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
tabling member	label

Search

388209

registered interest
date	07/07/2015
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	Colombia: 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, if he will raise threats made against Berenice Celeita, Claudia Julieta Duque, Andrea Torres and Jorge Molano with the Colombian government.
tabling member constituency	Foyle
tabling member printed	Mark Durkan
uin	5935
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2015 answer text <p>On 3 July, our officials were informed by the non-government organisation, Peace Brigades International, about the recent threats encountered by these four Human Rights Defenders (HRDs). Although the Government is unable to interfere in the judicial process of another country, we will continue to monitor specific cases where our resources allow. Our Embassy in Bogotá was already aware of the cases of Claudia Julieta Duque and Jorge Molano. Jorge Molano met our officials in the United Kingdom on 4 June to discuss the security situation of HRDs and justice for victims of the conflict. We remain concerned by the number of threats made against HRDs in Colombia. We regularly raise these concerns with the Colombian government and our Ambassador in Bogotá has discussed human rights issues with the Presidential Adviser for Human Rights and the Attorney-General’s Office.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire grouped question UIN 5936 question first answered 14/07/2015 13:23:00 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	1594 label Biography information for Mark Durkan

388210

registered interest
date	07/07/2015
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	Colombia: 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 representations his Department has received on threats against Colombian human rights defenders Berenice Celeita, Claudia Julieta Duque, Andrea Torres and Jorge Molano.
tabling member constituency	Foyle
tabling member printed	Mark Durkan
uin	5936
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/07/2015 answer text <p>On 3 July, our officials were informed by the non-government organisation, Peace Brigades International, about the recent threats encountered by these four Human Rights Defenders (HRDs). Although the Government is unable to interfere in the judicial process of another country, we will continue to monitor specific cases where our resources allow. Our Embassy in Bogotá was already aware of the cases of Claudia Julieta Duque and Jorge Molano. Jorge Molano met our officials in the United Kingdom on 4 June to discuss the security situation of HRDs and justice for victims of the conflict. We remain concerned by the number of threats made against HRDs in Colombia. We regularly raise these concerns with the Colombian government and our Ambassador in Bogotá has discussed human rights issues with the Presidential Adviser for Human Rights and the Attorney-General’s Office.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire grouped question UIN 5935 question first answered 14/07/2015 13:23:00 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	1594 label Biography information for Mark Durkan

388214

registered interest
date	07/07/2015
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	Japan: Whales
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 discourage Japan from resuming Antarctic whaling.
tabling member constituency	Rotherham
tabling member printed	Sarah Champion
uin	6017
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2015 answer text <p>The Government has made clear its opposition to Antarctic whaling. <br><br>Most recently, the UK Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) reiterated the Government’s concerns in relation to Japan’s proposal to resume whaling in the Antarctic at a meeting with the Japanese Commissioner to the IWC in May 2015, and with officials from the Japanese Embassy in March 2015. The then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Natural Environment, Water and Rural Affairs, my hon Friend the Member for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle (Mr George Eustice) and Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Japan, have also both written previously to the Japanese government on this issue.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 13/07/2015 14:11:01 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	4267 label Biography information for Sarah Champion

388217

registered interest
date	07/07/2015
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	USA: Visas
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last discussed delays in the processing of visas for UK citizens with the US Ambassador to the UK.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff South and Penarth
tabling member printed	Stephen Doughty
uin	5812
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2015 answer text <p>I asked our officials to raise this question with the US Embassy and they were informed of global delays to the US visa system in June which impacted visa processing worldwide. I understand that this has now been resolved.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 13/07/2015 14:05:21 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	4264 label Biography information for Stephen Doughty

388218

registered interest
date	07/07/2015
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	USA: Visas
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 UK citizens waiting for a decision on a visa application from the US administration.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff South and Penarth
tabling member printed	Stephen Doughty
uin	5813
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2015 answer text <p>Information on the number of UK citizens waiting for a decision on a US visa application is held by the US authorities and I am therefore unable to make an estimate. We were aware of the delays in processing visa applications in June, but understand this has now been resolved.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 13/07/2015 14:06:34 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	4264 label Biography information for Stephen Doughty

388223

registered interest
date	07/07/2015
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
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 the UN and the governments of Pakistan, India and China on steps towards a peaceful resolution to the territorial dispute in Kashmir.
tabling member constituency	Bradford East
tabling member printed	Imran Hussain
uin	5821
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2015 answer text <p>The long standing position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator. We follow developments in the region closely and we encourage both India and Pakistan to maintain positive dialogue, but the pace and scope of this is for them to determine. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), discussed the situation in Kashmir when he met with the Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in November 2014 and when he met with the Indian Minister for External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj in March 2015.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 13/07/2015 14:20:56 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	4394 label Biography information for Imran Hussain

388224

registered interest
date	07/07/2015
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	Burma: 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 reports the Government has received on human rights violations by the Burmese Army in Kachin state, Burma; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	6046
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2015 answer text <p>We receive regular media reports of continued heavy fighting in Kachin State. This includes reports of an escalation of violence in June, involving clashes in the vicinity of Hpakant. It is difficult to independently verify these reports owing to a lack of access to conflict affected areas, but a DFID team visited from 8-11 June to assess the effect of conflict on the civilian population, including on the over 100,000 displaced people currently living in camps. <br><br>We remain very concerned that the continued conflict sustains an environment where human rights violations, including the sexual abuse of women caught up in the conflict, can and do occur, as was starkly demonstrated by the terrible case of the two teachers raped and killed in January this year in neighbouring Shan State. We have made clear to the government of Burma that any allegations of human rights abuses must be dealt with through a clear, independent and transparent investigative and prosecutorial process that meets international standards.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 13/07/2015 15:42:51 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

388225

registered interest
date	07/07/2015
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	Rohingya: Refugees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what meetings he has held with the ethnic Rohingya community in the UK regarding the Rhoingya refugee crisis.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	6047
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2015 answer text <p>I have not met the Burmese Rohingya community in the UK since the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea humanitarian crisis emerged in May. However, our officials met a senior Burmese Muslim representative in London in June to discuss the crisis, and I called in the Burmese Ambassador to raise my concerns. Previously I have met many Burmese groups, including community and religious leaders from within the Rohingya community, both in the UK and during my visits to Burma.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 13/07/2015 14:13:52 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

388226

registered interest
date	07/07/2015
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	Burma: Political Prisoners
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 Government is taking to secure the release of all political prisoners in Burma.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	6048
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/07/2015 answer text <p>We welcome the release of thousands of political prisoners under the current Burmese government. However, we remain concerned by the continued arrests, detentions and sentencing of political activists, with an estimated minimum of 150 remaining behind bars at the end of May 2015, and a further 450 awaiting trial following arrests throughout 2014 and early 2015. <br><br>Officials from our Embassy in Rangoon meet regularly with civil society on this issue, and we continue to raise our concerns with the government of Burma at the highest levels. Most recently, the then Minister of State at the Home Office, Lynne Featherstone, raised this issue directly with Minister for the President’s Office, U Soe Thein, during her visit to Burma in January. We continue to lobby on individual cases. We also raise our concerns publicly in our Annual Report on Human Rights and in multilateral fora such as the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council, where the UK co-sponsored a Resolution in March that called for the unconditional release of all political prisoners.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 13/07/2015 14:16:54 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

388233

registered interest
date	07/07/2015
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	South East Asia: Human Trafficking
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 counterparts in Malaysia and Thailand on ensuring that people are not trafficked from those countries.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	5905
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/07/2015 answer text <p>The United Kingdom takes all human rights issues seriously and looks to tackle slave labour and human trafficking in coordination with our international partners.</p><p>The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) met Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah in June. He welcomed Malaysia’s regional leadership on the recent migration crisis and encouraged a continued regional approach. Our officials have lobbied ASEAN member states, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, to do the same. We have cooperated with Malaysia on human trafficking, including at a workshop in January and an earlier visit by Malaysian officials to the UK Human Trafficking Centre. In June, senior officials met the head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Kuala Lumpur.</p><p>Since the Thai coup of May 2014, high-level political bilateral exchanges with the Thai military government have been postponed or cancelled. However, as part of our inaugural strategic dialogue with Thailand in 2013, which I co-chaired, the UK and Thailand committed to work together to combat transnational crimes, including human trafficking. We continue to look for opportunities to raise this issue where and when we can, including in future negotiations over an EU-Thailand Free Trade Agreement, where issues of regulation and labour standards will feature prominently.</p><p>We continue to work with the Thai authorities on the disruption of human trafficking and irregular migration and have issued statements in support of activists working on the issue of migrants’ human rights. We also work with UK industry to support ethical supply chains and promote greater awareness within the UK of where products and services have been sourced.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 15/07/2015 13:37:04 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon