Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials provided evidence to the Home Office (Annex A of the Country Policy and Information Note) in advance of the publication of the updated guidance.<\/p>
The FCO will continue to provide analysis to the Home Office on issues relevant to the Country Policy. The Home Office consider each claim on its individual merits. Where someone is found to be at risk of persecution or serious harm in their country of origin because of their sexuality or gender identity, refuge will be granted.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-04-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-04-24T15:38:57.483Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-04-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Afghanistan: LGBT People"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary on the new guidance on sexual orientation and gender identity in Afghanistan which may lead to the return of failed LGBT asylum seekers to Afghanistan.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4342", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Liz McInnes"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Heywood and Middleton"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Liz McInnes"} ], "uin" : "71295"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/722494", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/722494/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
A number of our High Commissions and Embassies serve cider at functions. We do not centrally hold details of the occasions and the cider that is served. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs work closely with partners across Government and the private sector, including the National Association of Cider Makers, to promote Britain's world class offer in this area, including through the GREAT campaign. Our High Commissions and Embassies are uniquely positioned to showcase British food and drink across the world.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-04-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-04-26T08:51:00.387Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-04-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Embassies: Cider"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK embassies serve cider at functions.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "true", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1428", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Bill Wiggin"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North Herefordshire"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Bill Wiggin"} ], "uin" : "71283"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/722496", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/722496/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
I met with animal rights activists earlier this year to discuss this issue and my officials are in ongoing discussions with them to identify how to improve animal welfare and raise awareness of the cruelty and potential health implications of the global dog meat trade.<\/p>
The consumption of dog meat is legal in many countries, and the UK has no grounds to intervene or take trade measures to prevent this. As such, I have not raised the matter with my global counterparts. However, the British Ambassador in Seoul has raised the issue with the Korean authorities, and officials from the British Embassy in Seoul have accompanied non-government organisations on a dog farm visit. Officials have also met with police representatives from China to discuss their implementation of animal welfare regulations.<\/p>
As I stated in the Westminster Hall Debate on 12 September 2016, it is encouraging that in countries where dog meat is consumed there are signs that attitudes are changing.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4014", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Alok Sharma"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Reading West"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Alok Sharma"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-04-26", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-04-26T09:08:27.373Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-04-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Dogs: Meat"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with (a) his global counterparts and (b) animal rights groups on cruelty in the global dog meat trade; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4386", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Margaret Ferrier"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Rutherglen and Hamilton West"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Margaret Ferrier"} ], "uin" : "71322"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 3, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }