The UK continues to encourage and support Sri Lanka to deliver the commitments it made to the UN Human Rights Council through Resolutions 30/1 and 34/1. We firmly believe that this is the best framework for establishing truth and to achieve justice and lasting reconciliation. I have made these points personally to Sri Lankan Ministers, most recently in October 2018, and we look forward to continued engagement by Sri Lanka at the Human Rights Council session that has just opened in Geneva.<\/p>
The UK welcomed the Annual Report of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on 21 March 2018, which assessed progress made by the Sri Lankan government in the implementation of UN Human Rights Council resolution 30/1 and 34/1, which found that the Government of Sri Lanka has taken some steps to address human rights concerns and to introduce more democratic and accountable government.<\/p>
These include 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. However, as I made clear to a range of senior Ministers on my visit to Colombo in October, more needs to be done. I have urged further progress on these issues, and encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to deliver meaningful devolution through constitutional reform, and to establish credible mechanisms for transitional justice.<\/p>
The UK has made a long-term commitment to improving human rights in Sri Lanka, and is dedicated to supporting the rebuilding of the country after three decades of conflict. The British High Commission in Colombo is in regular contact with the Government of Sri Lanka and other key stakeholders to encourage and support the implementation of Resolution 30/1.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1405", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mark Field"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Cities of London and Westminster"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Field"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-02-28", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-02-28T17:15:39.143Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-02-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sri Lanka: Politics and Government"} , "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 assessment he has made of progress on UN Human Rights Commission resolution L30/1 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1524", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Meg Hillier"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hackney South and Shoreditch"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Meg Hillier"} ], "uin" : "225440"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1046818", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department of Health and Social Care"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1046818/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department set out the proposed changes in a consultation document titled \u2018NHS Pension Scheme: proposed changes to scheme regulations 2019\u2019. This was published on 18 December 2018, with the consultation period closing on 28 January 2019.<\/p>
<\/p>
Prior to the finalisation of the consultation document, the proposals included in the consultation were shared and discussed with the NHS Pension Scheme Advisory Board in October. This a statutory board, comprising NHS Trade Union and employer representatives, that advises the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the merits of making changes to the scheme.<\/p>
<\/p>
The consultation period is proportionate to the nature and impact of changes being proposed. HM Treasury has committed to providing extra funding to meet the costs to the National Health Service arising from the actuarial valuation of the NHS Pension Scheme. Work is ongoing to ensure the additional cost to participating employers is appropriately funded. No change is proposed to member contribution rates, following a recommendation by the Scheme Advisory Board to renew current arrangements. Some proposed changes simply make necessary changes to implement legal judgments, one of which, together with some other amendments had already been consulted on in an earlier consultation exercise. Some are minor or technical changes. The changes regarding forfeiture only affect a small number of members, such as those convicted of certain offences.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1585", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Hammond"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wimbledon"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Stephen Hammond"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-01-31", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-01-31T14:15:42.563Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "17"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Health and Social Care"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-01-23", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "NHS: Pensions"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reasons the consultation on changes to NHS pension schemes only runs from 4 January to 28 January 2019.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1524", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Meg Hillier"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hackney South and Shoreditch"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Meg Hillier"} ], "uin" : "211693"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1038857", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Transport"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1038857/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Thorough checks were undertaken by my Department in December. This had the support of professional advisers, including Slaughter and May, Deloitte and Mott Macdonald.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1413", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chris Grayling"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Epsom and Ewell"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chris Grayling"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-01-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-01-10T12:15:24.81Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "27"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Transport"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-01-10", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Seaborne Freight"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "What due diligence was undertaken by his Department in advance of its award of a contract to Seaborne Freight.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1524", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Meg Hillier"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hackney South and Shoreditch"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Meg Hillier"} ], "uin" : "908493"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1011337", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for International Development"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1011337/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
Since the airport opened in April 2016, there have been 278 flights. This consists of 139 arrivals and 139 departures.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4017", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Penny Mordaunt"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Portsmouth North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Penny Mordaunt"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-11-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-21T14:51:26.81Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "20"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Development"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-21", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "St Helena: Airports"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "How many planes have successfully (a) landed and (b) taken off from St Helena's airport since that airport was built.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1524", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Meg Hillier"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hackney South and Shoreditch"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Meg Hillier"} ], "uin" : "907738"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1001939", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1001939/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government will consider the outcome of the Electoral Commission\u2019s investigations, and related recommendations such as from the DCMS Select Committee and ICO reports, in the round.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1609", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Chloe Smith"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Norwich North"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Chloe Smith"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2018-11-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2018-11-13T13:56:15.273Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "53"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Cabinet Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2018-11-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Vote Leave: Election Offences"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2018 to Question 183310 on Vote Leave: Election Offences, what steps he has taken as a result of the findings of the report of the Electoral Commission into the activities of Vote Leave.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1524", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Dame Meg Hillier"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Hackney South and Shoreditch"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Meg Hillier"} ], "uin" : "188042"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/999624", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Home Office"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/999624/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The data required to answer the first part of the question is not recorded in a way that can be reported on accurately. As well as biometric residence permits (BRPs) issued following a grant of leave to enter or remain, the total number of cards issued by the Home Office includes replacements for lost or stolen BRPs, biometric residence cards for the dependents of EEA nationals, asylum application registration cards and BRPs reissued to correct customer reported errors.<\/p>