restart talks as soon as possible.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 05/01/2015 15:24:18 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

170687

registered interest
date	16/12/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Nuclear Weapons
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what conclusions he has drawn from the outcomes of the Vienna Conference on the Humanitarian Impact of Nuclear Weapons on 8 to 9 December 2014.
tabling member constituency	Lewisham, Deptford
tabling member printed	Dame Joan Ruddock
uin	219018
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>The UK was represented at the conference by Mrs Susan le Jeune, our Ambassador to Austria and Permanent Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency. At the Conference, officials listened carefully to the participants, who expressed a very wide range of views.</p><p>Some argued that the way to achieve the goal of a world without nuclear weapons was to ban weapons now or to fix a timetable for their elimination. This approach fails to take account of the stability and security which nuclear weapons can help to secure. None of us would gain from a loss of that stability. The UK believes that the UN Disarmament Machinery, and the Non-Proliferation Treaty, provide the right forum for working towards a world without nuclear weapons.</p><p>Our Ambassador to Austria restated our concern at the humanitarian consequences which could result from the use of nuclear weapons. We are committed to working towards a world without nuclear weapons. In our Strategic Defence and Security Review in 2010, the Government undertook to reduce the number of warheads we have by the mid-2020s. However, we shall retain a credible, continuous and effective submarine based deterrent, for as long as the global security situation makes it necessary.</p><p>A copy of the UK intervention at the Conference has been placed in the Library of the House.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 05/01/2015 13:34:00 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	190 label Biography information for Dame Joan Ruddock

170689

registered interest
date	16/12/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Iraq
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what priority he and other Ministers in his Department are giving during discussions on the UK's military involvement in Iraq to ensuring that the Iraqi government holds talks with Sunni tribes; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Harrow West
tabling member printed	Mr Gareth Thomas
uin	219061
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>We welcome the commitments that Prime Minister Abadi has made to inclusive governance and ensuring that the interests of all communities in Iraq are properly represented in the political process and in the fight against ISIL. <br><br>The Iraqi government’s constructive engagement with the Sunni community, who continue to suffer at the hands of ISIL’s brutality, to bring them back into the political fold will be critical if ISIL is to be defeated in Iraq. The Government has raised this issue with Prime Minister Abadi on a number of occasions, including during my visit to Baghdad in October when I welcomed the progress that has been made so far, including steps to reform the Iraqi Security Forces. The UK will continue to support Prime Minister Abadi’s efforts to advance the national reconciliation process.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 05/01/2015 13:26:35 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	177 label Biography information for Gareth Thomas

170690

registered interest
date	16/12/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	North Korea
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions the British Embassy in Pyongyang has had with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) officials on reports to the UN Commission of Inquiry of widespread use of sexual violence against women within the Workers' Party of Korea, the government of the DPRK and the Korean People's Army.
tabling member constituency	The Cotswolds
tabling member printed	Geoffrey Clifton-Brown
uin	219046
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>We welcome the spotlight shone by the Commission of Inquiry report on horrific and systemic violations of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), not least with regard to sexual violence against women. We have urged the DPRK authorities, through both our Embassy in Pyongyang and the DPRK Embassy in London, to respond in detail to the contents of the report and to address the violations that it documents. The DPRK continues to reject the Commission’s findings and will not engage on the detail of the Commission’s report.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 05/01/2015 15:40:55 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	249 label Biography information for Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown

170691

registered interest
date	16/12/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Colombia
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will raise human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law in Colombia with his EU counterparts in discussions of EU-Colombia trade agreements.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	218899
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>Our Embassy in Bogotá is part of the EU Human Rights Group, made up of all EU Member States with missions in Colombia and the European External Action Service. The group meets on a monthly basis in order to implement the Human Rights Strategy for Colombia, most recently on 2 December. <br><br>The EU Andean Free Trade Agreement aims to raise human rights standards and includes a legally binding clause allowing for revision of the agreement if Colombia does not comply with its human rights commitments. Colombia has responded to this with a 54 point action plan to reinforce its efforts to end impunity for human rights violations and to ensure its justice system is fully compliant with human rights law.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 05/01/2015 15:04:47 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

170693

registered interest
date	16/12/2014
answering body	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept id	16
answering dept short name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
hansard heading	Cyprus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the government of Cyprus about the human rights of people living in the north of that country; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Tewkesbury
tabling member printed	Mr Laurence Robertson
uin	218910
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text During my visit to the Republic of Cyprus in November, I discussed a wide range of issues with the Government, including the situation of those living in the north of the island. I did so within the context of UK support to the UN-led negotiations aimed at achieving a lasting settlement, which we believe would greatly improve the prospects for all Cypriots. We recognise that the political situation has raised human rights challenges for both Turkish Cypriots, Greek Cypriots and for religious minorities on the island. At Cyprus’ Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council, the UK suggested that measures should be taken to enable the Turkish Cypriots to participate effectively in cultural, social and economic life and public affairs. answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 05/01/2015 14:52:46 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	253 label Biography information for Mr Laurence Robertson