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1058713

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Sri Lanka: Armed Conflict
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of files held by his Department in relation to Sri Lanka dating from the 1970s and 1980s that (a) have been and (b) are planned to be destroyed.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	219553
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>​The FCO is unable to collate these estimates of file destruction within the timescale provided without incurring disproportionate cost.</p><p>The FCO, as with all government departments, reviews all its files in line with the requirements of the Public Records Act before making a decision on permanent preservation. This applies to all files from the 1970s and 1980s relating to Sri Lanka which the FCO has already reviewed under the Act.</p><p>Selection of such records for permanent preservation took place under the guidance and supervision of The National Archives.</p><p>The Public Records Act does not require departments to preserve files if they are of no long-term historical value. For instance, the FCO may destroy a file if it only contains administrative or ephemeral content or because it only contains information which is already in the public domain.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 14/02/2019 16:36:27 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi

1058769

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	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, what steps his Department is taking to protect religious minorities and religious expression around the world.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	219490
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>​The Government is deeply concerned about the severity of violations of Freedom of Religion or Belief in many parts of the world. It is a universal human right for all people to be able to practise their faith or belief without fear or discrimination. Freedom of Religion or Belief is an important part of the work done by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. We regularly raise issues at ministerial and senior official levels where we have concerns, including the right of Freedom of Religion or Belief at the Human Rights Council.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 14/02/2019 16:57:15 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1058770

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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
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 protect the religious expression of Christians around the world.
tabling member constituency	Motherwell and Wishaw
tabling member printed	Marion Fellows
uin	219491
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is committed to using our influence to defend Freedom of Religion or Belief as a universal human right which should be enjoyed by everyone. The Government is deeply concerned about the severity of violations of Freedom of Religion or Belief in many parts of the world. In recent years we have seen reports of a particular rise in the persecution of Christians. The Foreign Secretary recently asked the Bishop of Truro to conduct an independent global review into the persecution of Christians. The review will provide recommendations on the additional practical steps the FCO can take to support persecuted Christians. The review will provide a report by the summer.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 14/02/2019 17:01:01 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4440 label Biography information for Marion Fellows

1058904

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Armed Conflict: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office, what programmes his Department (a) promotes and (b) funds to rehabilitate and reintegrate former child soldiers into their communities.
tabling member constituency	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
tabling member printed	John Lamont
uin	219527
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>​The UK is firmly committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to protecting all children affected by armed conflict.</p><p>The UK is an active member of the United Nations Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to the issue of child soldiers and child protection. This includes pressing those parties to conflict listed in the UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC to enter into concrete action plans with the UN to verify and release any child soldiers associated with armed groups and forces and to prevent re-recruitment. We apply diplomatic pressure to listed governments and armed groups, and fund projects to help protect and rehabilitate vulnerable children. We also press for the inclusion of child protection in peacekeeping responses through UN mandate renewals and resolutions.</p><p>The UK is the largest single financial contributor to the office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for CAAC contributing £800,000 in the last five years. We have shown our support for the SRSG's recently launched Global Coalition for Reintegration (GCR) by joining the 'Friends of Reintegration' group, a forum to generate new ideas for supporting reintegration programmes for children formerly associated with armed groups. The GCR is working to provide more reliable funding to ensure higher quality, longer-term reintegration programming and prevention of re-recruitment for all children formerly recruited and used by armed groups and forces. The UK has confirmed that it will be increasing its funding to the office of the SRSG for CAAC to £450,000 for the FY19/20 to continue assisting the SRSG with her current mandate, and will be giving an additional £50,000 to fund extended activities pertaining to the GCR.</p><p>In 2018, the UK endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, a political commitment to reduce the impact of conflict on education, and the Vancouver Principles, a political commitment to ensure that child protection and preventing the recruitment and use of children by armed forces and armed groups are operational priorities during the conduct of United Nations peace operations. As a member of the Group of Friends of CAAC in Geneva, we also participated in a joint statement to the 37th session of the Human Rights Council in March 2018, in which we reiterated our strong support for the mandate of the SRSG for CAAC. We worked very closely with Sweden and others to agree Resolution 2427 adopted by the UN Security Council in July 2018, to strengthen protection mechanisms for children in armed conflict.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field grouped question UIN 219529 question first answered 19/02/2019 16:24:51 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4608 label Biography information for John Lamont

1058905

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Central African Republic: Armed Conflict
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office, what steps his Department is taking to prevent the recruitment of children by (a) armed forces and (b) groups in the Central African Republic.
tabling member constituency	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
tabling member printed	John Lamont
uin	219528
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>​The UK recognises the recruitment of children by armed groups is a significant problem in the Central African Republic (CAR). Partners of the Department for International Development (DFID) based in CAR integrate child protection principles throughout all programmes, ensuring that the dignity and safety of children is paramount in all services. We were the fourth largest donor to the CAR Humanitarian Response in 2018 and the largest donor to the CAR Humanitarian Fund. Through the CAR Humanitarian Fund, 59,318 (16,000 DFID attributable) girls and boys were supported with protection focussed activities, including 11,420 (3,083 DFID attributable) children with identification, documentation, tracing and reunification support. 31,309 (8,453 DFID attributable) children also benefitted from psychological support activities, protection mechanism and life-saving message training while 176 teachers and parents were trained on psychosocial support.</p><p>UNICEF has reported that since 2014 approximately 13,000 children have been released from armed groups in CAR. The UK is also funding War Child UK to reach conflict-affected boys and girls in CAR and help them to receive education and psychosocial support, integral services for facilitating recruitment prevention. Through our humanitarian partners in CAR, we will continue to monitor the situation on the ground to prevent more children from being recruited into armed groups.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 19/02/2019 16:30:16 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4608 label Biography information for John Lamont

1058906

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Armed Conflict: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office , what funding his Department has allocated to programmes to prevent the recruitment of children by armed forces and groups.
tabling member constituency	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
tabling member printed	John Lamont
uin	219529
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>​The UK is firmly committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to protecting all children affected by armed conflict.</p><p>The UK is an active member of the United Nations Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), which leads the international response to the issue of child soldiers and child protection. This includes pressing those parties to conflict listed in the UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC to enter into concrete action plans with the UN to verify and release any child soldiers associated with armed groups and forces and to prevent re-recruitment. We apply diplomatic pressure to listed governments and armed groups, and fund projects to help protect and rehabilitate vulnerable children. We also press for the inclusion of child protection in peacekeeping responses through UN mandate renewals and resolutions.</p><p>The UK is the largest single financial contributor to the office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for CAAC contributing £800,000 in the last five years. We have shown our support for the SRSG's recently launched Global Coalition for Reintegration (GCR) by joining the 'Friends of Reintegration' group, a forum to generate new ideas for supporting reintegration programmes for children formerly associated with armed groups. The GCR is working to provide more reliable funding to ensure higher quality, longer-term reintegration programming and prevention of re-recruitment for all children formerly recruited and used by armed groups and forces. The UK has confirmed that it will be increasing its funding to the office of the SRSG for CAAC to £450,000 for the FY19/20 to continue assisting the SRSG with her current mandate, and will be giving an additional £50,000 to fund extended activities pertaining to the GCR.</p><p>In 2018, the UK endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration, a political commitment to reduce the impact of conflict on education, and the Vancouver Principles, a political commitment to ensure that child protection and preventing the recruitment and use of children by armed forces and armed groups are operational priorities during the conduct of United Nations peace operations. As a member of the Group of Friends of CAAC in Geneva, we also participated in a joint statement to the 37th session of the Human Rights Council in March 2018, in which we reiterated our strong support for the mandate of the SRSG for CAAC. We worked very closely with Sweden and others to agree Resolution 2427 adopted by the UN Security Council in July 2018, to strengthen protection mechanisms for children in armed conflict.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field grouped question UIN 219527 question first answered 19/02/2019 16:24:52 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4608 label Biography information for John Lamont

1058907

registered interest
date	11/02/2019
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	Armed Conflict: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office, what assessment his Department has made on the effectiveness of steps by the international community to reintegrate and rehabilitate children previously recruited by armed forces and groups.
tabling member constituency	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
tabling member printed	John Lamont
uin	219530
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>The UK is firmly committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to protecting all children affected by armed conflict.</p><p>To mark the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers (Red Hand Day), the UK took part in an UN Security Council (UNSC) Arria meeting on protecting children in shrinking humanitarian spaces. The UK called for better integration of the Children and Armed Conflict portfolio into UNSC country specific discussions and for all states to sign up to the key international commitments traversing this CAAC portfolio: the Paris Principles, the Vancouver Principles and the Safe Schools Declaration. The UK also highlighted the importance of mainstreaming child protection in peacekeeping missions and the need to consider whether denial of humanitarian access should be a violation which triggers a listing in the Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC. Sharing experiences on UK engagement on the CAAC agenda with other states serves to open up the humanitarian space and understand how collaborative engagement can strengthen the protection of children in armed conflict. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon also met youth participants in the newly launched World Vision campaign '<em>It takes a World…to end violence against children</em>' to discuss their views and recommendations for the UK government regarding children in armed forces and groups, including how the UK can galvanise the international community to better support this agenda.</p><p>The UK can see a strong case in principle for re-galvanising our approach to reintegration and remains committed to supporting the valuable work of the SRSG's office in this respect. The UK has shown its support for the SRSG's recently launched Global Coalition for Reintegration (GCR) by joining the 'Friends of Reintegration' group, a forum to generate new ideas for supporting reintegration programmes for children formerly associated with armed groups and sharing best practice and lesson learnt with key member states. The GCR is working to provide more reliable funding to ensure higher quality, longer-term reintegration programming and prevention of re-recruitment for all children formerly recruited and used by armed groups and forces. The UK has confirmed that it will be increasing its funding to the office of the SRSG for CAAC to £450,000 for FY19/20 to continue assisting the SRSG with her current mandate and will be giving an additional £50,000 to fund extended activities pertaining to the GCR.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 19/02/2019 16:40:02 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4608 label Biography information for John Lamont

1057016

registered interest
date	08/02/2019
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	Papua: Armed Conflict
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 counterpart in Indonesia on the actions of Indonesian military and police forces in West Papua following the attack by the West Papua Liberation Army in the Nduga Region on 1 December 2018.
tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
tabling member printed	Helen Goodman
uin	218769
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2019 answer text <p>The British Government is following the situation in Papua with close interest. Officials at the Embassy in Jakarta, including the Ambassador, visit Papua regularly. Our Ambassdor discussed the violence in December 2018 with senior officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and officials raised the issue with Papua police and military representatives during a visit to the region in February. Officials press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns, including upholding the right of all citizens to peacefully protest, and support the sustainable and equitable development of the province, through political dialogue.</p><p>​</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 13/02/2019 12:47:37 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	1484 label Biography information for Helen Goodman

1057019

registered interest
date	08/02/2019
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	Papua: Armed Conflict
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will make representations to the (a) Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and (b) other international organisations on undertaking an independent international investigation into the alleged use of white phosphorous on civilian targets in West Papua in December 2018.
tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
tabling member printed	Helen Goodman
uin	218770
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2019 answer text <p>The British Government condemns the attack on construction workers by an armed group on 2 December in Nduga district in Papua. We have called on the Indonesian authorities to ensure that the security response is proportionate. Our Ambassador has discussed this with senior officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We are aware of a media claim about the possible use of white phosphorus. This has been strongly denied by the Indonesian authorities. We have been in touch with NGOs and others who have looked into the allegation; they have not found any evidence to support it.</p><p>​</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 13/02/2019 12:49:41 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	1484 label Biography information for Helen Goodman

1057022

registered interest
date	08/02/2019
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	Papua: United Nations High Commissioner for 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 diplomatic steps he is taking to ensure that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is granted full and unimpeded access by the Indonesian Government to West Papua.
tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
tabling member printed	Helen Goodman
uin	218771
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/02/2019 answer text <p>The British Government is following the situation in Papua with close interest. Officials press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns, including upholding the right of all citizens to peacefully protest, and to support the sustainable and equitable development of the province through political dialogue. Officials have discussed the proposed visit by OHCHR officials with Indonesian officials and stated UK support for an OHCHR visit to Papua.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 13/02/2019 12:51:09 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	1484 label Biography information for Helen Goodman