Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member constituency
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member constituency answering member printed question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1035006

registered interest
date	04/01/2019
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	Iran: Public Health
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to Eurostat data showing a 38% reduction in annual UK pharmaceutical exports to Iran, what assessment he has made of the effect of US sanctions on (a) the ability of the UK pharmaceutical sector to support public health in Iran and (b) on public health outcomes in Iran.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Lloyd Russell-Moyle
uin	205427
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/01/2019 answer text <p>​The Government regrets the US decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions on Iran. Humanitarian goods are not subject to either US or EU sanctions. We are, nevertheless, working with our European partners on mechanisms to support continued trade in humanitarian goods, such as pharmaceutical exports. Following the re-imposition of US sanctions in November 2018 it is too early to make an assessment of the effect on public health outcomes in Iran.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 09/01/2019 14:58:57 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4615 label Biography information for Lloyd Russell-Moyle

1035012

registered interest
date	04/01/2019
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	Politicians: Visas
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 he has had with the Home Secretary on (a) delays to, (b) cancellations of and (c) refusals of visas to foreign Parliamentarians intending to visit the UK in recent years.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
uin	205232
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2019 answer text <p>There have been no discussions on these specific topics between the Foreign Secretary and Home Secretary. Officials in both departments regularly communicate about the UK's visa system, including on occasions raising individual cases.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 14/01/2019 16:44:45 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1035016

registered interest
date	04/01/2019
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	EU Countries: Asylum
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 validity of recent reports of (a) human rights abuses and (b) systematic summary returns in violation of (i) the European Union Asylum Procedures Directive or (ii) the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees by Greek authorities against migrants travelling from Turkey.
tabling member constituency	West Ham
tabling member printed	Lyn Brown
uin	205236
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/01/2019 answer text <p>We are aware of reports of alleged human rights abuses and forced returns of migrants at the Greek/Turkish land border. The Ambassador to Greece visited the border area in November to meet officials there and learn more about the situation. In our contact at official and Ministerial level we have consistently raised concerns about the humanitarian situation faced by some migrants in Greece, and we will continue to do so. The UK continues to provide support, including through sharing of personnel and expertise, to help Greece deal with migrant flows.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 11/01/2019 13:55:11 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	1583 label Biography information for Ms Lyn Brown

1035119

registered interest
date	04/01/2019
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	Syria: Military Intervention
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the decision by the US to withdraw all of its ground troops from Syria, what representations he received from US officials prior to the US President's decision to withdraw; and what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the US withdrawal on the numbers of British ground forces operating in northern Syria.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Kemptown
tabling member printed	Lloyd Russell-Moyle
uin	205371
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/01/2019 answer text <p>The Foreign Secretary spoke with United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on 19 December with regard to President Trump's decision to withdraw from Syria. Senior officials have been in close contact with their US counterparts on the implementation of this decision, including on the implications for Coalition military action in Syria.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 09/01/2019 15:01:16 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4615 label Biography information for Lloyd Russell-Moyle

1035218

registered interest
date	04/01/2019
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	Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress his Department made during the Christmas recess on securing the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	205401
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/01/2019 answer text <p>The treatment of all British-Iranians detained in Iran, including Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, is a priority for the Government. We urgently raise these cases with the Iranian Government at every opportunity. We will continue to raise Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's case, as well as our other consular cases, with the Iranian Government on all occasions, including requesting consular access, and will continue to take action in line with what we believe will produce the best outcomes in their cases.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 09/01/2019 15:11:41 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1035249

registered interest
date	04/01/2019
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	Palestinians: Overseas Aid
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will make an estimate of the proportion of expenditure from the Palestinian Authority Martyrs Fund that has funded terrorism in each year for which information is available.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Alex Sobel
uin	205409
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2019 answer text <p>The UK understands that approximately $172 million was spent on payments to the ‘Martyrs Fund’ in 2016. The fund makes payments to Palestinian families who have a family member that has died or been wounded ‘whilst resisting the occupation’. We do not hesitate to raise instances of incitement with the Palestinian Authority and we use our strong partnership to lobby them to make sure payments from the Martyrs Fund cover only family members’ needs. We also want the system to be more transparent. No UK aid is used for prisoner payments or the fund you reference.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 14/01/2019 16:18:09 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4658 label Biography information for Alex Sobel

1035256

registered interest
date	04/01/2019
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	Christianity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to secure religious freedom for Christians throughout the world.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	205199
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2019 answer text <p>​Freedom of Religion or Belief is an important part of the work done by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. We regularly raise this issue with international counterparts both at ministerial and senior official levels and in multilateral forums.</p><p> </p><p>The respected NGO, Open Doors, estimates that 215 million Christians experience high or extreme levels of persecution around the world. To ensure that the United Kingdom is using its influence to support Christians in the best possible way, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs commissioned an independent, global review into the persecution of Christians on 26<sup>th</sup> December 2018. This review will be led by the Bishop of Truro, the Right Reverend Philip Mounstephen will report by Easter the additional practical steps the government can take to support persecuted Christians. Further information can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-announces-global-review-into-persecution-of-christians" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/news/foreign-secretary-announces-global-review-into-persecution-of-christians</a></p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 14/01/2019 16:40:04 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1035257

registered interest
date	04/01/2019
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	Pakistan: Politics and Government
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 democratic process, constitutional freedoms and religious liberty in Pakistan.
tabling member constituency	South Holland and The Deepings
tabling member printed	Sir John Hayes
uin	205200
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2019 answer text <p>In 2018, Pakistan’s elections led to an unprecedented second successive transfer of power from one full-term civilian government to another. Following the 2013 elections, the Election Commission of Pakistan took steps to improve electoral processes and enable Pakistan’s population to exercise their democratic right to vote. HMG supports institutions in Pakistan which underpin the democratic process, including work to strengthen the rule of law.</p><p> </p><p>The freedom to hold and express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is a cornerstone of democracy. We are also concerned by restrictions on freedom of expression, and on freedom of religion and belief in Pakistan. We are concerned about constraints on the operating space for civil society and international NGOs in Pakistan. We regularly raise our concerns about rights and freedoms with the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. When she spoke to Prime Minister Imran Khan in August 2018, Prime Minister Theresa May noted the importance of Pakistan delivering on its commitments to strengthen institutions responsible for upholding the rule of law, and to advance the rights of women and minorities. In September 2018, my colleague Lord Ahmad raised the importance of safeguarding the rights of all Pakistan’s citizens with Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Human Rights, Dr Shireen Mazari. The British High Commission in Islamabad continues to raise our concerns about the registration process for international NGOs with the Government of Pakistan.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 14/01/2019 16:41:02 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	350 label Biography information for Sir John Hayes

1035308

registered interest
date	04/01/2019
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	Sri Lanka: Human Rights
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made and to whom to ensure the government of Sri Lanka abides by UNHRC Resolution 30/1 agreed on 1st October 2015 at the 30th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
tabling member constituency	Tooting
tabling member printed	Dr Rosena Allin-Khan
uin	205365
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2019 answer text <p>Since UNHRC 30/1 was established in 2015 we have repeatedly pressed the importance of the Government of Sri Lanka implementing its commitments under the UN Human Rights Council Resolution 30/1 and its follow-up Resolution 34/1. During my most recent visit to Colombo, in early October 2018, I again raised these commitments with Foreign Minister Marapana. I encouraged accelerated progress towards fulfilling these commitments, including the return of military-held private land, and the development of new counter-terrorism legislation in line with international human rights standards.</p><p>The British High Commission in Colombo is also in regular contact with the Government of Sri Lanka and other key stakeholders on the implementation of Resolution 30/1.</p><p>Lord Ahmad spoke at the September Human Rights Council in Geneva, encouraging further implementation of Sri Lanka's commitments in the area of devolution through constitutional reform, truth-seeking and accountability.</p><p>The United Kingdom has made a long-term commitment to improving human rights in Sri Lanka and is dedicated to supporting the rebuilding of the country after three decades of civil conflict. The UK is providing Sri Lanka with £8.3 million of Conflict, Stability and Security Fund funding over three years (2016-2019), including support for police reform and training, reconciliation and peace building, and demining in the north of the country.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 14/01/2019 16:43:26 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4573 label Biography information for Dr Rosena Allin-Khan

1035351

registered interest
date	04/01/2019
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	Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Brexit
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the additional staff required by his Department in the event that the UK leaves the EU (a) with and (b) without a deal.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
uin	205319
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2019 answer text <p>Using Her Majesty's Treasury EU Exit funding and a process of internal reprioritisation, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has created approximately 550 new roles in the UK and overseas to strengthen our diplomatic network in the UK and across Europe so that it is better able to represent and promote British interests and engage with our European partners in support of a successful EU Exit.</p><p>We do not want or expect a no deal outcome. However, a responsible government should prepare for all potential outcomes. We are continually reviewing our workforce plans and reprioritising and assessing changing needs, including identification and cessation of lower-priority work where appropriate.</p><p>The Civil Service as a whole is working to ensure that EU Exit Implementation is carried out to a high quality without impacting public service delivery across the whole of government.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 14/01/2019 16:47:25 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens