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1061016

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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	Armed Conflict: Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will assess the merits of the conclusions and recommendations of the report entitled, No Choice: It takes a world to end the use of child soldiers, published by World Vision International in February 2019; and what steps his Department is taking to protect children at risk of recruitment by armed forces and his groups.
tabling member constituency	Berwickshire, Roxburgh and Selkirk
tabling member printed	John Lamont
uin	221786
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/02/2019 answer text <p>​The UK government actively engages with civil society organisations, recognising that collaborative engagement can strengthen the protection of children in armed conflict. On 12 February 2019, the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon met four youth participants from World Vision UK's newly launched campaign entitled '<em>It takes a World...To End Violence Against Children'</em>, to discuss their views and recommendations for government action regarding the use of children in armed forces and groups. The UK government recognises the importance of amplifying young people's voices and the powerful impact this can have in raising the profile of the Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) Agenda. The UK government therefore continues to engage with World Vision on this agenda. An invitation has been extended to World Vision to present at the newly established cross-government Working Group on CAAC.</p><p> </p><p>The UK is an active member of the United Nations Working Group on CAAC, which leads the international response to the issue of child soldiers and child protection. This includes pressing those parties to conflict listed in the UN Secretary-General's annual report on CAAC to enter into concrete action plans with the UN to verify and release any child soldiers associated with armed groups and forces and to prevent re-recruitment. The UK is the largest single financial contributor to the office of the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for CAAC, contributing £800,000 in the last five years. We have shown our support for the SRSG's recently launched Global Coalition for Reintegration (GCR) by joining the 'Friends of Reintegration' group, a forum to generate new ideas for supporting reintegration programmes and prevention of re-recruitment for children formerly associated with armed groups. The UK has confirmed it will be increasing its funding to the office of the SRSG for CAAC to £450,000 for the FY19/20 to continue assisting the SRSG with her current mandate and will be giving an additional £50,000 to fund extended activities pertaining to the GCR.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 20/02/2019 16:39:47 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4608 label Biography information for John Lamont

1061026

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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	Hakeem al-Araibi
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 had with his Bahraini counterpart with respect to the case of Hakeem al Arabibi.
tabling member constituency	Southport
tabling member printed	Damien Moore
uin	221790
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2019 answer text <p>We have been following the case of Mr al-Araibi closely and are aware that he has now returned to Australia.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 22/02/2019 14:48:23 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	4669 label Biography information for Damien Moore

1061033

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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	Priyanka Fernando
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role of his Department played in the departure of Brigadier Priyanka Fernando from the UK.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	221791
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>We were deeply concerned by the incident involving the Sri Lankan Defence Attaché last year and made immediate representations to the Sri Lankan Government. I called Foreign Minister Marapana on 8 February 2018 about the matter to raise his concerns. The Defence Attaché was recalled by his Government soon after.</p><p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), which is not a party to the legal proceedings referred to, was contacted by Westminster Magistrate's Court seeking clarification of the Brigadier's diplomatic status in the UK at the time of the incident. The FCO has provided documentation to assist the court.</p><p>The UK is committed to upholding the rule of law including the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.</p><p>The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka met the Permanent Secretary of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 24 January, at the Permanent Secretary's request. At this meeting the Permanent Secretary communicated his government's view that the Brigadier enjoyed diplomatic immunity at the time of the incident. The Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK met the Head of South Asia Department, FCO, on 1 February to discuss a range of bilateral issues. He confirmed that the FCO was not party to the legal proceedings, but had offered clarification of the Brigadier's diplomatic status at the request of the court.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field grouped question UIN 221792 question first answered 19/02/2019 16:47:51 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1061034

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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	Priyanka Fernando
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 his Department has had with the Sri Lankan High Commission on the conduct of Brigadier Priyanka Fernando since 21 January 2019.
tabling member constituency	Portsmouth South
tabling member printed	Stephen Morgan
uin	221792
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>We were deeply concerned by the incident involving the Sri Lankan Defence Attaché last year and made immediate representations to the Sri Lankan Government. I called Foreign Minister Marapana on 8 February 2018 about the matter to raise his concerns. The Defence Attaché was recalled by his Government soon after.</p><p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), which is not a party to the legal proceedings referred to, was contacted by Westminster Magistrate's Court seeking clarification of the Brigadier's diplomatic status in the UK at the time of the incident. The FCO has provided documentation to assist the court.</p><p>The UK is committed to upholding the rule of law including the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.</p><p>The British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka met the Permanent Secretary of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 24 January, at the Permanent Secretary's request. At this meeting the Permanent Secretary communicated his government's view that the Brigadier enjoyed diplomatic immunity at the time of the incident. The Sri Lankan High Commissioner to the UK met the Head of South Asia Department, FCO, on 1 February to discuss a range of bilateral issues. He confirmed that the FCO was not party to the legal proceedings, but had offered clarification of the Brigadier's diplomatic status at the request of the court.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field grouped question UIN 221791 question first answered 19/02/2019 16:47:51 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4653 label Biography information for Stephen Morgan

1061044

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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	Commonwealth: Cybersecurity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Written Statement of 14 January 2019 on Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting: Update on delivery, HCWS1247, which Commonwealth member states are supported by his Department and the World Bank to deliver national cyber security reviews; what funding he has allocated to that programme; and when those reviews will report.
tabling member constituency	Delyn
tabling member printed	David Hanson
uin	221600
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2019 answer text <p>​Following the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April 2018, the UK will fund at least ten national cyber security capacity reviews before the next Heads of Government meeting in 2020. The ten member states currently planned for a review are: Nigeria, the Gambia, Mauritius, Lesotho, Botswana, Cameroon, Namibia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. £0.7 million has been currently set aside from the Commonwealth 18-20 Fund and the UK Prosperity Fund for these reviews.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 22/02/2019 14:23:39 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	533 label Biography information for David Hanson

1061049

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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	Commonwealth: Offences against Children
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Written Statement of 14 January 2019 on Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting: Update, HCWS1247, which member states will receive training on tackling online child exploitation; what funding he has allocated to that training; and when that training is planned to be completed.
tabling member constituency	Delyn
tabling member printed	David Hanson
uin	221601
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2019 answer text <p>In support of commitments made at the 2018 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the UK has allocated £2 million to projects which tackle online child sexual exploitation. The Home Office is supporting work in Sri Lanka to build the evidence base, protect those at risk, and strengthen the co-ordination and implementation of efforts amongst multiple authorities and law enforcement agencies. The Home Office is also working with the African Union (AU) to strengthen regional and national capacity to address online child sexual exploitation, including in nine Commonwealth countries: Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda. The project will also build capacity in several non-Commonwealth members of the AU.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 22/02/2019 14:31:12 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	533 label Biography information for David Hanson

1061069

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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	Uganda: Freedom of Expression
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 Ugandan counterpart on freedom of expression and religion in that country.
tabling member constituency	Belfast North
tabling member printed	Nigel Dodds
uin	221610
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/02/2019 answer text <p>The Ugandan Constitution enshrines the 'freedom to practise any religion'. We have no evidence of persecution based on religious belief in Uganda and have not raised this issue with the Ugandan Government recently.</p><p>The UK supports freedom of expression as a fundamental human right and, alongside freedom of the media, maintains that it is an essential quality of any functioning democracy. We continue to raise any concerns around civic and political issues directly with the Ugandan Government.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 22/02/2019 14:27:29 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

1061070

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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, what discussions he has had with his counterparts on the proposed accession of North Macedonia to NATO.
tabling member constituency	Belfast North
tabling member printed	Nigel Dodds
uin	221611
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/02/2019 answer text <p>The UK was delighted to sign North Macedonia's NATO Accession Protocol on 6 February. This is an important step towards strengthening Euro-Atlantic security and we look forward to welcoming North Macedonia as a full member of the North Atlantic alliance soon. I regularly discuss (now) North Macedonia, including NATO membership, with my counterparts, most recently at the Munich Security Conference last weekend, where I was also able personally to congratulate North Macedonia's Prime Minister Zaev.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 21/02/2019 17:39:46 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	1388 label Biography information for Lord Dodds of Duncairn

1061117

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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	Ukraine: 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 recent assessment he has made of the current levels of political stability in Ukraine; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	221577
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>The UK remains concerned over persistent attempts by Russia to undermine political stability in Ukraine. Russia's malign intent is evident in their support for separatist forces in eastern Ukraine, the detention and mistreatment of civilians in Crimea, the recent firing on Ukrainian vessels in the Black Sea and their growing economic stranglehold on the Ukrainian ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk. This is reinforced by Russian disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks designed to create a false narrative of Ukraine as a failing state.</p><p>The reality is that Ukraine has made enormous progress towards realising its potential as a fully democratic, modern and prosperous state. The UK is providing substantial assistance to strengthen Ukraine's democracy and institutions as part of its reform programme. This includes specific support to help Ukraine counter potential outside interference in presidential and parliamentary elections in 2019. The best answer to malign Russian activity remains a well-functioning, democratic and stable Ukraine.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 19/02/2019 16:56:59 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1061132

registered interest
date	14/02/2019
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	Italy: Asylum
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 held with his (a) Italian counterpart and (b) EU counterparts on the Italian government's asylum policy.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	221579
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/02/2019 answer text <p>As part of our bilateral relationship with Italy we regularly discuss asylum policy at Ministerial and official level. The UK Government continues to discuss the issue of asylum with the EU.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 19/02/2019 17:00:30 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham