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 previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1216915

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2020
	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: Development Aid
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which Official Development Assistance programmes that his Department funds are targeted at supporting women and girls.
	tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
	tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
	uin	63286
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The UK's Gender Equality Act 2014 (an amendment to 2002 International Development Act, IDA), legally requires all overseas development funding to meaningfully consider the impact of how it will contribute to reducing gender inequality. The UK Aid Strategy prioritises the rights of women and girls under its fourth strategic goal of tacking extreme poverty and helping the world's most vulnerable.</p><p>The FCO supports a number of Official Development Assistance programmes targeted at promoting girls' education, empowering women peacebuilders and supporting female survivors of sexual violence in conflict. The programmes include lobbying efforts encouraging foreign governments to prioritise girls' education reforms, financial support for women mediator organisations, capacity building programmes for female judges and women peacebuilders and consultations with survivors of sexual violence. Additional information on the FCO's ODA programmes can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-development-assistance-fco-programme-spend</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 30/06/2020 15:58:55 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
	tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1216956

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2020
	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	Chile: 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 he has made to his Chilean counterpart on reports of alleged human rights violations by Chilean police.
	tabling member constituency	Edinburgh East
	tabling member printed	Tommy Sheppard
	uin	63393
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>Our Ambassador in Chile has talked with representatives of the Chilean Government to express our concerns about the violence witnessed during protests and about reports of human rights abuses by state agents. We welcome the Chilean Government's acceptance of the UN's human rights report and its recommendations and the Chilean Government's assurances, in public and to our Ambassador, that allegations of human rights abuses will be investigated fully and that perpetrators will be prosecuted. Our Embassy in Santiago remains in close contact with the Chilean authorities and will continue to monitor the situation.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 30/06/2020 11:48:50 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton previous answer version 32963 answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
	tabling member	4453 label Biography information for Tommy Sheppard

1216957

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2020
	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	Chile: 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 recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of defining Chile as a human rights priority country.
	tabling member constituency	Edinburgh East
	tabling member printed	Tommy Sheppard
	uin	63394
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government is concerned about events that have occurred in Chile. Our Ambassador in Chile has expressed our concerns about the violence witnessed during protests in 2019 and about reports of human rights abuses to the Chilean Government. We welcome the Chilean Government's recognition that there have been human rights abuses and their assurances, in public and to our Ambassador, that allegations of human rights abuses will be investigated fully, and that perpetrators will be prosecuted. We continue to monitor the human rights situation in Chile closely.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 30/06/2020 11:50:59 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton previous answer version 32960 answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
	tabling member	4453 label Biography information for Tommy Sheppard

1217059

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2020
	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: Abduction
	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 the Government of Zimbabwe on allegations of maltreatment and abduction of opposition activists Cecilia Chimbiri, Netsai Marowa, and Joana Mamombe MP; and what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in that country.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff South and Penarth
	tabling member printed	Stephen Doughty
	uin	63353
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>As I said in the House on 11 May, I had been an optimist on Zimbabwe post-Mugabe, but things are bleak across the political, economic, social and humanitarian fronts.</p><p>The UK is particularly concerned about the challenging human rights situation. I spoke to the Zimbabwean Foreign Minister on 8 June and expressed my deep concern regarding recent reports of the abduction and torture of Cecilia Chimbiri, Netsai Marowa, and Joana Mamombe. I urged the Foreign Minister to ensure the Government of Zimbabwe makes concrete progress on human rights, including investigations into violations.</p><p>It is vital that the Zimbabwean authorities adhere to their international human rights obligations and respect their Constitution, which prohibits enforced disappearances and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. This was reiterated in a joint local statement issued on 20 May by the UK alongside other partners, including Ambassadors from the European Union, France, Germany and the United States of America. The UK will continue to monitor developments in Zimbabwe closely and call for the Government of Zimbabwe to uphold the rule of law and respect human rights.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 30/06/2020 15:51:32 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge previous answer version 32888 answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
	tabling member	4264 label Biography information for Stephen Doughty

1217066

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2020
	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	Guinea: Coronavirus
	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 (a) political and human rights situation in the Republic of Guinea and (b) the effect of the covid-19 pandemic on that country.
	tabling member constituency	Cardiff South and Penarth
	tabling member printed	Stephen Doughty
	uin	63354
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government is concerned by the deteriorating human rights and political environment in Guinea and the demonstrations that have led to violence in recent months. On 27 February, I set out the UK Government's deep concern over the violence and civilian deaths, following the announcement of legislative elections in Guinea and in the lead up to the referendum on the constitution. The elections and referendum were then postponed until 22 March. We urge the Government of Guinea to respect democratic institutions and all forms of human rights, including the right to peaceful protest. It was deeply saddening that there was a further loss of life on the day the election and referendum were held in Guinea. The UK has urged the Government of Guinea to ensure that all deaths are properly investigated. We encourage all parties, the Government and the Opposition, to engage in constructive dialogue, refrain from violence and protect democracy.</p><p>We continue to raise our concerns with representatives of the Government of Guinea, through our Ambassador in Conakry, on civic and political issues including the importance of respect for the rule of law, and the need for elections to be free and fair. The UK will continue to work with the Government of Guinea, international partners and regional institutions both to support Guinea's democracy and stability and to improve the day-to-day lives of all Guineans.</p><p>The elections took place against the challenging context of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are working with the Government of Guinea to support them in their own response to COVID-19. To support the people of Guinea, we are funding a programme of mass media communications to increase the public's awareness and understanding of the pandemic, and we have offered the Government of Guinea technical assistance in responding to the economic impacts of COVID-19.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 30/06/2020 15:53:36 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge previous answer version 32885 answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
	tabling member	4264 label Biography information for Stephen Doughty

1216983

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2020
	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	Eritrea: Coronavirus
	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 (a) food security and (b) human rights situation in the Southern Red Sea Denkalya Region of Eritrea during the covid-19 pandemic.
	tabling member constituency	West Worcestershire
	tabling member printed	Harriett Baldwin
	uin	63334
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/07/2020 answer text <p>We are concerned that the people of Eritrea are facing food insecurity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 and the desert locust outbreak have impacted existing humanitarian need as a result of lasting effects of war and climate change. Humanitarian and development programmes in Eritrea are being adapted to address current food security challenges. UK Aid funds life-saving activity in Eritrea, including providing £4m to UNICEF in 2019-20 to help treat malnutrition in under-fives and provide access to safe hygiene and sanitation services.</p><p>We are also aware of reports that the Government of Eritrea is targeting the Red Sea Afar people in the Denkalya region during the COVID-19 pandemic. We raise our concerns about human rights in Eritrea with the Government at every opportunity, and we will continue to make clear that measures taken by them to tackle COVID-19 must be necessary, proportionate, time-bound, transparent and regularly reviewed. Eritrea remains a priority country for the FCO under our annual human rights reporting, and we will continue to monitor the situation there.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 01/07/2020 15:32:32 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
	tabling member	4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin

1216997

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2020
	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	Cameroon: Coronavirus
	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 security situation in Cameroon during the covid-19 pandemic.
	tabling member constituency	West Worcestershire
	tabling member printed	Harriett Baldwin
	uin	63336
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon. As the UK highlighted at a United Nations Security Council briefing on Central Africa, on 12 June, high levels of violence are having tragic consequences on civilians. These could be exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p>The UK has contributed approximately £540,000 to UNICEF to support with the COVID-19 response and related water, sanitation and hygiene activities in Cameroon. We have also contributed approximately £60,000 to the Centre Pasteur Cameroun to decentralise COVID-19 testing across the country, in support of the Government of Cameroon's National Response Plan. On 20 May the UK Government also announced investment of up to £20 million in the new African Union COVID-19 Response Fund, which will be used to tackle coronavirus, and save lives, including in Cameroon.</p><p>The UK welcomes the UN Secretary-General's call in February on armed actors to refrain from attacks against civilians in Cameroon. We also welcome his call on 23 March for an immediate global ceasefire in armed conflicts, and his appeal to open up spaces for diplomacy, protect the most vulnerable, allow humanitarian access, and focus our collective energies on fighting COVID-19.</p><p>On 19 May I spoke to the Prime Minister of Cameroon and discussed the need for a peaceful solution to the conflict. It is imperative that people are not prohibited by the violence from accessing testing or wider humanitarian assistance. We continue to call for an end to the violence in the North-West and South-West regions, and have shared experiences on conflict resolution with the Government of Cameroon. We will continue to work with international partners to support the restoration of peace in these regions, at the same time as we support Cameroon, and other African partners, to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on peace and security.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 30/06/2020 16:12:25 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
	tabling member	4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin

1217099

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2020
	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	China: India
	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 recent military skirmishes on the Himalayan border between India and China; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston and Surbiton
	tabling member printed	Sir Edward Davey
	uin	63209
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>The Prime Minister commented in Parliament on 24 June that we are monitoring the situation closely and that we encourage both India and China to engage in dialogue. The status of the India-China border is a bilateral issue and we welcome the call between Foreign Ministers Wang Yi and Jaishankar on 17 June, the meeting between Army Commanders on 22 June, and the agreement that both sides would take steps to de-escalate.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 30/06/2020 14:33:47 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
	tabling member	188 label Biography information for Ed Davey

1216927

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2020
	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	British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether additional flights are being planned to repatriate British citizens who missed the deadline to apply for chartered flights during the covid-19 pandemic.
	tabling member constituency	Dudley North
	tabling member printed	Marco Longhi
	uin	63517
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/06/2020 answer text <p>Since the outbreak in Wuhan, we estimate that over 1.3 million people have returned to the UK via commercial routes - the majority supported by our work to keep vital routes open. We have brought home over 38,000 people on 186 special charter flights organised by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, from 57 countries and territories.</p><p>We believe the vast majority of British travellers seeking to return to the UK - who don't have commercial options - have now done so. Through our embassies, and a dedicated central team, we continue to support British nationals who need consular support and are working to ensure commercial routes are maintained. While no charter flights are currently planned, we are monitoring risks globally and continue to review how best to provide assistance where necessary. Our travel advice and social media pages are also regularly updated to ensure that those wishing to return are aware of further developments.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 30/06/2020 14:29:01 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
	tabling member	4789 label Biography information for Marco Longhi

1217116

	registered interest
	date	23/06/2020
	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	India: British Nationals Abroad
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the British High Commission in India are providing to UK nationals detained in India following their attendance at an event held in the Nizamuddin area of Delhi in March 2020.
	tabling member constituency	Wigan
	tabling member printed	Lisa Nandy
	uin	63329
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/06/2020 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and our High Commission in New Delhi, are providing consular support to this group in the form of phone calls and we have raised medical and welfare concerns with the Indian authorities as appropriate. We are in direct contact with the individuals concerned, their families and lawyers.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 29/06/2020 16:23:34 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
	tabling member	4082 label Biography information for Lisa Nandy