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 question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

864318

registered interest
date	15/03/2018
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	Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting: 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 ensure that the Commonwealth Heads of Government joint communique makes reference to the right to freedom of religion and belief.
tabling member constituency	Lagan Valley
tabling member printed	Sir Jeffrey M. Donaldson
uin	132802
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2018 answer text <p>We are working with fellow member states to negotiate the communiqué for next month's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. While it would be inappropriate to comment on those negotiations, the UK considers freedom of religion and belief to be one of the Commonwealth's core values.</p><p>Encouraging member states to uphold the values and principles enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter – which include freedom of religion as well as democracy, freedom of expression, the rule of law and opposition to all forms of discrimination – will be an important part of April's summit.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 20/03/2018 15:48:45 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	650 label Biography information for Sir Jeffrey M Donaldson

864374

registered interest
date	15/03/2018
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	Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Cleaning Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he holds on the rate of remuneration for cleaners in his Department.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	132858
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2018 answer text <p>Cleaning services to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) UK Estate, are provided by Interserve, as part of a facilities management contract. Interserve are responsible for setting rates of pay for their staff and have informed the FCO that they currently pay £9.75 per hour to staff for cleaning the FCO’s London buildings and the National Living Wage at an hourly rate of £7.50 out of London.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 23/03/2018 14:12:20 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

864458

registered interest
date	15/03/2018
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	United Arab Emirates: 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 representations his Department has made to the Government of the United Arab Emirates on the persecution of Christians in that country.
tabling member constituency	South Antrim
tabling member printed	Paul Girvan
uin	132941
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2018 answer text <p>Human rights, including the protection of freedom of religion or belief, is a UK foreign policy priority. As part of our bilateral relationship with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), we discuss human rights at both ministerial and official levels. We note the positive steps the UAE has made in this area, including the establishment of the Ministry of Tolerance in 2016, with the objective of supporting religious tolerance and diversity. Promoting dialogue between different faiths was a key theme of the visit of HRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall to the UAE in 2016. This included a reception hosted at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque involving a discussion with leaders of the Christian faith in the UAE.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 23/03/2018 14:51:59 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4633 label Biography information for Paul Girvan

864468

registered interest
date	15/03/2018
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	Commonwealth: 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 steps he is taking to encourage free and fair elections in Commonwealth nations.
tabling member constituency	South Antrim
tabling member printed	Paul Girvan
uin	132951
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2018 answer text <p>We are committed to upholding the principles of the Commonwealth Charter, including the inalienable right of individuals to participate in free and fair elections. Our High Commissions regularly engage with a range of political actors and institutions across the Commonwealth in support of those principles.</p><p>We also support the work of the Commonwealth Secretariat in this field: both its co-ordination of Commonwealth Election Observer Groups and the technical assistance it provides to improve electoral systems, practice and legislation in Commonwealth member states. In addition, the UK works closely with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to promote stronger parliamentary democracy in the Commonwealth.</p><p>The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in April will discuss the protection and promotion of democracy. The UK will also join the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group, which acts as the custodian of the values and principles set out in the Commonwealth Charter</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 21/03/2018 17:25:39 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4633 label Biography information for Paul Girvan

864483

registered interest
date	15/03/2018
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	Iran: 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 discussions she has had with her counterpart in Iran on ensuring that visa applications from Iranian nationals to visit the UK are processed as quickly and fairly as possible.
tabling member constituency	Spelthorne
tabling member printed	Kwasi Kwarteng
uin	132966
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/03/2018 answer text <p>​In 2016 UK Visas &amp; Immigration launched a full UK visa service at their Visa Application Centre in Tehran. We continue to work with the Government of Iran on all migration issues and the Foreign Secretary discussed these issues during his visit to Iran in December 2017.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 23/03/2018 14:14:00 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4134 label Biography information for Kwasi Kwarteng

862061

registered interest
date	14/03/2018
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	Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
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 merits of including a statement on the right to freedom of religion or belief in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Joint Communiqué.
tabling member constituency	Stafford
tabling member printed	Jeremy Lefroy
uin	132480
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/03/2018 answer text <p>We are currently working with fellow member states to negotiate the communiqué for next month's Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. While it would be inappropriate to comment on those negotiations, the UK considers freedom of religion and belief to be one of the Commonwealth's core values.</p><p>Encouraging member states to uphold the values and principles enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter – which include freedom of religion as well as democracy, freedom of expression, the rule of law and opposition to all forms of discrimination – will be an important part of April's summit.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 21/03/2018 17:22:01 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4109 label Biography information for Jeremy Lefroy

862066

registered interest
date	14/03/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Gaza: Borders
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment she has made of the (a) social, (b) economic and (c) humanitarian effects of the ongoing Israeli naval blockade on Gaza.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	132485
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2018 answer text <p>The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) assesses that the restrictions on access to fishing waters in Gaza is a key factor discouraging investment and perpetuating high levels of unemployment, food insecurity and aid dependency. The fishing industry is important for the social and economic wellbeing of Gaza and we want to see an increase in the fishing zone, in line with the limit of 20 nautical miles stipulated in the Oslo accords. The UK has consistently called on the Government of Israel to ease movement, including at sea, and will continue to do so.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 19/03/2018 16:40:50 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden

862074

registered interest
date	14/03/2018
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	Israel: Courts Martial
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on whether any UK citizens are serving as judges in Israeli military courts in the West Bank; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Ogmore
tabling member printed	Chris Elmore
uin	132493
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2018 answer text <p>​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold any information on whether any British or British-Israeli citizens are serving as judges in Israeli military courts.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 20/03/2018 16:17:08 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4572 label Biography information for Chris Elmore

862078

registered interest
date	14/03/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Occupied Territories
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what classification of fragility her Department uses for the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	132497
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2018 answer text <p>The Department for International Development (DFID) assesses fragile states against three categories, reflecting higher, medium and lower levels of fragility. The last assessment found that the Occupied Palestinian Territories overall results met the criteria of the lower fragility category.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 19/03/2018 16:41:54 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden

862196

registered interest
date	14/03/2018
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	Gaza: International Assistance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government was represented at the US-led meeting at the White House on 13 March 2018 on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Northfield
tabling member printed	Richard Burden
uin	132615
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2018 answer text <p>​Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development and our Embassy in Washington attended this meeting. The UK remains gravely concerned about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. We welcome all practical steps to improve conditions as a matter of urgency.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 19/03/2018 15:36:05 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	301 label Biography information for Richard Burden