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

1058682

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	Egypt: Tourism
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 Egyptian counterpart on increasing the number of UK tourists to that country.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	219431
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>Numbers of UK tourists to Egypt continue to increase – last year an estimated 415,000 British citizens visited Egypt compared to 319,000 in 2017. Ministers and officials have discussed the increasing number of UK tourists to Egypt with counterparts and we continue to work in partnership with the Egyptian authorities to mitigate risks to travellers' safety and security.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 19/02/2019 15:41:03 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1058684

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	Ethiopia: Politics and Government
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 Ethiopian counterpart on strengthening democracy in that country.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	219433
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/02/2019 answer text <p>I most recently spoke with the Ethiopian State Minister of Foreign Affairs on 23 January. We discussed the political situation in Ethiopia, the rehabilitation process and the role that religious groups are playing. We also discussed the increasing activity of civil society groups, and I welcome the passing of a new civil society law on 7 February. This built on my discussions with the State Minister of Finance during the annual UK–Ethiopia Aid Talks last October, when I offered the UK’s support to Government efforts to establish a new legislative platform which underpins democracy. Our support is strengthening the capacity of the Attorney General’s Office, which is leading the reform agenda. We have also supported consultation with civil society groups across Ethiopia on the new civil society legislation.</p><p>​</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 18/02/2019 15:15:46 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

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

1058717

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	Iran: Press TV
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 his Department has made of the (a) budget of Press TV and (b) level of investment it receives from the Iranian State; and what assessment he has made of Press TV's level of editorial independence.
tabling member constituency	Berwick-upon-Tweed
tabling member printed	Anne-Marie Trevelyan
uin	219522
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 26/02/2019 answer text <p>We assess that Press TV is part of state-controlled Iranian media, and as such it is not independent. We cannot currently assess Press TV’s budget or the level of investment it receives from the Iranian state. Press TV’s license to broadcast in the UK was revoked by Ofcom in 2012.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 26/02/2019 13:12:22 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan

1058732

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	Turkey: Kurds
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 Turkish counterparts on the detention and imprisonment of Kurdish politicians.
tabling member constituency	Newport East
tabling member printed	Jessica Morden
uin	219361
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>​We have raised the detention of People's Democratic Party (HDP) Members of Parliament, most recently in January regarding the case of Ms Leyla Guven MP. We regularly discuss these issues with the HDP itself. We expect Turkey, as a modern democracy, to undertake legal processes against MPs fairly, transparently and with full respect for the rule of law. We will continue to monitor both the imprisionment of HDP MPs, and the wider Kurdish issue closely.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 14/02/2019 16:26:51 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	1548 label Biography information for Jessica Morden

1058733

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	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 discussions he has had with his Turkish counterpart on Kurdish people on hunger strike throughout the world in protest to the isolation of Abdullah Ocalan in that country.
tabling member constituency	Newport East
tabling member printed	Jessica Morden
uin	219362
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>Our Embassy in Ankara raised the issue of hunger strikers with the Turkish authorities in mid-January, specifically highlighting our concerns over the case of Ms Leyla Guven MP, who we are pleased to note was recently released from prison. We urge Turkey to uphold the human rights of hunger striking prisoners, including ensuring they have access to medical treatment.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 14/02/2019 16:30:37 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	1548 label Biography information for Jessica Morden

1058734

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	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 discussions he has had with his Turkish counterpart on the prison conditions and isolation of Abdullah Ocalan in Turkey.
tabling member constituency	Newport East
tabling member printed	Jessica Morden
uin	219363
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/02/2019 answer text <p>British Embassy officials discussed Mr Öcalan’s case and the prison conditions with Turkish officials in mid-January. We note the concerns about isolation expressed by the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture in their report following their visit in 2016 to the prison where Mr Öcalan is held.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 14/02/2019 16:34:23 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	1548 label Biography information for Jessica Morden

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

1058807

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	Macedonia: NATO
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the UK will ratify the Republic of North Macedonia's accession to NATO; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Cleethorpes
tabling member printed	Martin Vickers
uin	219389
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>We welcome the signature of the NATO Accession Protocol for Macedonia, which took place on 6 February in Brussels. We will shortly be taking forward the procedure for UK ratification. This will involve laying the Accession Protocol before Parliament for 21 sitting days' scrutiny under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010. Once this process is complete, and provided there are no objections, the UK can proceed to the next stage by depositing its instrument of ratification. I will make a formal written statement to Parliament regarding the new constitutional name - the Republic of North Macedonia.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 19/02/2019 16:54:49 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	3957 label Biography information for Martin Vickers