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1087105

registered interest
date	12/03/2019
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	Tibet: Human Rights
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 help tackle human rights abuses in Tibet.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	231520
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2019 answer text <p>We are concerned about the human rights situation in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) including restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, and restrictions on freedom of assembly and association.</p><p> </p><p>We regard the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). We consistently urge China to respect all fundamental rights across the PRC, including in Tibet, in line with both its own constitution and the international frameworks to which it is a party. We believe meaningful dialogue between the Chinese Government and representatives from Tibet (including with the ‘Tibetan Government in Exile’) is the best way to address and resolve underlying tensions, and we urge all sides to restart talks.</p><p> </p><p>We raised our concerns about Tibet during China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in November 2018. We asked an advanced question about Tibet and included our concerns in our statement.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 19/03/2019 16:59:46 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

1087106

registered interest
date	12/03/2019
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	Tibet: Human Rights
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 recent representations to his counterpart in China on allowing independent human rights observers into Tibet; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	231521
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/03/2019 answer text <p>We are concerned about the human rights situation in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) including restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, and restrictions on freedom of assembly and association.</p><p> </p><p>We regard the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). We consistently urge China to respect all fundamental rights across the PRC, including in Tibet, in line with both its own constitution and the international frameworks to which it is a party. We believe meaningful dialogue between the Chinese Government and representatives from Tibet (including the ‘Tibetan Government in Exile’) is the best way to address and resolve underlying tensions, and we urge all sides to restart talks.</p><p> </p><p>We raised our concerns about Tibet during China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in November 2018. We asked an advanced question about Tibet and included our concerns in our statement.</p><p>​</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 20/03/2019 16:08:14 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

1087107

registered interest
date	12/03/2019
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	Tibet: 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, whether he has made recent representations to his counterpart in China on respecting Tibetans' rights to freedom of expression; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Lanark and Hamilton East
tabling member printed	Angela Crawley
uin	231522
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2019 answer text <p>We are concerned about the human rights situation in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) including restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, and restrictions on freedom of assembly and association.</p><p> </p><p>We regard the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) as part of the People’s Republic of China (PRC). We consistently urge China to respect all fundamental rights across the PRC, including in Tibet, in line with both its own constitution and the international frameworks to which it is a party. We believe meaningful dialogue between the Chinese Government and representatives from Tibet (including the ‘Tibetan Government in Exile’) is the best way to address and resolve underlying tensions, and we urge all sides to restart talks.</p><p> </p><p>We raised our concerns about Tibet during China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in November 2018. We asked an advanced question about Tibet and included our concerns in our statement.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 19/03/2019 17:00:48 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4469 label Biography information for Angela Crawley

1087126

registered interest
date	12/03/2019
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	Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Buildings
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 Answer of 11 February 2019 to Question 216183 on Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Buildings, what his Department's rationale is for owning two properties with an asset value of over £5 million in Accra.
tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
tabling member printed	Helen Goodman
uin	231400
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2019 answer text <p>There are two residential-related properties in Accra worth over £5 million. One has been deemed surplus and put on the market. The other is being planned for re-development.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 15/03/2019 11:31:46 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	1484 label Biography information for Helen Goodman

1087128

registered interest
date	12/03/2019
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	Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Buildings
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 Answer of 11 February 2019 to Question 216183 on Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Buildings, what his Department's rationale is for owning two properties with an asset value of over £5 million in Belgrade.
tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
tabling member printed	Helen Goodman
uin	231401
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2019 answer text <p>​The two properties each with an asset value of over £5 million in Belgrade are the British Embassy and the Ambassador's Residence. These buildings provide a dedicated base from which diplomats can promote UK interests in Serbia. There are no plans to dispose of either property.</p> answering member constituency North East Bedfordshire answering member printed Alistair Burt question first answered 15/03/2019 11:33:57 answering member 1201 label Biography information for Alistair Burt
tabling member	1484 label Biography information for Helen Goodman

1087130

registered interest
date	12/03/2019
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	Democratic Republic of Congo: Violence
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 counterpart in the Democratic Republic of Congo on their response to the violent clashes in Yumbi territory in December 2018.
tabling member constituency	Coventry South
tabling member printed	Mr Jim Cunningham
uin	231359
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2019 answer text <p>​We are very concerned about the violence that took place in Yumbi territory, western Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in December 2018. A recent report from the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) in the DRC suggests as many as 890 people were killed; thousands more were displaced. We echo the comments made by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet: we condemn all such violence and the perpetrators of these terrible crimes must be brought to justice as soon as possible. Our Embassy in the DRC has raised our concerns with government authorities in the region and with local UN representatives.</p> answering member constituency West Worcestershire answering member printed Harriett Baldwin question first answered 15/03/2019 14:55:50 answering member 4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin
tabling member	308 label Biography information for Mr Jim Cunningham

1087191

registered interest
date	12/03/2019
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on whether Uighur Muslims in Chinese camps have been denied their basic human rights.
tabling member constituency	Bradford West
tabling member printed	Naz Shah
uin	231509
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2019 answer text <p>We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang and the Chinese Government’s deepening crackdown; including credible reports that over 1 million Uyghur Muslims have been held in re-education camps, and reports of widespread surveillance and restrictions targeted at ethnic minorities. Visits to Xinjiang by diplomats from the British Embassy in Beijing have corroborated much of this open source reporting.</p><p>Ministers and senior officials have been raising our concerns directly with the Chinese authorities for some time, and will continue to do so. At the 40<sup>th</sup> session of the UN Human Rights Council which ran from February to March 2019, Lord Ahmad raised our concerns about Xinjiang during his opening address (on 25 February). The UK also raised concerns about Xinjiang during our item 4 statement on 12 March, and we co-sponsored a side event on “Protecting the fundamental freedoms in Xinjiang” on 13 March.</p><p>I raised our concerns about Xinjiang with Vice Minister Guo Yezhou during my visit to China on 22 July 2018. The Foreign Secretary also raised our concerns about the region with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his visit to China on 30 July 2018.</p><p>During China’s Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council on 6 November 2018, the UK made a statement which described our concerns about the treatment of ethnic minorities in China, including Uyghurs.</p><p>Following the Universal Periodic Review, Lord Ahmad issued a statement where he said: “I am very concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, including the re-education camps and the widespread surveillance and restrictions targeted at ethnic minorities, particularly the Uyghurs. The UK and many of our international partners have made clear during China’s UPR that this is a priority issue. We recommended that China should implement CERD recommendations in Xinjiang and allow the UN to monitor implementation.”​</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 15/03/2019 10:46:41 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4409 label Biography information for Naz Shah

1087198

registered interest
date	12/03/2019
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	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has received on the welfare of Uigher Muslims being held in internment camps in China.
tabling member constituency	Bradford West
tabling member printed	Naz Shah
uin	231510
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/03/2019 answer text <p>We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang and the Chinese Government’s deepening crackdown; including credible reports that over 1 million Uyghur Muslims have been held in re-education camps, and reports of widespread surveillance and restrictions targeted at ethnic minorities. Visits to Xinjiang by diplomats from the British Embassy in Beijing have corroborated much of this open source reporting.</p><p>Ministers and senior officials have been raising our concerns directly with the Chinese authorities for some time, and will continue to do so. At the 40<sup>th</sup> session of the UN Human Rights Council which ran from February to March 2019, Lord Ahmad raised our concerns about Xinjiang during his opening address (on 25 February). The UK also raised concerns about Xinjiang during our item 4 statement on 12 March, and we co-sponsored a side event on “Protecting the fundamental freedoms in Xinjiang” on 13 March.</p><p>I raised our concerns about Xinjiang with Vice Minister Guo Yezhou during my visit to China on 22 July 2018. The Foreign Secretary also raised our concerns about the region with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his visit to China on 30 July 2018.</p><p>During China’s Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council on 6 November 2018, the UK made a statement which described our concerns about the treatment of ethnic minorities in China, including Uyghurs.</p><p>Following the Universal Periodic Review, Lord Ahmad issued a statement where he said: “I am very concerned about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, including the re-education camps and the widespread surveillance and restrictions targeted at ethnic minorities, particularly the Uyghurs. The UK and many of our international partners have made clear during China’s UPR that this is a priority issue. We recommended that China should implement CERD recommendations in Xinjiang and allow the UN to monitor implementation.”</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 15/03/2019 10:48:00 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4409 label Biography information for Naz Shah

1087263

registered interest
date	12/03/2019
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: Organs
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 representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on forced live organ harvesting in China.
tabling member constituency	Islwyn
tabling member printed	Chris Evans
uin	231450
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2019 answer text <p>We are aware of reports that allege that organ harvesting may be taking place in China, including suggestions that minority and religious groups are being specifically targeted.</p><p> </p><p>However, as the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister for Europe and the Americas, said in a Westminster Hall debate in October 2016: “Although I do not doubt the need to maintain close scrutiny of organ transplant practices in China, we believe that the evidence base is not sufficiently strong to substantiate claims about the systematic harvesting of organs from minority groups. Indeed, based on all the evidence available to us, we cannot conclude that this practice of “organ harvesting” is definitely happening in China.”</p><p> </p><p>The World Health Organisation (WHO) collates global data on organ donations and works with China. The WHO view is that China is implementing an ethical, voluntary organ transplant system in accordance with international standards, although the WHO does have concerns about overall transparency.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to review any new evidence that is presented to us.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 19/03/2019 16:47:58 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4040 label Biography information for Chris Evans

1087265

registered interest
date	12/03/2019
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: Falun Gong
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 trends in the level of persecution of people who practise Falun Gong in China.
tabling member constituency	Islwyn
tabling member printed	Chris Evans
uin	231451
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/03/2019 answer text <p>We remain deeply concerned about the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners, as well as Christians, Buddhists, Muslims and others, in China on the grounds of their religion or belief. Everyone should be free to practice their religion according to their beliefs, in accordance with the international frameworks to which both the UK and China are party. 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> </p><p>We raised our concerns about freedom of religion or belief during China’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in November 2018. We also highlighted our concerns in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s most recent Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy.</p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 19/03/2019 16:49:02 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
tabling member	4040 label Biography information for Chris Evans