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1719286

registered interest
date	20/05/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Cyprus: Convention on Cluster Munitions and Ottawa Convention
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what plans his Department has to encourage the full membership of (a) the Republic of Cyprus and (b) Northern Cyprus to the Convention on Cluster Munitions; and what plans his Department has to encourage the full membership of Northern Cyprus to the Ottawa Treaty.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	27038
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>As a committed State Party to both the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) and Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), the UK urges all states to accede to both at the earliest opportunity, in line with respective obligations and provisions. We welcome Cyprus' existing status within the APMBC and encourage its future ratification of the CCM, recognising the unique security situation on the island. In accordance with the rest of the international community, with the sole exception of Turkey, the UK does not recognise the self-declared &quot;Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus&quot; as an independent state.</p> answering member constituency Wealden answering member printed Ms Nusrat Ghani question first answered 24/05/2024 08:38:30 answering member 4460 label Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1719287

registered interest
date	20/05/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Cyprus: Land Mines
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how much the Department (a) has spent in the last ten years and (b) plans to spend in each of the next three years on de-mining efforts in (i) the Republic of Cyprus, (ii) the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, (iii) the UN-administered buffer zone and (iv) in and around the sovereign base areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	27039
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK is unequivocal in its support for a mine-free Cyprus. The UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) works to create options for the sides to progress with the next phase of clearing hazardous areas across the island. Last year we contributed over £1.3 million to UNFICYP and we are consistently a leading contributor of personnel. In January, as penholder we drafted UNSCR 2723 which urged both leaders to overcome existing barriers and expedite demining progress in Cyprus.</p> answering member constituency Wealden answering member printed Ms Nusrat Ghani question first answered 24/05/2024 08:30:03 answering member 4460 label Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1718029

registered interest
date	14/05/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Pakistan: Forced Labour
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had discussions with his Pakistani counterpart on religious minorities being subjected to bonded labour in that country.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	26299
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK is committed to eradicating all forms of modern slavery, forced labour and human trafficking anywhere in the world. Lord [Tariq] Ahmad, Minister for South Asia, raised his concerns about the persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan and the need for legal action to protect minority faith communities with Human Rights and Law Minister Azam Tarar on 15 April. The UK's Aawaz II Accountability, Inclusion and Reducing Modern Slavery Programme and Asia Regional Child Labour Programme are working with partners, including the Government of Pakistan, to reduce child and bonded labour. We will continue to raise the issues affecting religious minorities in Pakistan at the highest levels of Government.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 23/05/2024 08:31:17 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1718030

registered interest
date	14/05/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Tibet: Religious Freedom
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on freedom of religion in Tibet.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	26300
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK Government is concerned about human rights violations in Tibet. These include restrictions on freedom of religion or belief and on freedom of assembly and association, reports of forced labour, and reports that boarding schools are being used to assimilate Tibetan children into Han culture.</p><p>We consistently raise human rights issues with the Chinese authorities, including in relation to Tibet. I raised human rights during my visit to China in April, and the Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting in February with China's Foreign Minister. We also regularly raise Tibet in multilateral fora, including in January at China's Universal Periodic Review, and in March as part of our Item 4 statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 22/05/2024 14:23:52 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1716155

registered interest
date	07/05/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Nigeria: Christianity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if his Department will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the religious dimension of the recent attacks against Christians by (a) jihadist groups and (b) Fulani militants in (i) Northern Nigeria and (ii) the Middle Belt.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	24919
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/05/2024 answer text <p>In North East Nigeria, terrorist groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa have sought to undermine the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) by attacking those who do not subscribe to their extremist views. Separately, intercommunal violence and criminal banditry in the North West and Middle Belt has a devastating effect on all faith and non-faith communities, including Christians. The root causes of this intercommunal violence are often complex, and include competition over resources and disruption to traditional ways of life created by environmental degradation, in addition to religious factors. The Strengthening Peace and Resilience in Nigeria programme (SPRiNG) will support Nigeria to address the root causes of conflict in the Middle Belt, including natural resource management challenges. The programme will aim to help 1.5 million women and men benefit from reduced violence in their communities, and support 300,000 people to better adapt to the effects of environmental degradation.</p> answering member constituency Sutton Coldfield answering member printed Mr Andrew Mitchell question first answered 14/05/2024 16:53:27 answering member 1211 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Mitchell
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1715165

registered interest
date	01/05/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	UNRWA: Finance
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of the decision to suspend funding to UNRWA on religious minorities.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	24472
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/05/2024 answer text <p>Allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the events that took place on 7 October in Israel are appalling, which is why we took decisive action to pause future funding to the organisation.</p><p>The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK will set out its position on future funding to UNRWA following careful consideration of Catherine Colonna's final report, UNRWA's response and the ongoing UN Office for Internal Oversight Services investigation into these allegations.</p><p>We trebled our aid commitment in the last financial year and are doing everything we can to get more aid in as quickly as possible by land, sea and air, working with multiple implementing partners.</p> answering member constituency Sutton Coldfield answering member printed Mr Andrew Mitchell question first answered 13/05/2024 15:45:59 answering member 1211 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Mitchell
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1714558

registered interest
date	29/04/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Christianity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of the safety of Christian (a) clergy and (b) communities (i) in Kachin, Myanmar and (ii) around the world.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	24040
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK Government is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities, including the issue of persecution of Christians globally on account of their faith.</p><p>We are aware of the continued vulnerability of religious minorities in Myanmar, including in Kachin state. We are committed to supporting ethnic and religious minorities in Myanmar and we continue to raise our concerns over discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities in international fora, including through our co-sponsorship of a UN Human Rights Council resolution on Myanmar in April.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 07/05/2024 15:41:18 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1714559

registered interest
date	29/04/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Mari Emmanuel
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has held recent discussions with his Australian counterpart on the recent stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel during a church service in Wakeley, Australia.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	24041
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK government condemns the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, and members of his congregation, during a church service in Australia. The Foreign Secretary has not spoken directly to the Australian Foreign Minister about this attack. However, the UK government is committed to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) globally and collaborates closely with the Australian government on tackling terrorism, including through law enforcement and Home Office channels.</p> answering member constituency Berwick-upon-Tweed answering member printed Anne-Marie Trevelyan question first answered 08/05/2024 09:01:44 answering member 4531 label Biography information for Anne-Marie Trevelyan
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1714560

registered interest
date	29/04/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Russia: Religious Freedom
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will take steps to help support Jehovah's Witnesses in Russia in the context of the detention and sentencing of several members of that community on charges related to their religious beliefs and activities.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	24042
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK has repeatedly condemned Russia's persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses. The UK has raised its deep concerns in multilateral fora on several occasions, including at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), most recently on 2 May 2024, and at the UN Security Council. The UK will continue to call on the Russian Government to uphold its international commitments on the freedom of religion or belief and to end its persecution of Jehovah's Witnesses.</p> answering member constituency Wealden answering member printed Ms Nusrat Ghani question first answered 08/05/2024 10:58:37 answering member 4460 label Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1713408

registered interest
date	24/04/2024
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Georgia: Civil Liberties
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of recent clashes between protestors and police in Georgia; and what discussions he has had with international partners on the protection of civil liberties in that country.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	23481
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 01/05/2024 answer text <p>The UK is committed to supporting a vibrant civil society in Georgia, which is an essential attribute of a healthy democracy. We are aware of the recent demonstrations in Georgia against the proposed law on transparency of foreign influence and are monitoring developments. We are working closely with international partners to raise our concerns regarding the re-introduction of this law, and the Minister for Europe highlighted our concerns to the Georgian Ambassador when they met on 18 April.</p> answering member constituency Wealden answering member printed Ms Nusrat Ghani question first answered 01/05/2024 15:50:49 answering member 4460 label Biography information for Ms Nusrat Ghani
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon