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1287935

registered interest
date	22/02/2021
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	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Training
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his article in the Financial Times, published on 25 November 2020, what recent steps he has taken to build greater in-house project management expertise.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	156501
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2021 answer text <p>The Foreign Secretary recently approved a pilot to inform decisions to bring services in-house where this will deliver improved outcomes and cost savings for HMG, drawing on the HM Treasury and Cabinet Office Outsourcing Playbook. My officials are working with HMT to establish an operating cost framework for future years which delivers value for money for the UK taxpayer and builds in-house capability. FCDO will introduce a new approach to programme management from April, building on previous experience in DFID and FCO and best practice from the Infrastructure and Projects Authority, with accompanying training to support staff in implementing the new approach.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 25/02/2021 15:07:23 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1287939

registered interest
date	22/02/2021
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	Tanveer Ahmed Rafique
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 November 2020 to Question 111640, if he will publish an update on support provided to Tanveer Ahmed Rafique.
tabling member constituency	Luton North
tabling member printed	Sarah Owen
uin	156589
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2021 answer text <p>The FCDO continues to speak to Mr Rafique about any health and welfare concerns through telephone calls as visits are still suspended due to the pandemic. Officials are in regular contact with the prison authorities to check on his welfare and his family are being kept informed of all developments. We regularly raise at a senior level our concerns about the human rights situation with the Government of Pakistan. On 20 February, Minister of State for South Asia and Minister responsible for Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed our human rights concerns with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 25/02/2021 08:48:29 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4777 label Biography information for Sarah Owen

1287969

registered interest
date	22/02/2021
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	Saudi Arabia: Capital Punishment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (a) not to proceed with the imminent execution of Nawaf al-Osaimi for a crime allegedly committed as a teenager and (b) to halt all executions pending a review of the death row population to identify those convicted of crimes allegedly committed as children and resentence them in line with the 2020 Royal Decree.
tabling member constituency	Hammersmith
tabling member printed	Andy Slaughter
uin	156289
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2021 answer text <p>The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. This is especially the case for juveniles. This is in line with the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Arab Charter on Human Rights. We reiterated our opposition to the death penalty in Saudi Arabia in a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 15 September.</p><p>We regularly raise our concerns about the use of the death penalty, including individual cases with the Saudi Arabian authorities and we will continue to do so. In August, our Chargé d'affaires in Riyadh raised the issue of the death penalty with Minister of State Al Jubeir. I raised the death penalty with Dr Awwad al Awwad, President of Saudi Arabia's Human Rights Commission during his virtual visit in July.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 25/02/2021 13:59:05 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	1516 label Biography information for Andy Slaughter

1288008

registered interest
date	22/02/2021
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	Israel: Palestinians
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department has taken since 2018 to press for an end to the practice of holding Palestinian children in Israeli military detention.
tabling member constituency	East Ham
tabling member printed	Stephen Timms
uin	156243
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2021 answer text <p>We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding children in detention and regularly raise this with the Israeli Ministry of Justice, most recently on 23 February 2021. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv will continue to have a regular dialogue with Israel on this issue. We also fund projects providing legal aid to assist children with legal representation and capacity building assistance to local lawyers. We continue to call on the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 25/02/2021 14:03:22 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	163 label Biography information for Sir Stephen Timms

1288333

registered interest
date	22/02/2021
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	Selahattin Demirtaş
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that Turkey complies with the European Court of Human Rights judgment on the release of Selahattin Demirtaş.
tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
tabling member printed	Sarah Olney
uin	156498
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/02/2021 answer text <p>We regularly raise human rights issues with the Turkish authorities. I did so in December 2020 with my Turkish counterpart. We remain concerned about the four-year imprisonment of Selahattin Demirtaş, former co-chair of the People's Democratic Party (HDP), in Turkey. With our international partners, we call on Turkey to meet its obligations as a founding member of the Council of Europe and release Demirtaş from his extended pre-trial detention. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe will supervise the implementation of the judgment in Demirtaş (No.2) v Turkey, a process in which the United Kingdom actively participates. Working with our international partners, we will continue to encourage Turkey, including at Ministerial level, to act in line with the conventions of the Council of Europe and to make greater progress on wider human rights reforms.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 25/02/2021 11:17:01 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4591 label Biography information for Sarah Olney

1286848

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
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	Ethiopia: Food
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people facing serious food insecurity in Ethiopia.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff South and Penarth
tabling member printed	Stephen Doughty
uin	154570
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>The UN estimates that up to 1.3 million people affected by the conflict need humanitarian assistance, though the lack of free and sustained access makes it extremely challenging to determine the actual impact of the conflict on civilians - an estimated 80% of Tigray region remains beyond the reach of relief agencies.</p><p>This is on top of an existing humanitarian caseload of 1 million people in the region. The Foreign Secretary raised the need for humanitarian access to Tigray with Prime Minister Abiy during his recent visit to Ethiopia and pressed for a political dialogue to bring lasting peace to the region. The UK is working closely with humanitarian and development agencies, including the Ethiopian Red Cross, to make sure aid reaches civilians affected by the fighting. UK-funded aid agencies in Tigray are working hard to deliver support in challenging circumstances, including food, shelter, water and healthcare. The Foreign Secretary visited Gondar, the site of a humanitarian hub in the neighbouring Amhara region on 22 January. He heard how £11.4m of UK Aid is supporting the World Food Programme and NGOs to ensure the delivery of aid to those affected by the conflict.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 24/02/2021 09:13:43 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4264 label Biography information for Stephen Doughty

1286849

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
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	Sub-Saharan Africa: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many officials in his Department that are (a) based in and (b) travelling to and from countries in sub-Saharan Africa that are on the red list have been vaccinated against covid-19.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff South and Penarth
tabling member printed	Stephen Doughty
uin	154571
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>FCDO and MOD are working together to deliver supplies of Covid-19 vaccine to posts in Africa and elsewhere in the world from the end of February. This distribution will be aligned to the UK national programme for staff and dependants for whom HMG has duty of care. FCDO staff based in the UK have access to the NHS vaccination programme in the same way as everyone else.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 24/02/2021 17:27:59 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4264 label Biography information for Stephen Doughty

1286855

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
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	Myanmar: Press Freedom
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the compliance by Frontiir Co. Ltd with demands from the Government of Myanmar to block independent media in that country.
tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
uin	154583
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>Frontiir has helped connect over one million people in Myanmar to the internet at affordable prices, thereby increasing access to information, boosting businesses, supporting education and tackling poverty. Frontiir has at all times adhered to international best practice.</p><p>Following the military coup on February 1st, Frontiir, along with all other telco operators and internet service providers, received regulatory orders to shut down the internet for brief periods and also block certain social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook. We have strongly condemned this move. Nevertheless, Frontiir is bound by national law under its licencing agreement and is unable to go against an official government directive. Frontiir has been open and transparent about these orders, acting in accordance with the Global Network initiative agreement, including posting a statement on their website. This is in line with the approach taken by other responsible internet platforms in Myanmar. Frontiir is an observer member of the Global Network Initiative and we remain in close communication with them on the current situation. CDC is reviewing the impact of the 1st February Myanmar coup on its investments in the country.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 24/02/2021 16:22:13 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1286863

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
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	Jagtar Singh Johal
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the risk faced by UK citizen Jagtar Singh Johal of exposure to covid-19 in Tihar prison, India.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	154595
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>Mr Johal's welfare continues to be a priority. In-person consular visits in India are currently suspended due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, consular staff have secured telephone access to Mr Johal in lieu of visits, and ask questions about Mr Johal's health on every call. We spoke to Mr Johal most recently on 20 January. Tihar prison, as the detaining authority, are responsible for managing any risk to Mr Johal's welfare due to exposure to Covid-19. Our consular staff therefore request regular updates from the prison management about Tihar's Covid-19 prevention measures, testing regime and news of any new cases in the prison.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 24/02/2021 16:15:42 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1286864

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
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	Jagtar Singh Johal
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Indian counterpart in respect of reports that UK Citizen, Jagtar Singh Johal, was forced to sign a confession under (a) torture and (b) coercion.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	154597
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>The UK Government takes all allegations of human rights violations very seriously and raises concerns with the local authorities where appropriate. We regularly raise Mr Johal's case directly with the Government of India, including his allegations of torture, his right to a fair trial, and concerns about delays to legal proceedings against him. The Foreign Secretary raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on 15 December 2020. The Secretary of State for International Trade raised the case with the Indian Minister for Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad, on 5 February. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, last raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian High Commissioner on 28 January 2021, and with the Indian Foreign Secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, on 3 November 2020.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 24/02/2021 16:13:33 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady