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802800

	registered interest
	date	07/12/2017
	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: BBC Persian Service
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his oral contribution of 21 November 2017, Official Report, Vol 631 Col 852, if will raise persecution of and intimidation against staff of the BBC Persian service during his forthcoming visit to Iran.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	118339
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/12/2017 answer text <p>Reports about harassment of BBC Persian staff and their families in Iran are deeply worrying. The Foreign Secretary specifically raised our concerns about the harassment of BBC Persian staff and their families in Iran with his Iranian counterpart during his visit to Tehran on 9-10 December. This issue is intimately bound up with wider questions of the protection of civil and political rights in Iran; the Foreign Secretary also raised our broader concerns on Iran’s human rights record during his visit.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 13/12/2017 17:54:47 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt previous answer version 28780 answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

830217

	registered interest
	date	24/01/2018
	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	Hamed bin Haydara
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports his Department has received on the decision of the Specialised Criminal Court in Sana'a to sentence Mr Hamed bin Haydara to death by public execution because of his religious beliefs; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	124878
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2018 answer text <p>As the Minister for Europe and the Americas said in his response to the urgent question on this issue on 11 January, we strongly condemn Mr bin Haydara's death sentence, and the continued persecution of Baha'is in Yemen for their religious beliefs. We were informed of Mr bin Haydara's sentence on 2 January, via the Baha'i community in London, and I met with the leader of the Baha'i community on 25 January. We continue to work closely with our partners, including the European Union, to raise this issue directly with the de facto authorities in Sana'a, and have sought to raise the profile of Mr bin Haydara's situation through public diplomacy.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 29/01/2018 16:29:47 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

830222

	registered interest
	date	24/01/2018
	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	Hamed bin Haydara
	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 potential implications for the Baha'i community and freedom of religion or belief in northern Yemen of the death sentence pronounced against the Yemeni Baha'i Mr bin Haydara.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	124883
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2018 answer text <p>We are very concerned about the persecution of Baha'is in Yemen, particularly in areas controlled by the Houthis and forces aligned to the late former President Saleh. The immediate release of all Baha'is in Yemen imprisoned for their religious beliefs was a key demand in the September United Nations Human Rights Council Resolution, which we supported. We will work closely with all partners to ensure its full implementation. We are in close contact with the Baha'i community in London regarding Mr Haydara's case and the wider situation of Bahai's in Yemen. I met with with representatives of the Baha'i community on 18 January to discuss this and other cases.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 29/01/2018 16:33:50 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

830227

	registered interest
	date	24/01/2018
	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	Yemen: Baha'i Faith
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports his Department has received on Iranian influence on the actions of the Houthi community against the Baha'i community in Sana'a, Yemen; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	124888
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/01/2018 answer text <p>We are aware of reports from the Baha'i community about Iranian influence on Houthi actions in Yemen. We call upon Iran to cease harassment of all religious minorities and to fulfil its international and domestic obligations to allow freedom of religion.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 29/01/2018 16:44:03 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

423337

	registered interest
	date	22/10/2015
	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	Qatar: Migrant Workers
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether (a) the deaths of migrant construction workers engaged on building the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup or (b) the kafala system of sponsoring migrant workers was raised by the Government during the Qatar-UK Sharaka bilateral dialogue in London on 15 October 2015.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	13106
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2015 answer text <p>The Qatar-UK Sharaka bilateral dialogue included agreement on security cooperation and engagement around investment. We also agreed to work closely together to resolve ongoing conflicts in the region, tackle terrorism and counter extremism, in particular tackling the threat posed by ISIL. The issue of migrant workers was not included in the agenda for the meeting. The British Government takes seriously the issue of health and safety of construction workers building all infrastructure projects in the Gulf, including Qatar. We expect FIFA to do the same with regard to specific World Cup related projects. British officials promote the importance of local construction projects meeting international safety standards with their Qatari counterparts. I have had a number of discussions on human rights and the working conditions of foreign workers with my direct Qatari counterparts.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 27/10/2015 15:24:12 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

872377

	registered interest
	date	26/03/2018
	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	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, if he will adopt a strategic plan to (a) protect and (b) support human rights defenders throughout the world.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	134291
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/03/2018 answer text <p>​In 2017, officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) collaborated with representatives of civil society organisations to update the FCO's &quot;Guidelines on Working with Human Rights Defenders&quot;. These Guidelines were issued to all Ambassadors and High Commissioners in December. They give guidance on how UK diplomats should become well acquainted with civil society representatives, including human rights defenders. Each Ambassador and High Commissioner is able to decide how to apply the Guidelines in the context of the country to which they are accredited. With this decentralised, flexible approach, diplomats overseas are able to make decisions based on local knowledge and conditions. The FCO believes that this is a better approach than a prescriptive, centrally-driven strategy.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 29/03/2018 09:35:29 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

872378

	registered interest
	date	26/03/2018
	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	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, how much money was spent by the Government on (a) protecting and (b) supporting human rights defenders globally in each year since 2009-10.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	134292
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/03/2018 answer text <p>​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) protects and supports human rights defenders in a variety of ways, including by funding projects through the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy (MCF) and the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF). Figures for MCF-funded projects specifically focussing on human rights defenders are only available from 2016. In financial year 2016/17, the FCO spent an estimated £609,185 from MCF on projects to protect and/or support human rights defenders. The figure for financial year 2017/18 is likely to be approximately £449,430. These figures do not take into account work funded from the CSSF or projects which supported human rights defenders that fall into different thematic areas such as freedom of expression or freedom of religion or belief. An accurate and comprehensive estimate of the full value of FCO's work to protect and support human rights defenders would need to take into account the full economic cost of non-project activities such as communications, attendance at trials, and diplomatic engagement with overseas governments and state institutions. Data to allow such an estimate to be reached is not held centrally</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 29/03/2018 09:42:54 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

872379

	registered interest
	date	26/03/2018
	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	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 steps his Department is taking to support (a) women and (b) other human rights defenders.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	134293
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/03/2018 answer text <p>​In December 2017, the Foreign Secretary issued the diplomatic network with an updated version of the United Kingdom Guidelines on Working with Human Rights Defenders. The Guidelines instruct the United Kingdom's diplomatic network to support human rights defenders. This includes taking into account groups who may face additional risks such as those defending the rights of women. The UK co-sponsored the Resolution on Human Rights Defenders at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in November, 2017. This year marks the 20<sup>th</sup> anniversary year of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. We will work with fellow co-signatories to uphold the principles of the Declaration.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 29/03/2018 09:45:34 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

895295

	registered interest
	date	01/05/2018
	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	Egypt: Torture
	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 use of torture in Egyptian (a) prisons and (b) detention centres by (i) police and (ii) other security officials of that country.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	140006
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/05/2018 answer text <p>We are concerned about reports of torture and mistreatment in detention in Egypt and continue to raise these issues with the Egyptian authorities. We have raised our concerns in public, through the UN Human Rights Council and through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Human Rights Priority Country reports; and in private, in meetings with Egyptian officials in London and Cairo. Our Ambassador to Egypt last raised human rights concerns with the Egyptian authorities on 18 April.The UK wants to see more political progress and better protection of human rights in Egypt, including implementation of the rights guaranteed by Egypt’s constitution.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 10/05/2018 15:20:01 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson

424972

	registered interest
	date	29/10/2015
	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	Counter-terrorism and Syria
	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 2013 Lough Erne G8 Leaders' Communiqué, published on 18 June 2013, what progress has been made on implementing the commitments in paragraph (a) 5, (b) 6 and (c) 7 of that document; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Kingston upon Hull North
	tabling member printed	Diana Johnson
	uin	14088
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/11/2015 answer text ISIL now poses a significant threat to regional and international peace and security. The UK continues to work closely with our G7 partners, including as part of the Global Counterterrorism Forum and Counter-ISIL coalition; with governments across the Middle East and North Africa, building their ability to counter radicalisation, tackle terrorist threats and reduce the number of individuals seeking to join terrorist groups in Syria, Libya and elsewhere; and at the UN, where we have co-sponsored a number of important Security Council Resolutions. On kidnap for ransom there has been significant progress: in January 2014, the UK sponsored UN Security Council Resolution 2133, which built on the Lough Erne Leaders’ Communiqué and reinforced the international consensus not to make concessions to terrorist kidnappers. Since the resolution was adopted, we have continued to encourage other states to abide by this international commitment. We have also continued to strengthen our own domestic legislation in line with the Lough Erne commitments. On Syria, the UK continues, with G7 partners, to support efforts to resume political talks, based on the implementation of the 2012 Geneva Communiqué. To address the significant humanitarian crisis, the UK has supported the adoption of UN Security Council Resolutions 2139, 2165 and 2191 (which call for the protection of civilians and unhindered delivery of aid to those most in need) and has now pledged over £1.1 billion in support. In Libya, the UK has continued to support UN efforts to reach a lasting political agreement. The UK Special Envoy to the Libyan Political Transition, Jonathan Powell, and the UK diplomatic network are working hard with key Libyan interlocutors and international partners. Most recently, the UK co-hosted a meeting with the UN in London on 19 October, to discuss how the international community will support a new unity government in Libya. answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 06/11/2015 15:06:46 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
	tabling member	1533 label Biography information for Dame Diana Johnson