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1015452

registered interest
date	27/11/2018
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	China: British Nationals Abroad
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 Chinese counterpart on the safety of British Christians resident in China to practice their religion in that country.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	196165
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/12/2018 answer text <p>We remain deeply concerned about the persecution of Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners and others on the grounds of their religion or belief in China. The freedom to practise, change or share ones faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy. We believe that societies which aim to guarantee freedom of religion or belief are more stable, prosperous and more resilient against violent extremism.</p><p>We raise the full range of our human rights concerns with the Chinese authorities. We recently raised our concerns over restriction of freedom of religion or belief with the Chinese Government in our 27 June 2018 statement at the UN Human Rights Council and during China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in November 2018.</p><p>We also highlighted our concerns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy. The report contains details of work the FCO has carried out during the past year to promote human rights, including freedom of religion or belief in China and globally.</p><p>All British nationals travelling and living in China should pay close attention to the FCO Travel Advice in the first instance. Christians with non-Chinese passports who wish to worship in China are granted the freedom to do so, but under certain conditions which include a ban on evangelism and to only worship with other foreign passport holders. We continue to monitor these restrictions.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 05/12/2018 12:10:36 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

595856

registered interest
date	07/10/2016
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	Emergency Travel Documents
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many emergency travel documents were issued by HM Passport Office in each of the last five years.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	47115
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2016 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issues Emergency Travel Documents to British nationals overseas who need to travel urgently and do not have access to a Full Validity Passport. An emergency travel document is valid for a specific journey made at a specified time. In the past five years, the FCO have issued the following number of documents:</p><p>2012 – 28,737</p><p>2013 – 29,945</p><p>2014 – 39,167</p><p>2015 – 30,844</p><p>2016 – 23,907</p><p>Please note that 2016 figures cover up until the end of September.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 17/10/2016 16:16:12 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

427668

registered interest
date	10/11/2015
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	Egypt: Aviation
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 has taken to support the Russian government since the crash of Airbus 321 in Egypt.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	15887
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/11/2015 answer text <p>The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on the day of the Sinai air crash to express the UK Government's deepest condolences for the tragic loss of life. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has spoken to President Putin on two occasions to offer his condolences and any assistance the UK might be able to provide, and to set out our assessment of the cause of the crash and the steps we have taken to ensure the safety of our citizens. The Prime Minister and President Putin also met in the margins of the G20 Summit in Antalya. We have also followed up at senior official level with further details and to offer practical cooperation and coordination in Sharm el-Sheikh.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 20/11/2015 13:08:22 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

416494

registered interest
date	04/09/2015
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	Nigeria: Bombings
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is providing to government authorities in northern Nigeria to tackle the effect of recent bomb attacks in the city of Gombe.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	8473
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2015 answer text Terrorist attacks by Boko Haram in Gombe, elsewhere in Nigeria and in the wider region have brought untold misery to many. The UK remains firm in our determination to support Nigeria, and its neighbours, in their fight against terrorism. We are providing a substantial package of UK military, intelligence and development support to help Nigeria tackle Boko Haram. This package includes counter-terrorism cooperation, providing training on the response to terrorist attacks and bomb scene management. We are also working closely with Nigeria and our international partners to support the large numbers of people displaced by the conflict in the North East. answering member constituency Welwyn Hatfield answering member printed Grant Shapps question first answered 11/09/2015 09:56:29 answering member 1582 label Biography information for Grant Shapps
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

416498

registered interest
date	04/09/2015
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	Kenya: 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 he is taking to protect Christians in Kenya from persecution.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	8507
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2015 answer text <p>The promotion and protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief is a priority for the Foreign &amp; Commonwealth Office (FCO).We regard freedom of thought, conscience or belief as a fundamental human right underpinning many other rights. Our officials in Kenya are working with civil society organisations, religious groups and the Kenyan government to promote tolerance and trust across communities. We are supporting a range of religious groups to work cooperatively to manage local tensions to ensure that the early warning signs of potential persecution are identified, and responded to, so as to mitigate the risk of violence. We are also supporting the Government of Kenya as part of its efforts to counter violent extremism, which fuels religious persecution. We have encouraged Kenya’s churches together with the National Council of Churches in Kenya, to continue to play a role in this work. We continue regular dialogue with faith leaders in Kenya, the UK and across the region to promote respect for all faiths.</p> answering member constituency Welwyn Hatfield answering member printed Grant Shapps question first answered 11/09/2015 09:07:16 answering member 1582 label Biography information for Grant Shapps
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

416502

registered interest
date	04/09/2015
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	Pakistan: Blasphemy
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 discuss with his Pakistani counterpart the abolition of the blasphemy laws used in that country.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	8523
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2015 answer text <p>We regularly raise our concerns about Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and the need for reform, as well as concerns about specific cases where individuals have been accused of blasphemy. In February 2015, I raised UK concerns about the blasphemy laws with a group of visiting Pakistani Parliamentarians. In June, I conveyed to the High Commissioner for Pakistan our ongoing concern about the application of the blasphemy law in Pakistan. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), discussed Pakistan’s blasphemy laws with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in November 2014 and in August, during wide-ranging discussions, raised broader UK concerns around religious freedom and human rights with Pakistan’s Interior Minister.</p><p>In December 2014 my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister the member for Witney (Mr Cameron) also stressed our concerns about Pakistan’s blasphemy law with Prime Minister Sharif. We will ensure that this issue continues to be raised at the highest levels in Pakistan.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 11/09/2015 11:06:34 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

385844

registered interest
date	25/06/2015
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	Syria: Bombs
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 prevent the use of chlorine bombs in Syria.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	4311
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/07/2015 answer text <p>I am appalled by the continuing use of chlorine as a weapon. The Assad regime has repeatedly used chlorine as a weapon against civilians in Syria, in breach of international law and its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. In Syria, there have been over 50 allegations of chlorine being used as a weapon since UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2209 was passed in March. The UK, along with international partners, remains committed to ensuring that those responsible are held to account. UNSCR 2209 was clear that any future use of chemicals as weapons would trigger Chapter VII measures under the UN Convention.</p><p>The UK has worked closely with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons which has recently deployed two Fact Finding Missions to investigate whether chemical weapons have been used on two specific occasions, but is not mandated to attribute responsibility. We await their reports.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 03/07/2015 13:55:06 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

348603

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
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	Nigeria: 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 support his Department is providing to the Nigerian authorities to counter violence and militant attacks.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	1119
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2015 answer text <p>The UK fully supports the efforts of Nigeria and its neighbours to tackle Boko Haram. This includes providing a substantial package of UK intelligence and military support, including training and advice to Nigerian units deploying against Boko Haram in north east Nigeria. The UK is also providing £5 million to support the regional Multinational Joint Task Force to tackle Boko Haram. My Hon Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP) the Foreign Secretary offered further support to Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram when he met President Buhari on 29 May 2015.</p><p>Our support to Nigeria on counter terrorism is designed not only to counter terrorism, but also to improve human rights standards.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 11/06/2015 13:43:56 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

348614

registered interest
date	04/06/2015
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	North Korea: 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 the Department is taking to tackle the persecution of Christians in North Korea.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	1165
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/06/2015 answer text <p>I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 13 January 2015 (PQ <a href="http://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2015-01-07/220024/" target="_blank">220024</a>). We remain concerned at the continuing reports of widespread and systematic state sanctioned human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The DPRK’s stance and lack of international engagement on human rights concerns remains unchanged, with the DPRK maintaining its rejection of the United Nation’s (UN’s) Commission of Inquiry report. We continue to work in international fora to press for action that seriously addresses DPRK’s human rights issues. UK officials raised human rights concerns with the DPRK Embassy in London. We continue to urge the DPRK government to respect its provisions for human rights, as enshrined in the DPRK own constitution, which include “freedom of belief in religion”. Our Embassy in Pyongyang has raised human rights including freedom of religious beliefs with DPRK officials and encouraged the DPRK to implement the recommendations of the UN’s Universal Periodic Review, including those on freedom of religion. We look forward to the opening of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' field office in Seoul later this month (as mandated in resolution A/HRC/RES/25/25) and to supporting its work.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 10/06/2015 14:10:54 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson

228802

registered interest
date	20/03/2015
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	Middle East
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 steps his Department has taken to protect Christians and other minority groups across the Middle East.
tabling member constituency	Upper Bann
tabling member printed	David Simpson
uin	228525
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2015 answer text <p>Conflict and instability in the region has made the plight of many minorities a significant concern and we have witnessed systematic and deliberate attacks against religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East and North Africa, including Christians. We regularly urge all governments in the region to ensure the protection of all religious minorities. We encourage them to develop inclusive political systems that represent all of their citizens. We also work proactively in the region to promote community cohesion and inclusive governance.</p><p>The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have been responsible for many recent atrocities committed against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria. We condemn these appalling acts and are committed to defeating ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained international strategy as part of the efforts of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL. The humanitarian aid provided by the UK will have helped many victims of ISIL’s atrocities, including the protection of vulnerable groups. And the UK co-sponsored the resolution passed by the UN Human Rights Council on 1 September 2014, which highlights ISIL’s abhorrent actions and commits to a team of experts going to Iraq to investigate these atrocities.</p><p>In Syria a number of UK funded projects have brought together religious leaders from all denominations (including Alawi, Christians, Kurds, Druze and Sunnis) to foster greater understanding between faiths and support reconciliation. In Tunisia, we also funded a project run by the Centre for the Study of Islam and Democracy which considers, amongst other things, the protection of religious minorities under the new constitution. In Jordan, our work within refugee camps has helped reduce tensions between Syrian refugees and their host communities. In Lebanon, we are supporting education programmes including the addition of extra-curricular activities to help strengthen social cohesion. And in Iraq, we have funded a series of grassroots meetings between religious leaders to promote religious tolerance and freedom of religion or belief. We also continue to encourage religious leaders in Iraq to speak out publicly and condemn sectarian violence.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 25/03/2015 13:39:45 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1597 label Biography information for David Simpson