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1136381

	registered interest
	date	02/07/2019
	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	Israel: 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 discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on recognition of the plight of Jewish refugees from the Middle East and North Africa.
	tabling member constituency	Richmond Park
	tabling member printed	Zac Goldsmith
	uin	272225
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>​I am yet to discuss this matter with my Israeli counterpart. The history of Jewish migration and displacement in the region is highly complex and cannot be ignored. We acknowledge that the Jewish community has experienced unacceptable suffering. We continue to support the aspiration for a Jewish homeland in the modern state of Israel, just as we support the objective of a viable and sovereign Palestinian state. A peaceful future for the Middle East depends on a peace agreement that offers fair restitution for both sides, and a willingness on the part of all countries in the region to respect the rights of minorities and build inclusive societies which enshrine and uphold those rights.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 08/07/2019 15:31:03 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4062 label Biography information for Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

1128388

	registered interest
	date	22/05/2019
	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	Sri Lanka: Terrorism
	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 he has made to his Sri Lankan counterpart on protection for the Muslim community from retaliatory attacks in that country; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
	tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
	uin	257499
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/06/2019 answer text <p>The Government has made a number of representations to the Sri Lankan authorities regarding the protection of the Muslim community and other minorities in Sri Lanka. In the aftermath of the Easter Sunday attacks we urged the Sri Lankan government, faith and community leaders to lead an inclusive response to the attacks that brought different communities and faith groups together, and ensured the protection of minorities.</p><p>The Minister of State for Security and Economic Crime, Ben Wallace, visited Sri Lanka on 2-3 May and met with President Sirisena, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe and a number of faith leaders to underline this message. Lord Ahmad and I have raised the issue of protection for minority groups with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner, and our High Commission in Colombo has continued to raise concerns with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, including following the outbreaks of violence against Muslim communities on 13 May.</p><p>I addressed the House on this matter on 14 May, and our High Commission also joined an EU statement on 16 May calling on political, religious and other community leaders to make every effort to promote understanding and harmony between communities.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Cities of London and Westminster answering member printed Mark Field question first answered 04/06/2019 10:09:18 answering member 1405 label Biography information for Mark Field
	tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1149030

	registered interest
	date	14/10/2019
	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: Forced Labour
	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 reports that forced labour linked to mass detentions in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region has been used to produce cotton for export, if his Department will take steps to help ensure that cotton products on sale in the UK did not originate in prison camps in Xinjiang.
	tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
	tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
	uin	261
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/10/2019 answer text <p>The UK is taking steps to ensure products on sale in the UK do not originate from sources that use forced labour. The UK is also committed to ending modern slavery and forced labour by 2030, as unanimously adopted in the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development, and jointly launched the ‘Principles to Combat Human Trafficking in Global Supply Chains’ with the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand at the UN General Assembly in September 2018.</p><p>Further, the Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires applicable commercial organisations to publish a modern slavery statement for each financial year of their organisation. It applies to all commercial organisations which carry on a business, or part of a business, in the UK, supply goods or services and have an annual turnover of £36m or more. The modern slavery statement must set out what steps they have taken during the financial year to ensure that modern slavery is not taking place in their supply chains and in their own organisation.</p><p>We continue to have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang where there are credible reports of over a million Uyghurs and other minorities being detained in so called “re-education camps”, along with widespread surveillance and restrictions targeted at minorities.</p><p>​</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 17/10/2019 13:59:32 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1136323

	registered interest
	date	02/07/2019
	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: Minority Groups
	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 the Government has made to the Government of the People's Republic of China on the treatment of (a) Christian and (b) Muslim minority communities in that country.
	tabling member constituency	Ilford North
	tabling member printed	Wes Streeting
	uin	272262
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/07/2019 answer text <p>We remain deeply concerned about the persecution of Christians, Muslims and others on the grounds of their religion or belief in China. The freedom to practise, change or share ones faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy.</p><p> </p><p>Accordingly, at the 40<sup>th</sup> UN Human Rights Council in March 2019, during his opening address on 25 February, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad raised concerns about restrictions on freedom of religion and belief in China including on Muslims in Xinjiang and Christians across China. We also co-sponsored a side event on “Protecting the fundamental freedoms in Xinjiang” in March 2019, which helped to raise awareness of the situation among the international community. Lord Ahmad also set out the Government’s position when answering an Oral Question in the House of Lords on 4 April 2019. Further, we raised our concerns on freedom of religion and belief during China’s Universal Periodic Review in November 2018.</p><p> </p><p>Ministers and senior officials frequently raise human rights issues bilaterally with their Chinese counterparts. The Foreign Secretary highlighted our concerns on Xinjiang with Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his most recent visit to China in July 2018. Our Embassy in Beijing regularly raises the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang and concerns about the pressures facing Christians directly with Chinese officials.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 08/07/2019 16:18:01 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4504 label Biography information for Wes Streeting

1141353

	registered interest
	date	23/07/2019
	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	Jerusalem: Demolition
	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 Israeli counterpart on the demolition of Palestinian buildings in the Sur Baher neighbourhood in East Jerusalem; and if he will make a statement.
	tabling member constituency	Ilford North
	tabling member printed	Wes Streeting
	uin	281067
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/09/2019 answer text <p>On 23 July, the UK alongside France, Germany and Spain, issued a statement condemning the demolition by Israel of Palestinian buildings in the district of Wadi al Hummus. On the same day, our Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) reiterated our concern at the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Middle East. In this specific case, the demolitions were particularly egregious as a number of the buildings were located in Areas A and B, under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority according to the Oslo Agreements. They set a dangerous precedent that directly jeopardises the two-state solution, which is why I raised our deep concern to the Israeli Ambassador to the UK on 24 July.</p> answering member constituency South West Wiltshire answering member printed Dr Andrew Murrison question first answered 03/09/2019 10:15:14 answering member 1466 label Biography information for Dr Andrew Murrison
	tabling member	4504 label Biography information for Wes Streeting

1148192

	registered interest
	date	03/10/2019
	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	Sri Lanka: 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 assessment he has made of the progress made by the Government of Sri Lanka on the implementation of UN Human Rights Council resolutions on that country.
	tabling member constituency	Ilford North
	tabling member printed	Wes Streeting
	uin	294221
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2019 answer text <p>We continually assess the progress made by the Government of Sri Lanka on the implementation of UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1. In March when the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights issued its latest Annual Report, we agreed that progress had been made. We welcomed the restoration of important democratic checks and balances, improvements in freedom of expression and assembly, the return of some military-held civilian land, the establishment of an Office of Missing Persons and the ratification of the Convention on Enforced Disappearances.</p><p>However, we want to see further and faster progress. We continue to urge the Government to establish the full range of transitional justice mechanisms envisaged in the UNHRC resolutions, to deliver meaningful devolution through constitutional reform, replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act with human rights compliant legislation, and return all remaining military-held private land. During his recent visit to Sri Lanka on 2-3 October, Lord Ahmad encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to deliver fully on its commitments made to the UNHRC and to develop a comprehensive and time-bound implementation strategy.</p><p>​</p> answering member constituency South Derbyshire answering member printed Mrs Heather Wheeler question first answered 08/10/2019 12:08:09 answering member 4053 label Biography information for Mrs Heather Wheeler
	tabling member	4504 label Biography information for Wes Streeting

1130865

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2019
	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	Sanctions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the successes which can be attributed to their sanctions policies.
	tabling member printed	Viscount Waverley
	uin	HL16232
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 20/06/2019 answer text <p>The UK plays a leading role in the development and implementation of sanctions in the EU and the UN. Sanctions are always used as part of a broader political strategy and are designed to change, coerce or send a political signal regarding particular behaviour(s). Whilst linking behaviour change explicitly to sanctions can be challenging, we have some evidence to suggest that sanctions on individuals can lead to their removal from positions of power and reduce their ability to carry out harmful actions. Collective sanctions through the UN or EU, for example the sanctions against the GRU officers who carried out the attack in Salisbury last year, also send a strong political signal that the EU condemns their behaviour.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 20/06/2019 11:53:59 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	1744 label Biography information for Viscount Waverley

1131919

	registered interest
	date	12/06/2019
	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: Trade
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the UK High Commissioner or a trade official attended the recent Commonwealth SME Summit in Nairobi; if not, why not; and if so, what conclusions they drew from that summit.
	tabling member printed	Viscount Waverley
	uin	HL16337
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/06/2019 answer text <p>​A representative of the British High Commission in Nairobi attended the Intra-Commonwealth SME Trade Summit in Nairobi in May, which noted the trend for the rising value of digital processes in SMEs' production and the need for SMEs to adapt to the increased global competition through digital technologies. The conclusions drawn included the need for Governments to promote national data policies and devise policies designed to protect infant domestic e-commerce platforms from the practices of larger, established companies. A recurring theme was the need to build SME digital capacity, with a role for tech hubs and incubators. In March, the UK also co-chaired the first meeting of the Digital Cluster of the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment when Kenya joined representatives from 18 other Commonwealth countries to discuss how the Commonwealth can support development and increase trade by creating a more enabling environment for digital trade.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 24/06/2019 11:45:02 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	1744 label Biography information for Viscount Waverley

1134345

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	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 and Iran: British Nationals Abroad
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the respective Nationality Acts of (1) China, and (2) Iran, on British dual nationals, in particular their impact on general safety, vulnerability to blackmail and security risks; what advice they give those dual nationals when travelling to those countries; and what protection they give to those when affected.
	tabling member printed	Viscount Waverley
	uin	HL16630
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) produces country-specific travel advice for British nationals. The travel advice for China and Iran contains specific information for British dual nationals. The FCO advises British-Iranian dual nationals against all travel to Iran. The assistance the FCO can provide to British nationals is set out in the public guide, &quot;Support for British nationals abroad: a guide&quot;, which also contains information on how we can help dual nationals. Consular assistance is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case, though the FCO cannot normally help dual nationals when they are in the country of their other nationality. Further advice for British-Chinese dual nationals in China is also available on GOV.UK.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 04/07/2019 13:33:14 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	1744 label Biography information for Viscount Waverley

1134346

	registered interest
	date	24/06/2019
	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	Sanctions
	house id	2
	legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
	question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 20 June, whether they can provide examples of the evidence on which they based their answer; and what assessment they have made of whether leaders of countries targeted by UK sanctions care about the effects of such sanctions on citizens of those countries.
	tabling member printed	Viscount Waverley
	uin	HL16631
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/07/2019 answer text <p>​Sanctions are designed to effect a change in behaviour through coercing or constraining an individual or entity, or sending a clear political signal of international discontent at particular behaviour. Linking behaviour change to sanctions explicitly is challenging as it is difficult to judge the extent of the influence of sanctions alone as they are always deployed as part of a broader strategy, accompanied by other policy tools. The majority of sanctions implemented by the UK are EU and UN sanctions. It is difficult to assess the personal opinions of the political leadership of countries which have been sanctioned; however, sanctions are carefully targeted and not intended to be punitive in nature.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 04/07/2019 13:33:37 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
	tabling member	1744 label Biography information for Viscount Waverley