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

1131005

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2019
	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	Lebanon: Refugees
	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 his Department has made to the Government of Lebanon on the proposed destruction of Syrian refugees’ shelters in Arsal, Lebanon.
	tabling member constituency	Edinburgh East
	tabling member printed	Tommy Sheppard
	uin	262409
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>We support refugees remaining in host countries in the region, and support host countries to accommodate them. As part of this, we are working in partnership with host countries to help them to expand job and education opportunities for refugees in a way that will enable them to better support themselves and give them skills for the future. We are also helping host countries to cope with the impact of refugees on local services.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 13/06/2019 16:31:37 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4453 label Biography information for Tommy Sheppard

1130932

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2019
	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	Cyprus: Turkey
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on recent diplomatic relations between Turkey and Cyprus.
	tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Ladywood
	tabling member printed	Shabana Mahmood
	uin	262337
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text ​The UK is a strong supporter of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Cyprus issue. We have therefore been following recent developments in the Eastern Mediterranean with concern and would like to see the situation de-escalated. The UK has made it clear to Turkey, both privately and publicly, that we oppose their plans to drill. We continue to recognise the sovereign right of the Republic of Cyprus to exploit the oil and gas in its internationally agreed Exclusive Economic Zone. We believe it is critical for stability in the Mediterranean, and for the integrity of the Rules-Based International System, that disputes such as this are resolved through dialogue and in accordance with international law. We will continue to work with the Republic of Cyprus, Turkey and the wider region to that end. We also continue to suppot a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus as the best means of resolving the difficulties caused by the division of the island. answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 13/06/2019 14:07:40 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	3914 label Biography information for Shabana Mahmood

1131069

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2019
	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	British Indian Ocean Territory
	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 merits of the statement by the Prime Minister of Mauritius at the UN general Assembly on 22 May 2019 that the eviction of the population of the Chagos Islands by the UK Government was akin to a crime against humanity.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
	tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
	uin	262406
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>The UK does not accept this characterisation of events. Mauritius has not previously described matters in this way. Nor has this description been used by either the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its Advisory Opinion, or the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Tribunal members in the Award in respect of the circumstances of the removal of Chagossians.</p><p>The UK has expressed sincere regret about the manner in which Chagossians were removed from British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) in the 1960s and 1970s.</p><p>The Government has committed £40 million for Chagossians who are now living elsewhere – to provide employment support, English language training and projects to help preserve their heritage.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 13/06/2019 14:10:47 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1130722

	registered interest
	date	07/06/2019
	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	Pakistan: 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 the Government is taking to support Christians on death row in Pakistan on charges of blasphemy.
	tabling member constituency	Thornbury and Yate
	tabling member printed	Luke Hall
	uin	261522
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>It is the British Government's longstanding policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and in all countries. In Pakistan, we remain deeply concerned by the misuse of blasphemy laws, and that religious minorities, including Christians, are disproportionately affected. The harsh penalties for blasphemy, including the death penalty, add to these concerns.</p><p>We regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. My colleague, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, raised our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the protection of minority religious communities with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister in February 2019.</p><p>To ensure the United Kingdom is providing the right levels of support to persecuted Christians overseas, the Foreign Secretary asked the Bishop of Truro, Rt Revd. Philip Mounstephen, to carry out an independent review. The Bishop has submitted his interim report; with the full report due later this year.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 13/06/2019 15:36:35 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
	tabling member	4450 label Biography information for Luke Hall

1130547

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	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	Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Living Wage
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of organisations that hold contracts with his Department pay the National Living Wage.
	tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
	tabling member printed	Justin Madders
	uin	261246
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>We oblige all of our Contractors to ensure they are compliant with the National Living Wage legislation for staff employed in the UK.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 13/06/2019 14:15:43 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders

1130511

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	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	China: Human Rights and Civil Society
	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 Chinese counterpart on the protection of civil society groups and human rights in that country.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	261229
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>We remain concerned about the lack of protection of civil society groups and the failure to respect civil and political rights in China. We currently have particular concerns relating to the persecution of certain ethnic minorities, including Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang; the use of the death penalty; and reductions in freedom of expression, association and assembly; and limits on freedom of religion or belief.</p><p> </p><p>While I have not made recent representations to my Chinese counterpart on the protection of civil society groups and human rights in China, the British Government remains committed to raising these issues with the Chinese authorities, and will continue to do so. The Prime Minister spoke about human rights during her most recent visit to China. Additionally, the Foreign Secretary highlighted his concerns about human rights in China with State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his last visit to China in July 2018; I also did the same with my counterpart earlier that month.</p><p> </p><p>Moreover, we highlight our human rights concerns publicly in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy – the 2019 report was published earlier this month. The United Kingdom has also taken regular action bilaterally and multilaterally, including in the March 2019 session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, to support civil society groups in the country. During China’s last Universal Periodic Review, we asked China publically what steps it is taking to ensure these groups are protected from detention and harassment. The Foreign Secretary has also raised the cases of detained human rights lawyers, including Wang Quanzheng and Yu Wensheng, with Chinese Government Ministers.</p><p>​</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 13/06/2019 15:31:21 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1130513

	registered interest
	date	06/06/2019
	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	China: 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 assessment he has made of the human rights situation in China in (a) 2019 comparative to (b) 1989.
	tabling member constituency	Strangford
	tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
	uin	261230
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>Over the past 30 years China has ratified a number of United Nations instruments relating to human rights. However we have serious concerns about the continued lack of respect for civil and political human rights in China, particularly relating to the rights of ethnic minorities; the death penalty; freedom of expression, association and assembly; and freedom of religion or belief.</p><p> </p><p>The advent of advanced surveillance technologies has facilitated increased restrictions on the rights of citizens in China. This has been particularly noticeable in Xinjiang, where there are credible reports of over a million Uyghurs and other minorities being detained in so called “re-education camps”. Reliable reporting suggests the region is subject to widespread surveillance, overt discriminatory profiling of members of ethnic minorities, and an omnipresent security apparatus. British diplomats most recently visited Xinjiang in May 2019 and their observations supported much of the recent open source reporting about the situation in the province.</p><p> </p><p>We urge the Chinese authorities to safeguard their citizens’ rights as enshrined in China’s constitution and in international law.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 13/06/2019 15:33:33 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
	tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1130117

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2019
	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	Kashmir: Riot Control Weapons
	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 Indian counterpart on the use of pellet guns in Indian Administered Kashmir.
	tabling member constituency	Halifax
	tabling member printed	Holly Lynch
	uin	260686
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>​We welcome the reduction in the use of pellet guns since 2017 but are aware of, and concerned by, continued reports of their use and related injuries. We have raised this issue with the Indian Government. I discussed the situation in Kashmir with the Indian Foreign Secretary on my visit to India in March this year. The Permanent Under Secretary to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Sir Simon McDonald) also raised the situation in Kashmir with the Foreign Secretary during bilateral talks last month (May).</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 13/06/2019 15:26:08 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
	tabling member	4472 label Biography information for Holly Lynch

1130957

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2019
	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	Colombia: Embassies
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much the UK embassy in Colombia spent on each of its projects and programmes in that country in 2018.
	tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
	tabling member printed	Helen Goodman
	uin	262294
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>Colombia project and programme spend during 2018 is set out in the following table. The International Climate Fund and Newton Fund are owned by BEIS, who have contributed to this response.</p><table><tbody><tr><td>​Programme/Fund</td><td>2018​ spend</td><td>Notes​</td></tr><tr><td>​Conflict Security and Stability Fund</td><td>£11.5M​</td><td>​Two CSSF programmes active in Colombia in 2018.</td></tr><tr><td>​Prosperity Fund</td><td>£8.75M​</td><td>​Two Prosperity Fund programmes active in Colombia in 2018.</td></tr><tr><td>​Newton Fund</td><td>£4.0M​</td><td>​This is the 2018 country envelope budget figure, as full year spend figures are not yet available. For reference, 2017 spend was £4.6M. Newton Fund works in partnership with Colombia on science and innovation projects.</td></tr><tr><td>​International Climate Fund</td><td>£0.258M​</td><td>​Includes only spend directly attributable to Colombia. excludes ICF spent through multilateral funds an other global programmes. This is not directly attributable to individual countries, as money is pooled with other donor finance.</td></tr><tr><td>​FCO Departmental Policy Programme (International Programme)</td><td>£0.82M</td><td>​</td></tr><tr><td>​</td><td>​</td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 13/06/2019 14:35:02 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	1484 label Biography information for Helen Goodman

1130942

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2019
	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	Sudan: 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 representations he plans to make to his Sudanese counterpart on the cases of (a) Mohamed Esmat, (b) Ismael Jalab and (c) Mubarak Ardol.
	tabling member constituency	Stroud
	tabling member printed	Dr David Drew
	uin	262221
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/06/2019 answer text <p>The British Government condemns the arrest and detention of Mohamed Esmat, Ismael Jalab and Mubarak Ardol by the Sudanese security forces. We understand all have now been released. Violence must not be used, including against opponents. Sudanese people should not be faced with the threat of arbitrary detention or deportation. We consistently made clear to the former Government of Sudan our expectation that all detainees should be treated in accordance with international standards; we continue to call upon the Sudanese authorities to do so. On 6 June, I summoned the Sudanese Ambassador to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to express the grave concerns of the United Kingdom at the use of violence against civilians by the Sudanese authorities. Our Embassy in Khartoum continues to publicly and directly call on members of the Transitional Military Council to take the steps needed to improve the situation in Sudan, including the release of all political prisoners. We also engage regularly with civil society groups on the issue of detainee treatment.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 13/06/2019 14:07:16 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
	tabling member	252 label Biography information for Dr David Drew