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 grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label previous answer version answering member constituency answering member printed answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

1224519

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2020
	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 Council: Educational Exchanges
	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 his Department has made of the effectiveness of the role of the British Council in providing foreign exchange opportunities for UK students.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	73813
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2020 answer text <p>The British Council is the UK's international organisation for cultural and educational opportunities, and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office recognises the importance of its work in providing a variety of foreign exchange programmes for UK students to widen their career prospects. The Council delivers or part-funds eight schemes for UK students to study or work abroad. For example, over 2,000 students participate annually in the Language Assistants programme, which supports UK students and recent graduates in taking up a placement in a school to assist in English language teaching. Between now and 2025, the British Council is aiming to provide international mobility opportunities to over 125,000 UK students and researchers.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 21/07/2020 16:56:29 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

1224371

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2020
	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	Hagia Sophia
	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 representation he has made to (a) his Turkish counterpart and (b) UNESCO on the importance of the Hagia Sophia to human civilisation and the need to ensure that the public retains access to the site because of its outstanding value to humankind.
	tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
	tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
	uin	74003
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2020 answer text <p>While we note the concern this action has caused internationally, the Government regards this as a sovereign matter for Turkey. We have therefore not discussed the matter with other countries or organisations. It is for States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to ensure that their designated World Heritage List sites comply with the terms of the Convention. We work closely with UNESCO, its advisory bodies and partner governments to promote the highest standards of heritage protection. This helps to ensure designated sites are protected effectively for the whole of humanity, and for future generations.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton grouped question UIN 74004 question first answered 21/07/2020 08:06:45 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
	tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1224372

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2020
	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	Hagia Sophia
	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 (a) his Turkish counterpart and (b) UNESCO to emphasise the shared history of the Hagia Sophia and to urge the maintenance of that site as a museum reflecting shared heritage.
	tabling member constituency	Rother Valley
	tabling member printed	Alexander Stafford
	uin	74004
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2020 answer text <p>While we note the concern this action has caused internationally, the Government regards this as a sovereign matter for Turkey. We have therefore not discussed the matter with other countries or organisations. It is for States Parties to the World Heritage Convention to ensure that their designated World Heritage List sites comply with the terms of the Convention. We work closely with UNESCO, its advisory bodies and partner governments to promote the highest standards of heritage protection. This helps to ensure designated sites are protected effectively for the whole of humanity, and for future generations.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton grouped question UIN 74003 question first answered 21/07/2020 08:06:45 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
	tabling member	4866 label Biography information for Alexander Stafford

1224655

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2020
	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	The Gambia: 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 has made to his Gambian counterpart on ensuring that British-Gambian citizens voices are heard by the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission in that country.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	73740
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government welcomes the establishment of the independent Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) to gather information about human rights violations which took place under the presidency of Yahya Jammeh. The UK has provided £75,000 through the International Centre for Transitional Justice for an outreach programme to raise awareness and promote engagement. Our High Commissioner in Banjul regularly meets with TRRC officials and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office hosted the TRRC Vice Chair and officials in London last year. The TRRC has invited contributions from all those who may have been victims, perpetrators or witnesses to human rights violations between July 1992 and January 2017. We would encourage British-Gambians to submit their personal accounts via the TRRC website: <a href="http://www.trrc.gm/" target="_blank">www.trrc.gm</a>.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 22/07/2020 16:47:08 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1224660

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2020
	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	The Gambia: 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 discussions he has had with his Gambian counterpart on help the UK Government can provide to assist with the transitional justice process in the Gambia.
	tabling member constituency	Romford
	tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
	uin	73741
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/07/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government welcomes the commitment of President Barrow and the Government of The Gambia to embrace change by drafting a new Gambian Constitution which has a human rights based approach to development, with freedom of expression, freedom of association and media freedom at its heart. We regularly discuss the transitional justice process with the Government of The Gambia and through a DFID programme, delivered by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, we are working to transform the National Assembly of The Gambia into a robust institution. This includes a particular focus on increasing government accountability and enhancing political inclusion among marginalised groups. Furthermore the UK Government provided funding to the Bingham Centre For The Rule of Law to conduct a comprehensive review of the draft constitution and provide recommendations in line with international best practice to the Constitutional Review Commission. We have also provided strategic-level support to the Gambian Ministry of Justice by funding a Special Adviser who co-chairs the transitional justice process, including the implementation of judicial and constitutional reforms necessary to underpin the broader democratic reform agenda. We will continue to support The Gambia to resolve the challenges still to be addressed so that the human rights of all its citizens are respected and protected.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 22/07/2020 16:28:52 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
	tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1224489

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2020
	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	Ukraine: Radicalism
	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 level of white-supremacist violent extremism in Ukraine.
	tabling member constituency	Oldham East and Saddleworth
	tabling member printed	Debbie Abrahams
	uin	73833
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2020 answer text <p>There are several peripheral groups with neo-Nazi sympathies in Ukraine, some of which have made statements in support of white supremacism. We take seriously any reports of violent extremism and hate crime in Ukraine.</p><p>The UK is committed to pursuing a comprehensive human rights agenda in Ukraine, including taking action against racially-motivated hate crime. Since 2014, the UK has co-sponsored a UN resolution supporting quarterly debates of reports on Ukraine by the Monitoring Mission of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The UK Government provides financial support to the Monitoring Mission, which works to report and reduce human rights violations and abuses in Ukraine.</p><p>Whilst Ukraine has cooperated fully with the Monitoring Mission, we remain extremely concerned by the restrictions of access for human rights bodies to the non-government controlled areas of eastern Ukraine and illegally annexed Crimea, and the resulting limited reporting on those areas. It is essential that independent investigations take place to deliver accountability for serious allegations of hate crime in all of Ukraine. We will continue to work closely with the Ukrainian government, our international partners and local agencies to support efforts to report, investigate and reduce incidences of hate crime in Ukraine.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton grouped question UIN 73834 question first answered 21/07/2020 08:04:38 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton previous answer version 38745 answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
	tabling member	4212 label Biography information for Debbie Abrahams

1224496

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2020
	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	Ukraine: Radicalism
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on the activities of neo-Nazi groups in Ukraine.
	tabling member constituency	Oldham East and Saddleworth
	tabling member printed	Debbie Abrahams
	uin	73834
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/07/2020 answer text <p>There are several peripheral groups with neo-Nazi sympathies in Ukraine, some of which have made statements in support of white supremacism. We take seriously any reports of violent extremism and hate crime in Ukraine.</p><p>The UK is committed to pursuing a comprehensive human rights agenda in Ukraine, including taking action against racially-motivated hate crime. Since 2014, the UK has co-sponsored a UN resolution supporting quarterly debates of reports on Ukraine by the Monitoring Mission of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The UK Government provides financial support to the Monitoring Mission, which works to report and reduce human rights violations and abuses in Ukraine.</p><p>Whilst Ukraine has cooperated fully with the Monitoring Mission, we remain extremely concerned by the restrictions of access for human rights bodies to the non-government controlled areas of eastern Ukraine and illegally annexed Crimea, and the resulting limited reporting on those areas. It is essential that independent investigations take place to deliver accountability for serious allegations of hate crime in all of Ukraine. We will continue to work closely with the Ukrainian government, our international partners and local agencies to support efforts to report, investigate and reduce incidences of hate crime in Ukraine.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton grouped question UIN 73833 question first answered 21/07/2020 08:04:38 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton previous answer version 38747 answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
	tabling member	4212 label Biography information for Debbie Abrahams

1224628

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2020
	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	Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review
	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 the Government has to undertake a consultation with (a) civil society and (b) development partners on the development of the Integrated Review.
	tabling member constituency	North East Fife
	tabling member printed	Wendy Chamberlain
	uin	73967
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>The Government paused its Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy in April due to the pressing need to focus on COVID-19. We have formally recommenced the Review, building on the work done since February.</p><p>Our aim continues to be for an ambitious and bold Integrated Review that is guided by the UK's foreign policy and national security objectives.</p><p>We will be engaging with Parliament, the Devolved Administrations, external experts and wider stakeholders with an interest in our nation's security and prosperity. This includes our allies and partners, building on our ongoing dialogue on COVID-19 response and recovery.</p><p>The Government will conduct targeted engagement that will bring crucial external voices and expertise to bear in defining our ambition for the UK's role in the world and setting the country on the best possible trajectory to recovery from COVID-19.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 20/07/2020 15:58:01 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
	tabling member	4765 label Biography information for Wendy Chamberlain

1224461

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2020
	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	India: 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, pursuant to the answer of 29 October 2019 to Question 7221 on Kashmir: telecommunications, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of his Department sponsoring the India Global 2020 Week conference as a result of recent human rights violations.
	tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
	tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
	uin	73953
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>The UK and India have a deep, mature and wide-ranging relationship. Our trade and investment partnership is thriving; we collaborate on defence and security and we have a shared commitment to tackling climate change. The Foreign Secretary was pleased to participate in India Global Week with many Ministerial colleagues to discuss a wide range of issues. We regard human rights as an important part of our broad relationship with India, and raise our concerns with the Government of India where we have them.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 20/07/2020 17:00:44 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams previous answer version 38714 answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
	tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan

1224463

	registered interest
	date	14/07/2020
	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: 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, with reference to his oral contribution of 30 June 2020, Official Report, column 149, what recent discussions he has had with his (a) Indian and (b) Pakistani counterparts on Kashmir in light of recent tensions in that region.
	tabling member constituency	Manchester, Gorton
	tabling member printed	Afzal Khan
	uin	73954
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/07/2020 answer text <p>We regularly discuss Kashmir with the Governments of India and Pakistan. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary discussed Kashmir with his Indian counterpart on 20 April, and the Minister for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed Kashmir with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights on 15 July.</p><p>The longstanding position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution on Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. We encourage both sides to engage in dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions to maintain regional stability.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 20/07/2020 17:04:20 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams previous answer version 38754 answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
	tabling member	4671 label Biography information for Afzal Khan