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1092736

	registered interest
	date	21/03/2019
	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: Ukraine
	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 Guardian's decision to use Kyiv rather than Kiev, whether his Department has plans to make the same change.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	235278
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/03/2019 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office refers to the capital of Ukraine as Kyiv, using spelling based on the official language of Ukraine. It has done so since 2009.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 26/03/2019 16:54:01 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1104875

	registered interest
	date	25/03/2019
	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	Belarus: Media
	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 in the last six months to (a) the Belarus Ambassador in London and (b) his counterpart in Belarus on recent amendments to media law, the criminal prosecution of journalists and editors and the persecution of journalists who co-operate with foreign media without accreditation.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	236331
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2019 answer text <p>​The UK is concerned about restrictions on media freedom in Belarus, including the amendments introduced to Belarus' media laws on 1 December. Our Ambassador in Minsk raised these issues with the Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister in a meeting on 19 February 2019. Our Embassy subsequently attended the trial of the editor of the independent online media outlet, tut.by. The UK also joined EU partners in raising the issue of media freedom during the EU-Belarus Coordination meeting on 12-13 December 2018. The UK continues to support a number of projects to promote and develop independent media in Belarus.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 01/04/2019 13:27:52 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1105497

	registered interest
	date	27/03/2019
	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	Brunei: Homosexuality
	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 (a) the Bruneian Ambassador in London and (b) his counterpart in Brunei on proposed legislation to make homosexuality a crime punishable by death in that country.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	237629
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/04/2019 answer text <p>I raised UK concerns about hudud punishments during my visit to Brunei Darussalam in August 2018. More recently I raised these issues on Friday 29 March in a letter to the Deputy Foreign Minister. Additionally the British High Commission in Bandar Seri Begawan regularly discusses the introduction of the Sharia Penal Code with the Government of Brunei.</p><p>We will continue to encourage and work with the Bruneian Government, as with many other countries, to remove corporal and capital punishment from their statutes. We will also urge them to take steps to decriminalise and pass laws to protect LGBT people from all forms of discrimination.</p><p>The UK believes in the right to live with dignity, free from violence or discrimination irrespective of a person's sexual orientation. The International community must uphold the universality of human rights; the criminalisation of same-sex relations is wrong.</p><p>The UK is committed to combating discrimination and violence against LGBT people throughout the Commonwealth and ensured that last year's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Communique included the most progressive language yet on LGBT rights, complimented by an historic speech from the Prime Minister, and backed up with major programme spending on gender equality and LGBT rights.</p><p>Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice has been updated to alert British citizens of the introduction of the new local laws in Brunei and we continue to lobby against the use of such punishments.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 01/04/2019 16:19:40 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1105873

	registered interest
	date	28/03/2019
	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	Crimea: Tatars
	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 (a) the Russian Ambassador in London and (b) his Russian counterpart on actions taken against Crimean Tatars in Russian-occupied Crimea.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	238283
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/04/2019 answer text <p>We are deeply concerned by ongoing reports of human rights abuses against the Crimean Tatar community. The Foreign Secretary has not made direct representations to the Russian Ambassador in London but has publicly condemned Russian human rights abuses in Crimea. Most recently, he co-signed an op-ed with EU partners on 27 February in which he criticised Russia's treatment of the Tatar community, and, in a statement to mark the fifth anniversary of Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea, condemned Russia's continued pattern of human rights violations in the peninsula and called for the release of all Ukrainian political prisoners being held by Russia. The UK supports the work of the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, which works to reduce violations by strengthening the field presence of human rights monitors and reporting on the situation. In coordination with international partners, we continue to raise our concerns in international fora, including the UN, OSCE and NATO.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 02/04/2019 15:17:02 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1110646

	registered interest
	date	09/04/2019
	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	Brunei: Homosexuality
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether it is the Government's policy to support the suspension of Brunei from the Commonwealth of Nations as a result of that country's legislation to make homosexuality a crime punishable by death.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	242731
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/04/2019 answer text <p>The UK encourages all Commonwealth partners to protect and promote the values in the Commonwealth Charter, including its opposition to all forms of discrimination. We have made clear that nobody should face persecution or discrimination because of who they are or whom they love.</p><p>Brunei is one of several Commonwealth countries that imposes corporal and capital punishments. It has now introduced new potential penalties under the Sharia Penal Code.</p><p>We have raised our concerns with the Government of Brunei. We will continue to encourage Brunei to remove corporal and capital punishment from its statutes, to pass laws that decriminalise same-sex relations and protect LGBT people from all forms of discrimination.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 17/04/2019 15:48:58 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1122200

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2019
	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	Bahrain: Civil Liberties and Press Freedom
	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 Bahraini Ambassador to the UK on press freedom and civil liberties.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	246010
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2019 answer text <p>​Our Embassy in Manama and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office continue to follow events in Bahrain closely. The UK enjoys a close relationship with the Government of Bahrain which allows us to speak honestly about a range of issues, including human rights. We do not shy away from sharing any concerns at a senior level.</p><p>The UK supports freedom of expression and freedom of speech as both a fundamental right in itself and as an essential element of a full range of human rights. We continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to protect freedom of expression for all of its citizens, in line with its international obligations.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 25/04/2019 14:39:18 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1121776

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2019
	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	Belarus: Broadcasting
	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 (a) the Belarus Ambassador in London and (b) his counterpart in Belarus on the recent raid of the broadcaster Belsat's Minsk office.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	245670
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2019 answer text <p>The UK is concerned about restrictions on media freedom in Belarus. We consistently raise our concerns about media freedom as part of ongoing discussions with Belarusian counterparts on human rights and democracy. UK officials last raised concerns in a meeting with the Belarusian Ambassador on 3 April and stressed the importance of a free media with the Belarusian Deputy Foreign Minister on 17 April. Our Embassy in Minsk is monitoring the situation of the independent television channel, Belsat, following the search by Belarusian law enforcement officers. The UK continues to support a number of projects to promote and develop independent media in Belarus.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 25/04/2019 16:15:48 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1122139

	registered interest
	date	18/04/2019
	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	Diplomatic Service: Training
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans his Department has to ensure that diplomats receive training on local faith communities in advance of postings.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	245675
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 30/04/2019 answer text <p>​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides a wide range of resources to ensure that staff understand the influence of faith on foreign policy. For the past few years, we have offered two-day courses on religious literacy, in partnership with the London School of Economics. Other courses are held throughout the year, often tailored to geographical departments, for example the Political Islam, and Ethnic and Religious minorities in the Middle East and North Africa courses. In countries where religion has an impact on the work of a diplomat, this is covered in both pre-posting briefings and during the first few weeks following arrival at post. More generally, religion and diplomacy forms part of the 'Key Themes in International Politics' module of the Diplomatic Academy, which is compulsory for new fast stream entrants into the FCO.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 30/04/2019 16:33:31 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1123432

	registered interest
	date	26/04/2019
	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	Russia: Ukraine
	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 (a) the Russian Ambassador in London and (b) his Russian counterpart on the recent decree allowing residents in occupied Eastern Ukraine to obtain Russian passports; and what discussion he has had with his Ukrainian counterpart on UK support for that country's territorial integrity.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	247987
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2019 answer text <p>The UK was one of the first countries to condemn President Putin's decision to sign a decree making it easier for Ukrainian citizens living in non-government controlled areas of eastern Ukraine to receive Russian passports. In a Foreign and Commonwealth Office statement, we made clear that rather than creating further obstacles to the reintegration of these communities into Ukraine, Russia should focus on implementing the Minsk Agreements in full. We also challenged Russia on this directly at the UN Security Council on 25 April, when the UK also expressed our support for Ukraine's sovereignty. This step by President Putin is the latest in a pattern of Russian behaviour aimed at threatening Ukraine's security and sovereignty and undermining its territorial integrity. The Foreign Secretary continues to discuss these issues with international partners. As the Prime Minister reiterated in a telephone call with President-elect Zelenskiy on 23 April, the UK fully supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. She also expressed our willingness to increase our already deep partnership with Ukraine across a range of areas, including security.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 01/05/2019 16:34:44 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly

1128892

	registered interest
	date	03/06/2019
	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	Botswana: Hunting
	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 counterpart in Botswana on that country's decision to lift the elephant hunting ban.
	tabling member constituency	Newcastle-under-Lyme
	tabling member printed	Paul Farrelly
	uin	259036
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2019 answer text <p>​The Government takes the conservation of endangered species seriously. The UK and Botswana have a regular dialogue on conservation and counter-poaching activity. Ministers have not discussed with Botswanan counterparts the 22 May announcement to lift the 2014 suspension on hunting.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 06/06/2019 15:41:11 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
	tabling member	1436 label Biography information for Paul Farrelly