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166312

registered interest
date	26/11/2014
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	Burma
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 number of political prisoners in Burmese prisons.
tabling member constituency	Walsall South
tabling member printed	Valerie Vaz
uin	216060
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text Estimates of the number of political prisoners in Burma vary. Organisations such as the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma) (AAPPB) monitor the figures and provide regular status updates. Their latest from October, indicates that there are 75 political prisoners remaining in Burma, down from 2,073 in March 2011. Our Embassy in Rangoon remains in close contact with the AAPPB and other civil society networks to support their work. We continue to press for the unconditional release of all political prisoners in Burma. answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 01/12/2014 17:53:36 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	4076 label Biography information for Valerie Vaz

166319

registered interest
date	26/11/2014
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	Burma
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 Burmese government about its Rakhine State Action Plan.
tabling member constituency	Walsall South
tabling member printed	Valerie Vaz
uin	216011
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>We welcome the Burmese Government’s efforts to develop a comprehensive plan that seeks to address the complex and interrelated challenges in Rakhine. There are, however, some aspects of the Rakhine Action Plan which would, if implemented, undermine the prospects for peaceful co-existence and stability across the State. We have made our concerns on this clear to the Burmese government, most recently when I met with the Minister for Immigration and the Rakhine Chief Minister on 7 October.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 01/12/2014 17:51:17 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	4076 label Biography information for Valerie Vaz

166323

registered interest
date	26/11/2014
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	Burma
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 Burmese government on its decision not to change the constitution of that country until after the general election in 2015.
tabling member constituency	Walsall South
tabling member printed	Valerie Vaz
uin	216157
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>Changing Burma's 2008 constitution to enshrine equal rights for all will be crucial for Burma's future stability. The UK is one of the leading international proponents of such change. Changes to many parts of the constitution are ultimately a matter for the people of Burma to decide directly by referendum. Ministers regularly raise the issue of constitutional change with their Burmese counterparts. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) discussed Burma's constitution with President Thein Sein when they met at the G20 Summit in Brisbane.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 01/12/2014 17:54:45 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	4076 label Biography information for Valerie Vaz

166327

registered interest
date	26/11/2014
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	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 recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts at the UN about the persecution of Christians in other countries; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Lagan Valley
tabling member printed	Mr Jeffrey M. Donaldson
uin	216225
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>Freedom of religion or belief, including the right of christians to profess their faith freely, is a key human rights priority for this Government. We work actively on it through the UN, encouraging all member states to implement in their own countries the commitments they have made in endorsing UN resolutions on this subject.</p><p>During the 69th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, UN Member States adopted resolutions on freedom of religion or belief and combating intolerance.</p><p>My right hon and noble Friend, the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Baroness Anelay of St. Johns has called upon all UN Member States to ensure that they translate these resolutions into practice and create a climate where no-one is persecuted or discriminated against on the grounds of their religion or belief.</p><p>The subject is also raised by means of country specific resolutions. One example is the UN Special Session on Iraq on 1 September when the UK requested a UN investigation into the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) abuses, which would include those directed at Christians, as well as Yazidis and other religious and ethnic minorities.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 01/12/2014 16:50:00 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	650 label Biography information for Sir Jeffrey M Donaldson

165979

registered interest
date	25/11/2014
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	Bahrain
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on how many occasions he has met Prince Nasser bin Hamad of Bahrain in an official capacity; and when the next such meeting is planned.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Walton
tabling member printed	Steve Rotheram
uin	215826
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2014 answer text <p>I have not previously met Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa of Bahrain and I do not currently have any meetings with him planned.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 28/11/2014 13:57:56 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4035 label Biography information for Steve Rotheram

165981

registered interest
date	25/11/2014
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	Iran
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 assessment he has made of the level of press freedom in Iran.
tabling member constituency	Aberconwy
tabling member printed	Guto Bebb
uin	215935
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2014 answer text <p>Freedom of expression in Iran is severely restricted. Iran has more journalists in prison than almost any other country. New outlets and online media are heavily censored and the majority of newspapers are now government controlled. We continue to urge Iran to guarantee the rights of all its citizens in line with its international obligations. We most recently raised our concerns around freedom of expression during Iran’s Universal Periodic Review during the UN Human Rights Council on 31 October.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood grouped question UIN 215938 question first answered 28/11/2014 13:42:01 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	3910 label Biography information for Guto Bebb

165982

registered interest
date	25/11/2014
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	Iran
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 assessment he has made of the extent of restriction of access to the internet in Iran.
tabling member constituency	Aberconwy
tabling member printed	Guto Bebb
uin	215936
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2014 answer text Iran systematically filters and restricts access to the internet. Millions of websites are blocked, including social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Many Iranian citizens find technical ways around the restrictions but their online activity can put them at risk. In May 2014, eight Iranians were sentenced to a combined 123 years in prison for their Facebook activities. Charges included blasphemy, insulting the Supreme Leader, and spreading propaganda against the system. We urge Iran to allow freedom of expression, and respect the rights of all its citizens in line with its international obligations. We most recently raised our concerns around freedom of expression during Iran’s Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council on 31 October. answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 28/11/2014 13:43:52 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	3910 label Biography information for Guto Bebb

165983

registered interest
date	25/11/2014
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	Iran
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 assessment he has made of the level of religious freedom in Iran.
tabling member constituency	Aberconwy
tabling member printed	Guto Bebb
uin	215937
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2014 answer text In 2013, President Rouhani made a number of comments in support of greater religious freedom in Iran. Unfortunately, there has been no change in Iran’s approach over the past year. Religious minority groups in Iran continue to face widespread discrimination. The UK has repeatedly called on the Iranian government to end all persecution of individuals on the basis of their faith, and to guarantee the human rights of all Iranians. answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 28/11/2014 13:54:13 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	3910 label Biography information for Guto Bebb

165984

registered interest
date	25/11/2014
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	Iran
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 he has made to his Iranian counterpart on the detention of journalists in Iran.
tabling member constituency	Aberconwy
tabling member printed	Guto Bebb
uin	215938
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/11/2014 answer text <p>Freedom of expression in Iran is severely restricted. Iran has more journalists in prison than almost any other country. New outlets and online media are heavily censored and the majority of newspapers are now government controlled. We continue to urge Iran to guarantee the rights of all its citizens in line with its international obligations. We most recently raised our concerns around freedom of expression during Iran’s Universal Periodic Review during the UN Human Rights Council on 31 October.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood grouped question UIN 215935 question first answered 28/11/2014 13:42:01 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	3910 label Biography information for Guto Bebb

164355

registered interest
date	24/11/2014
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	Central African Republic
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 Government is taking to promote religious respect and the safety of Christians in the Central African Republic.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	215734
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/12/2014 answer text <p>Addressing religious tensions in the Central African Republic (CAR) is an important part of supporting international efforts to protect the population from ongoing violence. The Inter-Religious platform in CAR is made up of Muslim and Christian leaders and has been at the forefront of peace-building and reconciliation efforts, engaging with communities that have been directly affected by sectarian violence in CAR. We welcome their efforts to promote dialogue, and have called for similar actions from CAR's transitional government. As my hon friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Tobias Ellwood) said in Westminster Hall on 19 November, without justice, peace and reconciliation, there can be no future for the CAR.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 01/12/2014 14:47:21 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson