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1126737

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	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	Abdullah Öcalan
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey in relation to the Kurdish hunger strikers who are campaigning for the end of the solitary confinement in which the Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan is being held on the island of Imrali in contravention of European and international law.
	tabling member printed	Lord Wigley
	uin	HL15754
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/05/2019 answer text <p>​The British Government has raised Mr Öcalan’s case with the Turkish authorities a number of times. The Minister for Europe and the Americas raised the issue most recently with the Turkish Ambassador on 13 May. While strongly condemning the ongoing violence perpetrated by the PKK, a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK, we have encouraged the Turkish authorities to implement the recommendations made by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture following their visit to Imrali prison. In this regard, I welcome the fact that Mr Öcalan was granted access to two lawyers on 2 May. I also note the comment made by Mr Öcalan, via his lawyers, that individuals should not pursue these hunger strikes to the point of serious illness or death.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 21/05/2019 15:45:21 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	547 label Biography information for Lord Wigley

1127002

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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	Abdullah Öcalan
	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 documentary film and report by the 2019 International Peace Delegation to Imrali, published on 25 March; and what conclusions, if any, they have drawn from that report and film.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL15763
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/05/2019 answer text <p>​We have studied both the documentary film and report. Our position on the Kurdish issue is unchanged. Mr Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, is in our view a convicted terrorist. We hope that a peace process can be resumed in the future and have provided funding to a number of civil society organisations in Turkey seeking to build dialogue between different relevant actors on the Kurdish issue.</p><p>Regarding Mr Öcalan's imprisonment, we expect Turkey to respect its international obligations with regard to prison conditions. This includes acting on the recommendations of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) of the Council of Europe concerning prisoner association, isolation and access. When raising Mr Öcalan's case with the Turkish authorities, we have encouraged them to implement the recommendations made by the CPT following their visit to the prison in 2016. In this regard, we note the fact that Mr Öcalan was granted access to two lawyers on 2 May. We also note that the CPT paid a further visit to Imrali prison in mid-May, and that the Turkish Minister of Justice has this month lifted the court restriction on lawyers' visits to Imrali prison. We welcome these positive developments.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 28/05/2019 15:03:32 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1127011

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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: LGBT+ People
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Brunei about abrogating the laws under which homosexuals can be stoned to death.
	tabling member printed	Lord Lexden
	uin	HL15772
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>The Foreign Secretary spoke to Brunei’s Foreign Minister, Dato Erywan, on 4 April to express the UK’s concerns about the impact of the Sharia Penal Code. On 11 April, the Foreign Secretary and the Minister for Asia and the Pacific met Dato Erywan and the Finance Minister, Dato Amin Liew, in London. The Prime Minister wrote to His Majesty The Sultan on 1 May. We welcome the assurances thereafter provided by the Sultan on 5 May. In particular, confirmation that the de facto moratorium on the death penalty will apply to punishments under the Sharia Penal Code and the commitment to ratify the United Nations Convention Against Torture. Following this announcement, the Minister for Asia and the Pacific met Dato Erywan and Dato Amin Liew on 7 May. I also welcomed these assurances during my meeting with the Minister of Transport and Infocommunications, Dato Mutalib on 16 May.</p><p>The announcement by His Majesty the Sultan demonstrates the importance of engaging in respectful dialogue and diplomacy to address sensitive issues. The assurances provided by the Sultan are positive and go some way to addressing our anxieties about the human rights situation in Brunei. We urge Brunei to build on these assurances and formalise its commitment to respect individual freedoms and minorities.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 23/05/2019 13:07:04 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	4202 label Biography information for Lord Lexden

1126317

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	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	Cameroon: Conflict Resolution
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what involvement the UK currently has in conflict resolution in Cameroon; what plans they have, if any, to raise the conflict in Cameroon at the UN Security Council; and what representations they have made to the government of France about the impact of its policies on the government of Cameroon.
	tabling member printed	Lord Judd
	uin	HL15677
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2019 answer text <p>​The UK continues to be deeply concerned at high levels of violence in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon, reports of human rights violations and abuses and the severe impact the deteriorating humanitarian situation is having on ordinary civilians. We continue to call for an end to violence on all sides and urge the Government of Cameroon to establish a credible political dialogue to address the root causes of the crisis. The UK has shared experiences with the Government on conflict resolution; we remain ready to provide further support. On 13 May, the UK participated in an informal discussion on Cameroon at the UN Security Council, noting that dialogue and humanitarian assistance were needed to exit the crisis. The UK also raised concerns in a statement at the bi-annual UN Office for Central Africa briefing in the UN Security Council on 13 December 2018, calling for urgent action by the Government to prevent further conflict. The UK regularly discusses developments in Cameroon with international partners, including France and the US, to encourage and support efforts to resolve the crisis.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 24/05/2019 11:42:02 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	1660 label Biography information for Lord Judd

1127015

	registered interest
	date	15/05/2019
	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: Christianity
	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 situation of Chinese Christians following reports that the government of China has labelled the expansion of Christianity a "grave harm to Chinese national security".
	tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of St Albans
	uin	HL15776
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/05/2019 answer text <p>We remain deeply concerned about the persecution of Christians on the grounds of their religion or belief in China. Our analysis is that restrictions on freedom of religion or belief in China have recently increased, with the authorities tightening their control over how certain religions are practiced.</p><p>Accordingly, I highlighted these restrictions – including on Christians across China – at the 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council in March 2019. I also set out the Government’s position when answering an Oral Question in the House of Lords; 4 April 2019, Oral Question, House of Lords, column 226. We further raised similar concerns during China’s Universal Periodic Review in November 2018.</p><p>Additionally, on 30 January 2019, the Foreign Secretary, together with the Rt Revd Philip Mounstephen, Bishop of Truro, launched an Independent Review of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) support for persecuted Christians, including Christians in China. The Foreign Secretary has asked the Bishop to make ambitious FCO structural, policy and practice recommendations, which will be published as a Command Paper at the end of June.</p><p>We are also aware of credible reports of the closure or demolition of unregistered churches in some areas of China, the removal of crosses from buildings, and that individuals are being harassed or detained for their religious beliefs across China. Senior officials raised these concerns with Chinese authorities earlier this year, and will continue to do so.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 28/05/2019 14:46:15 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	4308 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of St Albans

1126295

	registered interest
	date	13/05/2019
	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	Christianity: Religious Freedom
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a departmental, or cross-governmental strategy, was devised to prevent or ameliorate the global persecution of Christians between 2003 and 2018; and if so, whether they will place a copy of the relevant documents in the Library of the House.
	tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
	uin	HL15655
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>There has been no cross-government strategy on the global persecution of Christians between 2003 and 2018, however the promotion of human rights has and remains at the heart of our foreign policy and we regard freedom of religion or belief as a universal human right. In my role as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy on Freedom of Religion or Belief, I regularly raise the importance of this issue with international counterparts. We condemn instances where individuals are persecuted because of their faith or belief, including Christians, wherever it happens and whatever the religion or belief.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 23/05/2019 12:42:47 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1126708

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	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	Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in implementing the decisions made at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting held in London in April 2018.
	tabling member printed	Lord Luce
	uin	HL15725
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2019 answer text <p>​The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs wrote to the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee (FAC) on 15 May 2019 enclosing an update on progress against commitments made at the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. I refer the Noble Lord to this report, which the FAC has now published on their website.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 24/05/2019 11:45:04 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	908 label Biography information for Lord Luce

1126704

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	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	European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether reports of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment may, in some circumstances, be published without the prior consent of the state in question.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL15721
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>​The UK encourages Council of Europe members to engage fully with the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT). The UK Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe has intervened in the Committee of Ministers in the past, calling on Member States to agree to the publication of all CPT reports concerning that State. The UK Government promotes a general policy of transparency by authorising the publication of the visit reports and the UK responses thereon, encouraging other Member States to do likewise. We shall continue to take this approach.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 23/05/2019 13:03:21 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1126705

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	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	European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the Council of Europe about finding ways to ensure that all members implement the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
	tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
	uin	HL15722
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2019 answer text <p>​The UK unreservedly condemns the use of torture and works closely with international partners to eradicate this abhorrent practice, including making robust statements in multilateral organisations and by Ministers. The UK encourages Council of Europe members to engage fully with the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Where necessary, the UK Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe will intervene in the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers meetings to call on member states to engage with the recommendations of the Committee's reports.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 23/05/2019 13:06:07 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

1126731

	registered interest
	date	14/05/2019
	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	Gaza: Animals
	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 impact of the loss of (1) farm, and (2) pack, animals as a result of the blockade and the escalation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip on (a) food supply, and (b) those in Gaza who rely on such animals for their livelihoods.
	tabling member printed	Baroness Tonge
	uin	HL15748
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2019 answer text <p>Whist we have not made any assessment on this specific issue, we continue to stress to the Israeli authorities the damage that their restrictions are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians in Gaza and regularly call for them to ease restrictions further.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 22/05/2019 13:57:12 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	200 label Biography information for Baroness Tonge