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1135694

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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	China: Uyghurs
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of China on the treatment of Uighur Muslims in China; and what plans they have to ensure that the human rights of Uighur Muslims are protected.
tabling member printed	The Lord Bishop of Coventry
uin	HL16787
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>We have serious concerns about the situation in Xinjiang, where there are credible reports of over a million Uyghurs and other minorities being detained in so-called “re-education camps&quot;.</p><p>Ministers and senior officials frequently raise the human rights issues in the region with their Chinese counterparts. The Foreign Secretary highlighted our concerns with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his most recent visit to China in July 2018. Later that month, the Minister for Asia &amp; the Pacific did the same with his Chinese counterpart Vice Minister Guo Yezhou. Additionally, our Embassy in Beijing regularly raises the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang with the Chinese authorities.</p><p>Further, we spoke publicly about the situation in the region at the 40th UN Human Rights Council in February and March 2019. I raised our concerns during my opening address on 25 February, and the UK spoke about Xinjiang during our “Item 4” national statement on 12 March. Following this, we co-sponsored a side event on “Protecting the fundamental freedoms in Xinjiang” on 13 March which helped to raise awareness of the situation among the international community.</p><p>Moreover, in our statement at China’s Universal Periodic Review on 6 November 2018, we made clear our concern about the treatment of Uyghurs in China. The UK issued a specific recommendation to China that it implements the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’s recommendations on Xinjiang and allows the UN to monitor the implementation.</p><p>We will continue to raise the human rights situation in Xinjiang with the Chinese Government at all levels bilaterally and in appropriate UN fora, including the Human Rights Council.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 08/07/2019 15:32:26 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4266 label Biography information for The Lord Bishop of Coventry

1135814

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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	Venezuela: Diplomatic Relations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has taken steps to install the Official Representative of interim President Juan Guaidó in the Venezuelan embassy in London; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	271355
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>​We have welcomed Vanessa Neumann as the Official Representative of Juan Guaido in the UK. Although the UK has recognised Juan Guaido as constitutional interim President of Venezuela, we continue to engage with the institutions of the state, including the accredited Venezuelan Ambassador in London, at official level on routine business.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 08/07/2019 14:09:53 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1135815

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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	Venezuela: Refugees
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 international partners on migrant boats capsizing off the coast of Venezuela.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	271356
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>While we regularly discuss with partners the huge impact of migrants fleeing the Venezuelan crisis, we have had no recent discussions with international partners on migrant boats capsizing off the coast of Venezuela</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 08/07/2019 14:11:40 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1135820

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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	Venezuela: Economic Situation
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 effect of the economic crisis in Venezuela on the (a) political and (b) economic situation in that country.
tabling member constituency	Warley
tabling member printed	John Spellar
uin	271360
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>The Venezuelan economy is in a desperate state. The IMF is forecasting inflation in Venezuela to reach 10 million per cent for 2019 and the Venezuelan Central Bank has reported a drop of over 55 per cent in GDP since 2013. This is a man-made disaster caused by the Maduro regime's economic mismanagement<em>. </em>It has resulted in a political, economic and humanitarian crisis forcing more than 4 million Venezuelans to leave.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 08/07/2019 14:13:31 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	318 label Biography information for John Spellar

1135840

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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, pursuant to the Answer of 2 May 2019 to Question 248721, whether he has had meetings with the Turkish Government since 2 May 2019 to raise the issue of Abdullah Öcalan's access to lawyers and family visits; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Bristol West
tabling member printed	Thangam Debbonaire
uin	271481
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>​The UK Government has raised Mr Öcalan’s case with the Turkish authorities a number of times. I raised the issue with the Turkish Ambassador on 13 May. I welcome the fact that Mr Öcalan has since been granted access to lawyers on at least two separate occasions and that the hunger strikes undertaken by some of his supporters have now come to an end. I also note that the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture paid a further visit to Imrali prison in mid-May, and that the Turkish Minister of Justice recently lifted the court restriction on lawyers' visits there. Whilst I welcome these positive developments, it is important to reiterate that Mr Öcalan remains in our view a convicted terrorist and we condemn the acts of violence perpetrated by the Kurdish Workers’ Party as we condemn all forms of terrorism.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 08/07/2019 14:15:36 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4433 label Biography information for Thangam Debbonaire

1135885

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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	Burundi: Press 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 recent assessment he has made of the restrictions on the independent media in Burundi.
tabling member constituency	Heywood and Middleton
tabling member printed	Liz McInnes
uin	271497
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>​We are very concerned by restrictions on the media in Burundi. Freedom of the media is essential in any functioning democracy; people must be allowed to debate issues freely, to challenge their governments, and to be informed by a strong and robust media. We condemn the decision made by the Government of Burundi to revoke the BBC's operating license, suspend the Voice of America, and the recent decisions to restrict the reporting activities of local media. These decisions are particularly concerning in light of the 2020 elections for which a free and independent media is vital.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 08/07/2019 15:40:13 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	4342 label Biography information for Liz McInnes

1135965

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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	Saudi Arabia: Administration of Justice
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 the Secretary of State for Justice on the provision of capacity building programmes for the domestic legal system in Saudi Arabia.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North East
tabling member printed	Mr Paul Sweeney
uin	271521
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>​The former Secretary of State for Justice, Chris Grayling MP, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Saudi Ministry of Justice in 2015. A number of engagements, including a working-level visit, have taken place since that time. All overseas judicial assistance is subject to rigorous assessment based on the merits of the activity and weighing any potential risks, including human rights concerns.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 04/07/2019 16:20:05 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
tabling member	4642 label Biography information for Mr Paul Sweeney

1135966

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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	Saudi Arabia: Overseas Trade
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to review the trade relationship with Saudi Arabia as a result of the detention of political detainees and female activists in that country.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North East
tabling member printed	Mr Paul Sweeney
uin	271522
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>The UK and Saudi Arabia have a longstanding bilateral relationship based on a number of pillars including defence; security; trade and investment; shared concerns about regional issues and energy security.</p><p>We are concerned by the detention of political detainees in Saudi Arabia. We raise concerns regularly and freely, using a range of Ministerial and diplomatic channels, including our Ambassador and Embassy team in Riyadh.</p><p>No aspect of our commercial relationship with Saudi Arabia prevents us from speaking frankly and openly about human rights. We will not pursue trade to the exclusion of human rights. They can and should be complementary.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 04/07/2019 16:21:23 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
tabling member	4642 label Biography information for Mr Paul Sweeney

1135967

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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	Saudi Arabia: Political Prisoners
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assurances he has received from his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the health and well-being of political detainees in that country.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North East
tabling member printed	Mr Paul Sweeney
uin	271523
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>​We are concerned about the health and well-being of political detainees in Saudi Arabia. We raise our concerns regularly and freely, using a range of Ministerial and diplomatic channels, including our Ambassador and Embassy team in Riyadh.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 04/07/2019 16:22:39 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
tabling member	4642 label Biography information for Mr Paul Sweeney

1135968

registered interest
date	01/07/2019
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	Saudi Arabia: Political Prisoners
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the publication of proof of life evidence on political detainees being in custody in that country.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North East
tabling member printed	Mr Paul Sweeney
uin	271524
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>The British Government is very concerned about allegations of mistreatment of those detained in Saudi Arabia because of their political views. While we have not requested this information from the Saudi authorities, we continue to monitor these cases.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 04/07/2019 16:23:44 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
tabling member	4642 label Biography information for Mr Paul Sweeney