EU Observers (EU Monitoring Mission) patrol the Abkhaz and South Ossetian Administrative Boundary Lines (ABLs) on a daily basis but are not permitted by the de facto authorities or Russian forces to cross over into non Tbilisi Administered Territory, despite it being part of their mandate. There are 12 British nationals working in the EUMM (nine funded by Her Majesty's Government, three by the EU). The British Embassy in Tbilisi receive regular briefings from the EUMM about the situation on the ground. The EUMM has reported an increase in \u2018borderisation\u2019 activity such as fencing and signage along the ABLs over the last few months, which we believe run contrary to international efforts to find a sustainable solution.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-19T15:07:28.617Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Emmaus UK"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether Russia has, in the past 12 months, further increased the area of Georgia which it controls; whether there are EU observers on the temporary border between Georgia and that part of Georgia occupied by Russia; and what representations they have made to Russia in the past 12 months about encroachments.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/657", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Kilclooney"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Kilclooney"} ], "uin" : "HL573"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748824", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748824/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific held a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador on 5 July in which he made clear that the UK Government did not accept the position of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson that the Joint Declaration was an historical document of no practical significance. He stressed, as a guarantor of the Joint Declaration, the UK Government regarded it as legitimate to continue to issue a six-monthly report to the House on Hong Kong affairs.<\/p>
The Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Beijing also raised Her Majesty's Government's concerns with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 5 July stressing that the Joint Declaration is a legally binding treaty, registered with the UN. As a co-signatory, the UK Government is committed to monitoring its implementation closely.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-19T13:49:36.727Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sino-British Joint Declaration"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the recent statement by the government of the People's Republic of China that the Sino-British joint declaration no longer has any practical significance nor any binding force.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/738", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Alton of Liverpool"} ], "uin" : "HL487"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748825", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748825/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific held a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador on 5 July in which he made clear that the UK Government did not accept the position of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson that the Joint Declaration was an historical document of no practical significance. He stressed that, as a guarantor of the Joint Declaration, the UK Government regarded it as legitimate to continue to issue a six-monthly report to the House on Hong Kong affairs.<\/p>
The Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Beijing also raised the Government's concerns with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 5 July stressing that the Joint Declaration is a legally binding treaty, registered with the UN. As a co-signatory, the UK Government is committed to monitoring its implementation closely.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-19T13:45:15.467Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sino-British Joint Declaration"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "Her Majesty's Government whether the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has instructed Her Majesty's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China to seek an urgent meeting with that state's Foreign Ministry to discuss recent remarks about the status of the Sino-British Joint Declaration.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/738", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Alton of Liverpool"} ], "uin" : "HL488"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748826", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748826/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific held a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador on 5 July in which he made clear that the UK Government did not accept the position of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson that the Joint Declaration was an historical document of no practical significance. He stressed that, as a guarantor of the Joint Declaration, the UK Government regarded it as legitimate to continue to issue a six-monthly report to the House on Hong Kong affairs.<\/p>
The Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Beijing also raised HMG concerns with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 5 July stressing that the Joint Declaration is a legally binding treaty, registered with the UN. As a co-signatory, the UK Government is committed to monitoring its implementation closely.<\/p>
To mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, I issued a Written Ministerial Statement to the House on 29 June, HLWS17.<\/p>
The UK Government will continue to raise our concerns with the Chinese Government when appropriate to do so, including through our six-monthly reports to the House.<\/p>
Hong Kong's success and stability depend on its high degree of autonomy, independent judiciary and respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-19T13:44:19.623Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to ensure that (1) the principles of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and (2) the Basic Law in Hong Kong, are upheld.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/738", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Alton of Liverpool"} ], "uin" : "HL489"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748828", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748828/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
I issued a Written Ministerial Statement on 29 June, HLWS17, to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region which outlined our assessment of the 'One Country, Two Systems' principle, as well as referencing specific concerns over its implementation. The UK believes that it is vital for Hong Kong's continued success that the Special Administrative Region's high degree of autonomy and rule of law are preserved and that the principle of 'One Country, Two Systems' is fully upheld.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-07-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-07-19T15:55:51.277Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-07-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the current implementation of the one country, two systems principle in Hong Kong, 20 years after the anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/738", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Alton of Liverpool"} ], "uin" : "HL491"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748829", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/748829/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific held a meeting with the Chinese Ambassador on 5 July in which he made clear that the UK Government did not accept the position of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson that the Joint Declaration was an historical document of no practical significance. He stressed that, as a guarantor of the Joint Declaration, the UK Government regarded it as legitimate to continue to issue a six-monthly report to the House on Hong Kong affairs.<\/p>
The Deputy Head of Mission at the British Embassy in Beijing also raised the Government's concerns with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 5 July stressing that the Joint Declaration is a legally binding treaty, registered with the UN. As a co-signatory, the UK Government is committed to monitoring its implementation closely.<\/p>