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760013

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
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: Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last raised with the government of Pakistan (1) the anti-Ahmadiyya laws set out in Penal Code Article 298, and (2) that government's obligations to protect freedom of religion or belief; and whether they intend to encourage the government of Pakistan to invite the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief to make a country visit to Pakistan.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1569
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/09/2017 answer text <p>The UK Government remains firmly committed to the promotion and protection of Freedom of Religion or Belief. We regularly raise concerns about the protection and persecution of minority communities, including Ahmadiyya Muslims, the blasphemy laws and the protection of freedom of religion or belief to the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. The Foreign Secretary raised the importance we attach to religious tolerance and safeguarding the rights of all Pakistan's citizens during his visit to Pakistan in November 2016. The former Minister for Asia and the Pacific, my hon. Friend the Member for Reading West (Mr Sharma), discussed the protection of religious minorities with Kamran Michael, former Minister for Human Rights, and Barrister Zafarullah Khan, Prime Minister's Special Assistant for Human Rights, during a visit to Pakistan in January 2017.</p><p>We continue to urge Pakistan to take the steps necessary to comply in full with its human rights obligations, including engaging with the UN and other international bodies, and to ensure that the rights of minorities are respected.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 27/09/2017 16:08:39 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

760014

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
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	Taimoor Raza
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have about the case of Taimoor Raza who has been sentenced to death in Pakistan for allegedly breaking the blasphemy laws on social media; and what representations, if any, they have made on his behalf.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1570
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/09/2017 answer text <p>We are aware of the case of Taimoor Raza, a Pakistani national who was sentenced to death on 10 June 2017 after allegedly making blasphemous remarks on social media. We understand Mr Raza has submitted an appeal to the High Court.</p><p>The UK remains firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. While we have not raised Mr Raza's case directly with the Pakistan authorities, we have repeatedly called upon the Government of Pakistan to end capital punishment and, at a minimum, commit to publicly renewing the previously imposed moratorium on the death penalty. We regularly raise our concerns about freedom of expression and the misuse of the blasphemy laws with the Pakistani Government at a senior level.</p><p>The Foreign Secretary raised misuse of the blasphemy laws during his visit to Pakistan in November 2016. The former Minister for Asia and the Pacific, my hon. Friend the Member for Reading West (Mr Sharma), discussed the death penalty and the importance we attach to freedom of expression with Kamran Michael, former Minister for Human Rights, and Barrister Zafarullah Khan, Prime Minister's Special Assistant for Human Rights, during a visit to Pakistan in January 2017. The Government will continue to urge Pakistan to honour in practice its human rights obligations, including those related to the death penalty and freedom of expression and religion.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 25/09/2017 14:38:37 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

760016

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
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: Minority Groups
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what information they have about proposals in Pakistan to establish (1) a National Council for Minorities’ Rights, and (2) a dedicated police unit to protect religious minorities; and whether they have encouraged such developments.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1572
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2017 answer text <p>The Action Plan for Human Rights, published by the Pakistan Ministry of Human Rights in 2016, contains proposals for a range of measures to improve human rights in Pakistan, including a National Commission for Minorities and security arrangements for protection of places of worship of minorities. We have encouraged implementation of the Action Plan.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 21/09/2017 15:02:27 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

760017

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
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: Marriage
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have encouraged the government of Pakistan to enact laws recognising the legality of Christian marriages.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL1573
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2017 answer text <p>The Ministry of Human Rights in Pakistan is currently reviewing the Christian Marriage Act 1872 and Christian Divorce Act 1862. We have discussed the review with the then Minister for Human Rights, Kamran Michael, and regularly raise minority and women's rights with the Government of Pakistan.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 21/09/2017 14:57:31 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

760024

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
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	International Courts
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to publish a summary of the verdicts and punishments imposed by all international courts and tribunals associated with the United Nations relating to breaches by individuals of international law in the last 20 years, including those imposed by the International Criminal Court.
tabling member printed	Lord Hylton
uin	HL1580
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/09/2017 answer text <p>Support for international criminal justice and accountability is a fundamental element of UK foreign policy. International courts and tribunals, including the International Criminal Court, have an important role to play in global efforts to end impunity for the most serious crimes of international concern by holding perpetrators to account and achieving justice for victims. The institutions report regularly on their activities and publish up-to-date details of convictions and sentences on their publicly accessible websites. The Government does not intend to publish a summary of such information at this time.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 21/09/2017 15:04:00 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	2018 label Biography information for Lord Hylton

760085

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
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	Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Redundancy
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 (a) men and (b) women have left his Department under exit schemes since 31 March 2016.
tabling member constituency	Hemsworth
tabling member printed	Jon Trickett
uin	10338
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/10/2017 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not run any exit scheme for its UK based staff in the period from 31 March 2016 to date.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 11/10/2017 16:19:32 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	410 label Biography information for Jon Trickett

760092

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
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	Somaliland: Elections
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the UK will send election observers to Somaliland to observe the general election on 13 November 2017.
tabling member constituency	Bristol East
tabling member printed	Kerry McCarthy
uin	10325
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/10/2017 answer text <p>The UK is providing £202,017 to fund a 60-strong international election observation mission for the delayed Somaliland Presidential election, now scheduled for 13 November 2017. Following a competitive tender process, the election observation team will be led by University College London.</p> answering member constituency Penrith and The Border answering member printed Rory Stewart question first answered 09/10/2017 15:25:04 answering member 4137 label Biography information for Rory Stewart
tabling member	1491 label Biography information for Kerry McCarthy

760093

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
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	Somalia: Piracy
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 reduce levels of maritime piracy off the Somali coast.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	10317
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/10/2017 answer text <p>​The UK plays a leading role in the fight against piracy in the Western Indian Ocean. We contribute to the Commander and Operational Headquarters of the EU's counter piracy mission, EU Navel Force (NAVFOR) Operation Atalanta. We also contribute to the Deputy Commander for the Combined Maritime Force, whose Task Force 151 has a specific focus on counter piracy. We are also a supporter of bilateral and multilateral maritime security capacity building programmes in the region. Between 2010 and 2016, the UK contributed over £17.2m to these programmes, which have helped to support counter-piracy efforts, increase regional maritime awareness and improve legal frameworks.</p><p>In May 2017, the UK hosted and co-chaired the London Somalia Conference, at which the international community reaffirmed its commitment to deterring and combatting piracy, and the Federal Government and the Federal Member States of Somalia reiterated their commitment to improving maritime security and building a capable coastguard.</p><p>According to EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta, there have been six piracy attacks on commercial vessels in the region in 2017. Of those, only one – an attack against a Comoros flagged oil tanker, the <em>Aris 13,</em> on 13 March 2017 – was successful. By contrast, in 2011, there were 176 reported piracy attacks.</p> answering member constituency Rutland and Melton answering member printed Sir Alan Duncan question first answered 11/10/2017 16:42:06 answering member 343 label Biography information for Sir Alan Duncan
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

760094

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
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: Non-governmental Organisations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the ability of non-governmental organisations to operate freely in Egypt and the restrictions they face; and when and at what levels that issue was last raised by UK officials with their Egyptian counterparts.
tabling member constituency	Reigate
tabling member printed	Crispin Blunt
uin	10375
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/10/2017 answer text <p>The UK is deeply concerned over the ability of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to operate freely in Egypt. Ministers and senior officials regularly raise human rights concerns with Egyptian authorities; this includes restrictions on civil society. I raised these issues with Egyptian counterparts during my visit to Cairo in August 2017. The UK also raised concerns about restrictions on civil society and media freedoms in Egypt at the UN Human Rights Council in September 2017.</p><p>The UK believes that respect for individual and civil rights in Egypt is fundamental to Egyptian stability and prosperity and we will continue to urge Egypt to reduce restrictions on NGOs operating in the country, both in bilateral and multilateral fora.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 12/10/2017 15:30:19 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	104 label Biography information for Crispin Blunt

760095

registered interest
date	13/09/2017
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	Far East: Military Exercises
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effect on tensions in the region of military exercises in which the UK has (a) participated and (b) not participated as a result of nuclear tests by North Korea.
tabling member constituency	Reigate
tabling member printed	Crispin Blunt
uin	10376
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 13/10/2017 answer text <p>We support South Korea and its allies' right to defend themselves in the face of escalating aggression from North Korea. We do not accept that there is any equivalence between the regular, defensive and legal military exercises held by South Korea and the United States, and the aggressive and illegal ballistic missile tests and nuclear testing being conducted by North Korea, which are the cause of the raised tensions on the Korean peninsula.</p><p>The UK is a sending state to the UN Command in Seoul. Alongside other nations, we routinely send military and civilian personnel to participate in two large scale military exercises conducted each year in South Korea.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 13/10/2017 12:27:16 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	104 label Biography information for Crispin Blunt