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1006874

registered interest
date	14/11/2018
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	Middle East: Religious Freedom
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 undertake a review of the Magna Carta Fund to assess the potential merits of expanding the teaching of religious tolerance in Middle Eastern countries.
tabling member constituency	East Londonderry
tabling member printed	Mr Gregory Campbell
uin	191319
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p>​The Magna Carta fund has recently extended its support for Hardwired, a project which promotes Freedom of Religion or Belief in curricula in the Middle East and North Africa. More broadly, 'Respect in Education' is a key part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's strategy to promote Freedom of Relgion or Belief. Projects within the Magna Carta Fund are routinely reviewed and assessed.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 19/11/2018 15:51:09 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	1409 label Biography information for Mr Gregory Campbell

1006966

registered interest
date	14/11/2018
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	Bangladesh: Elections
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 free and fair conduct of the general election due to take place in Bangladesh on 23 December 2018 of the recent announcement by that country’s Government that a neutral caretaker administration will not be formed in advance of that election.
tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
uin	191354
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p>The British Government has been consistently clear that we wish to see a free, fair and pluralistic general election in Bangladesh. As a result, I have repeatedly encouraged the Government of Bangladesh and opposition parties to engage in an effective dialogue to this end. An amendment to Bangladesh's constitution in 2011 removes the requirement for a neutral caretaker administration during the election period but I continue to urge the government and opposition groups to continue discussing the conduct of the next election, and to allow the Election Commission to continue their essential work unimpeded.</p><p>I raised my concerns regarding the election with State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, on 1 November. The Foreign Secretary did the same with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when they met on 24 September in New York at the UN General Assembly.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 19/11/2018 15:36:41 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1007072

registered interest
date	14/11/2018
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	Bangladesh: Freedom of Expression
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 of the Digital Security Act passed by the Bangladeshi parliament in September 2018 on freedom of speech and expression in that country.
tabling member constituency	Islington South and Finsbury
tabling member printed	Emily Thornberry
uin	191355
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p>Civil Society in Bangladesh has detailed its growing concerns regarding the Digital Security Act, including the vagueness of its provisions and draconian sentences. The British High Commissioner in Bangladesh, along with EU partners, issued a statement on 27 September condemning the Act's negative impact on freedom of expression. The British High Commission has also raised these concerns with Bangladeshi Ministers.</p><p>Bangladesh remains a Human Rights Priority Country for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and we raised freedom of expression as a key concern at the last UN Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights. The Foreign Secretary raised our concerns regarding freedom of expression in Bangladesh when he met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on 24 September during the UN General Assembly.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 19/11/2018 15:54:38 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	1536 label Biography information for Emily Thornberry

1006084

registered interest
date	13/11/2018
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	Bangladesh: Rohingya
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 tho his Bangladeshi counterpart on the proposed forced repatriation of Rohingya refugees from that country.
tabling member constituency	Warrington North
tabling member printed	Helen Jones
uin	190783
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p>On 14 November I released a public statement expressing deep concern at reports that returns of Rohingya refugees to Burma were imminent. I called on Bangladesh and Burma not to return any refugees until the conditions were in place for voluntary, safe, dignified and sustainable returns that uphold human rights. I am pleased that no repatriations began on 15 November, but I remain concerned that such repatriations might commence before appropriate conditions are in place. I agree with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) that the conditions for safe and dignified returns do not yet exist. Neither is the access in Burma required for necessary independent monitoring by UN agencies in place.</p><p>I contacted Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Ali on 15 November to welcome the fact that repatriations had not taken place and received his assurance that the Government of Bangladesh remained committed to the principle of voluntary returns with UNHCR monitoring.</p><p>Previously, I spoke to Bangladesh Minister of State Shahriar Alam and Burmese Minister for International Cooperation Kyaw Tin on 1 November and stressed the UK's assessment that conditions in Rakhine State were not currently suitable for refugee returns.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 19/11/2018 15:25:49 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	432 label Biography information for Helen Jones

1006085

registered interest
date	13/11/2018
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	Bangladesh: Rohingya
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to protect women Rohingya refugees that are repatriated from gender-based violence; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Warrington North
tabling member printed	Helen Jones
uin	190784
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p>The UK is deeply concerned at Bangladesh and Burma's announcement that the repatriation of refugees will begin in mid-November. I have registered our concerns with ministers from both governments, and issued a statement expressing concerns on 14 November. The UK shares the UN High Commissioner for Refugees' assessment that the conditions for safe and dignified returns do not yet exist. The UK supports the UN High Commissioner's call for his agency to be given unfettered access to northern Rakhine, which would enable it to monitor the safety, including from gender-based violence, of any refugees that do return.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 19/11/2018 15:35:05 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	432 label Biography information for Helen Jones

1006172

registered interest
date	13/11/2018
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	Jagtar Singh Johal
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 his Department has made to the Indian Government on the continuing imprisonment of Jagtar Singh Johal.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	190760
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/11/2018 answer text <p>​We continue to press the Indian Government at official and Ministerial level to address concerns raised with them on behalf of Jagtar Singh Johal, including allegations of torture and mistreatment. Baroness Williams and I raised the case with the Minister of State for External Affairs, on 11 June and 7 May respectively, and most recently I raised Mr Johal’s case with the outgoing Indian High Commissioner to the UK, Mr Y K Sinha, on 23 October 2018. Our consular staff in India continue to visit Mr Johal regularly.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 19/11/2018 15:33:30 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar