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1130816

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2019
	answering body	Department for International Development
	answering dept id	20
	answering dept short name	International Development
	answering dept sort name	International Development
	hansard heading	Eritrea: National Service
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the call by the Foundation Human Rights for Eritreans for the EU to cease funding aid projects in Eritrea that involve the use of national service conscripts; and whether any UK aid is directed through those programmes.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL16183
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government is broadly supportive of the EU’s efforts to engage with Eritrea, and to create opportunities for greater engagement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, including through increasing development assistance where possible. We share concerns about human rights, particularly regarding Eritrea’s use of national service. However, it is clear that key elements of development cooperation in Eritrea, including recent cooperation on road building, will not be taken forward without the use of national service labour. We have therefore pressed the EU for enhanced efforts to ensure safeguards are in place. The EU has confirmed that the project implementer will monitor and assess whether workers are receiving an appropriate salary, and that basic health and safety standards are applied. Alongside those immediate measures, we, and the EU, will continue to encourage reform of the Eritrean national service system.</p><p> </p><p>Around 15% of all EU development funds, including those used for projects in Eritrea, are attributable to UK ODA. We are also providing a €3m direct contribution to the Horn of Africa programmes of the EU Trust Fund for Africa, whose programming includes the EU’s €20m road building project in Eritrea.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 19/06/2019 11:29:36 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1020682

	registered interest
	date	06/12/2018
	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: National Service
	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 representations he has made to his counterpart in Eritrea on (a) ending forced conscription and (b) demobilising those currently subject to forced conscription in that country.
	tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
	tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
	uin	199821
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2018 answer text <p>I raised the UK's concerns on the human rights situation in Eritrea directly with the Eritrean Foreign Minister when I met him in September, including the length and breadth of National Service. I expressed our hope that positive developments in the region will lead to reform of National Service and improvements in the human rights situation in Eritrea.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 13/12/2018 16:41:18 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
	tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

387092

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2015
	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: National Service
	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 he is taking in response to findings of the UN Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in Eritrea on national service conscripts being used within foreign-operated companies.
	tabling member constituency	Wakefield
	tabling member printed	Mary Creagh
	uin	5208
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/07/2015 answer text <p>National service is compulsory in Eritrea and many conscripts serve indefinitely. The national service system was one of the reasons the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) listed Eritrea as a “Country of Concern” in its annual Human Rights Report (2014). The report set out that civilian national service has often included work for government and state-owned companies on low salaries, exposing the Government of Eritrea to the allegation of using forced labour. We have been clear to the Government of Eritrea that it must amend or abolish its national service system. Eritrean government representatives have assured UK officials that the term of service will be strictly limited to 18 months for all new recruits starting from March 2015. We will continue to monitor the situation closely. FCO officials recently met with representatives of the Canadian mining company, Nevsun Mining, who operate the largest mine in Eritrea. Nevsun Mining set out the strict procedures that they had in place to prevent national service conscripts working at the mine.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 06/07/2015 14:51:39 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	1579 label Biography information for Mary Creagh

435867

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2015
	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: National Service
	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 received on indefinite national service continuing to be practised in Eritrea.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	18938
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/12/2015 answer text <p>The British Government continues to have concerns about indefinite national service in Eritrea. We welcomed the Government of Eritrea’s pledge earlier this year to limit national service to 18 months for all new recruits starting from March 2015. However, we have been clear to the government in Asmara that it must now follow through on this commitment and that the change must be publicised widely in Eritrea itself. We have also been clear that the 18 month limit should apply to all conscripts not just those who have been enlisted recently.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 14/12/2015 16:15:22 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

910330

	registered interest
	date	23/05/2018
	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: National Service
	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 Eritrean counterpart on the laws governing national service in Eritrea.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	147313
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/06/2018 answer text <p>The Foreign Secretary has not met with any Eritrean minister. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Permanent Undersecretary and the then Minister of State for Immigration at the Home Office both raised the issue with the Eritrean Foreign Minister when he visited London in July 2017. The former Minister for Africa also raised the issue with the Eritrean Foreign Minister when they met in New York in September 2017.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 06/06/2018 15:31:37 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew