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1123526

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2019
	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	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the UK Government is taking in relation to the Turkish Government which is violating international human rights standards and breaching the regulations of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture by the continued imprisonment and torture of Kurdish political prisoner Abdullah Öcalan.
	tabling member constituency	Glasgow South West
	tabling member printed	Chris Stephens
	uin	248721
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2019 answer text <p>​We consistently engage with the Turkish Government over human rights concerns, including on the treatment of prisoners. As my colleague Mark Field, Minister for Asia and the Pacific, made clear in the debate on the Kurds in the House on 10 April, “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 isolation and access relating to Imrali prison where PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan is held. The PKK is a proscribed terrorist organisation in the EU whose violence we strongly condemn.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 02/05/2019 14:41:15 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	4463 label Biography information for Chris Stephens

1124944

	registered interest
	date	07/05/2019
	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	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions the Government has had with the Turkish Government on the (a) Kurds, (b) UK citizens and (c) members of the Turkish Parliament on hunger strike to protest the isolation of Abdullah Ocalan.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	251251
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government most recently raised the issue of the ongoing hunger strikes protesting the conditions of Abdullah Ocalan's imprisonment with Turkish authorities on 13 May. While robustly condemning the ongoing violence perpetrated by the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party), we encourage Turkey to implement the recommendations of the report on Mr Ocalan's imprisonment produced by the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. In this regard we welcome the fact that Mr Ocalan was granted access to two lawyers on 2 May.</p><p>We also note the comments made by those lawyers in a subsequent press conference, that Mr Ocalan advised against his supporters continuing these hunger strikers to the point that it threatens their health . We continue to urge Turkey to uphold the human rights of detainees, including access to medical treatment where necessary.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 15/05/2019 12:57:02 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1135840

	registered interest
	date	01/07/2019
	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	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 2 May 2019 to Question 248721, whether he has had meetings with the Turkish Government since 2 May 2019 to raise the issue of Abdullah Öcalan's access to lawyers and family visits; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Bristol West
	tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
	uin	271481
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>​The UK Government has raised Mr Öcalan’s case with the Turkish authorities a number of times. I raised the issue with the Turkish Ambassador on 13 May. I welcome the fact that Mr Öcalan has since been granted access to lawyers on at least two separate occasions and that the hunger strikes undertaken by some of his supporters have now come to an end. I also note that the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture paid a further visit to Imrali prison in mid-May, and that the Turkish Minister of Justice recently lifted the court restriction on lawyers' visits there. Whilst I welcome these positive developments, it is important to reiterate that Mr Öcalan remains in our view a convicted terrorist and we condemn the acts of violence perpetrated by the Kurdish Workers’ Party as we condemn all forms of terrorism.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 08/07/2019 14:15:36 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1138635

	registered interest
	date	12/07/2019
	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	Abdullatif Nasser
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made representations to the US Administration for the release of Abdullatif Nasser after Mr Nasser was cleared for transfer in 2016.
	tabling member constituency	Carshalton and Wallington
	tabling member printed	Tom Brake
	uin	276505
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government has not made representations to the US Administration in relation to this specific case. The British Government's long-standing position remains that the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay should close.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 17/07/2019 16:13:16 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	151 label Biography information for Tom Brake

1123856

	registered interest
	date	30/04/2019
	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	Albania: EU Accession
	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 EU counterparts on the accession of Albania to the EU.
	tabling member constituency	North East Fife
	tabling member printed	Stephen Gethins
	uin	249329
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/05/2019 answer text <p>The Government continues to make clear to its EU counterparts that it views the EU accession process as fundamental to delivering security, stability and prosperity in the Western Balkans. We will continue to support countries committed to the accession process to meet the necessary requirements. This includes Albania and North Macedonia. As and when candidate countries have met the requirements for accession in full, it will be for those countries and European Union members at the time to decide on membership.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 09/05/2019 15:34:16 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	4434 label Biography information for Stephen Gethins

1128305

	registered interest
	date	22/05/2019
	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	Albania: Slavery
	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 tackle the causes of modern slavery in Albania.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	257419
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2019 answer text <p>​We work closely with the Albanian government to help tackle modern slavery. In the run-up to the UK-hosted Western Balkans Summit in July 2018, the Albanian Government endorsed the Prime Minister's Call to Action to end forced labour, modern slavery and human trafficking.</p><p>The UK has developed a £2 million programme of activity under the Modern Slavery Fund to address modern slavery in Albania. This work will include capacity-building for local criminal justice officials, targeted strategic communications campaigns, and support for victims and individuals at risk of being trafficked.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 05/06/2019 13:47:24 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1125305

	registered interest
	date	08/05/2019
	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	Arctic: China and Russia
	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 discussions he has had with his (a) Russian and (b) Chinese counterparts on the Arctic.
	tabling member constituency	Mid Sussex
	tabling member printed	Sir Nicholas Soames
	uin	251875
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2019 answer text <p>​Officials from our Embassy Moscow discussed the importance of continued international cooperation in the Arctic with the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 6 May. A Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) official also attended the Fifth International Arctic Forum in St Petersburg on 9 April. The Head of Polar Regions Department, in the FCO, attended the recent Arctic Council Ministerial meeting in Rovaniemi, Finland and spoke with the Head of the Chinese Delegation on the margins. Officials from the British Consulate-General in Shanghai will attend the Arctic Circle Forum on 10-11 May in Shanghai to further understand China's interest in the region.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 13/05/2019 16:23:23 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	116 label Biography information for Lord Soames of Fletching

1130385

	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	Armenia: Bears
	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 Armenian counterpart on the protection of endangered brown bears in that country.
	tabling member constituency	North East Hampshire
	tabling member printed	Mr Ranil Jayawardena
	uin	261266
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/06/2019 answer text <p>​This is not a foreign policy issue. Animal welfare policy is the responsibility of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.</p><p>The UK Government shares the concerns of the public about this issue and we are committed to the highest standards of animal welfare, both here in the UK and in our work with countries abroad. Britain engages with other countries directly and as part of global forums such as the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health). The protection of endangered species is a priority for the UK Government. Decisions on future funding levels for this area will be taken as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan grouped question UIN 261267 question first answered 14/06/2019 13:01:46 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	4498 label Biography information for Mr Ranil Jayawardena

1123534

	registered interest
	date	29/04/2019
	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	Armenia: LGBT+ People
	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 Armenian counterpart on the rights of LGBT people in Armenia.
	tabling member constituency	Coventry South
	tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
	uin	248579
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 02/05/2019 answer text <p>Her Majesty's Government continues to pay close attention to the issue of LGBT rights. I raised the importance of diversity and inclusion in a speech to the National Assembly of Armenia in September 2017, referring to the record number of LBGT and female MPs in the House of Commons.</p><p>The British Embassy Yerevan has been active in supporting the LGBT community in Armenia. The British Ambassador and her team are in close contact with Armenian LGBT community representatives, have regularly hosted events for LGBT civil society organisations and spoken at conferences on LGBT issues to reiterate UK support for the universality of human rights. The British Embassy in Yerevan, along with other Embassies, has expressed grave concern over the upward trend in cases in Armenia where hate speech, including death threats, have been made against minorities and human rights defenders, particularly those promoting LGBT rights.</p><p>The UK, alongside partners, has called for hate speech to be condemned and for law enforcement agencies to take urgent steps to guarantee the physical safety of Armenian citizens and to investigate allegations against those suspected of perpetrating hate crimes.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 02/05/2019 16:52:31 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1138196

	registered interest
	date	10/07/2019
	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	Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia
	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 United Nations Security Council letter dated 26 January 2018 from the Panel of Experts on Yemen mandated by Security Council resolution 2342 (2017) addressed to the President of the Security Council, what steps he took following publication of (a) footnotes 19 and 20 on page 267 and (b) footnote 39 page on 272 recording that components of missiles used by the Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen were manufactured by EDO MBM Technology Limited, UK.
	tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
	tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
	uin	275727
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/07/2019 answer text <p>The Government rigorously assesses arms export licences against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. We draw on a wide range of sources of information in making our assessments, including reports from the UN Panel of Experts. We will not issue any export licences for Saudi Arabia that are inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria, including Criterion 2(c): where there is a clear risk that the goods might be used in the commission of a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law.</p><p>The Government disagrees with the 20 June Court of Appeal judgment and is appealing to the Supreme Court. We are also carefully considering the implications of the judgment for decision-making. While we do this, we will not grant any new licences for exports to Saudi Arabia and other coalition partners for items which might be used in the conflict in Yemen.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 19/07/2019 13:42:52 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
	tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas