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1286848

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Ethiopia: Food
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people facing serious food insecurity in Ethiopia.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff South and Penarth
tabling member printed	Stephen Doughty
uin	154570
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>The UN estimates that up to 1.3 million people affected by the conflict need humanitarian assistance, though the lack of free and sustained access makes it extremely challenging to determine the actual impact of the conflict on civilians - an estimated 80% of Tigray region remains beyond the reach of relief agencies.</p><p>This is on top of an existing humanitarian caseload of 1 million people in the region. The Foreign Secretary raised the need for humanitarian access to Tigray with Prime Minister Abiy during his recent visit to Ethiopia and pressed for a political dialogue to bring lasting peace to the region. The UK is working closely with humanitarian and development agencies, including the Ethiopian Red Cross, to make sure aid reaches civilians affected by the fighting. UK-funded aid agencies in Tigray are working hard to deliver support in challenging circumstances, including food, shelter, water and healthcare. The Foreign Secretary visited Gondar, the site of a humanitarian hub in the neighbouring Amhara region on 22 January. He heard how £11.4m of UK Aid is supporting the World Food Programme and NGOs to ensure the delivery of aid to those affected by the conflict.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 24/02/2021 09:13:43 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4264 label Biography information for Stephen Doughty

1286855

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Myanmar: Press Freedom
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the compliance by Frontiir Co. Ltd with demands from the Government of Myanmar to block independent media in that country.
tabling member constituency	Bolton South East
tabling member printed	Yasmin Qureshi
uin	154583
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>Frontiir has helped connect over one million people in Myanmar to the internet at affordable prices, thereby increasing access to information, boosting businesses, supporting education and tackling poverty. Frontiir has at all times adhered to international best practice.</p><p>Following the military coup on February 1st, Frontiir, along with all other telco operators and internet service providers, received regulatory orders to shut down the internet for brief periods and also block certain social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook. We have strongly condemned this move. Nevertheless, Frontiir is bound by national law under its licencing agreement and is unable to go against an official government directive. Frontiir has been open and transparent about these orders, acting in accordance with the Global Network initiative agreement, including posting a statement on their website. This is in line with the approach taken by other responsible internet platforms in Myanmar. Frontiir is an observer member of the Global Network Initiative and we remain in close communication with them on the current situation. CDC is reviewing the impact of the 1st February Myanmar coup on its investments in the country.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 24/02/2021 16:22:13 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	3924 label Biography information for Yasmin Qureshi

1286863

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Jagtar Singh Johal
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the risk faced by UK citizen Jagtar Singh Johal of exposure to covid-19 in Tihar prison, India.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	154595
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>Mr Johal's welfare continues to be a priority. In-person consular visits in India are currently suspended due to the Coronavirus pandemic. However, consular staff have secured telephone access to Mr Johal in lieu of visits, and ask questions about Mr Johal's health on every call. We spoke to Mr Johal most recently on 20 January. Tihar prison, as the detaining authority, are responsible for managing any risk to Mr Johal's welfare due to exposure to Covid-19. Our consular staff therefore request regular updates from the prison management about Tihar's Covid-19 prevention measures, testing regime and news of any new cases in the prison.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 24/02/2021 16:15:42 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1286864

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Jagtar Singh Johal
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Indian counterpart in respect of reports that UK Citizen, Jagtar Singh Johal, was forced to sign a confession under (a) torture and (b) coercion.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	154597
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>The UK Government takes all allegations of human rights violations very seriously and raises concerns with the local authorities where appropriate. We regularly raise Mr Johal's case directly with the Government of India, including his allegations of torture, his right to a fair trial, and concerns about delays to legal proceedings against him. The Foreign Secretary raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on 15 December 2020. The Secretary of State for International Trade raised the case with the Indian Minister for Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad, on 5 February. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, last raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian High Commissioner on 28 January 2021, and with the Indian Foreign Secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, on 3 November 2020.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 24/02/2021 16:13:33 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1286865

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Jagtar Singh Johal
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Indian counterpart on the threat of imposing the death penalty on UK citizen, Jagtar Singh Johal, who is in prison in that country facing trial under anti-terror laws.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	154598
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>The UK Government is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We raise this opposition with India regularly as part of discussions on human rights concerns. In individual consular cases we raise our opposition to the death penalty at whichever stages we judge will be most effective.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 24/02/2021 16:33:50 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1286869

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Sri Lanka: Minority Groups
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterparts in Sri Lanka on the protection of marginalised Tamil and Muslim people in the North and East of Sri Lanka.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	154604
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>The UK has long supported efforts to promote peace and reconciliation for all communities in Sri Lanka, and made clear our concern about the marginalisation of minority groups in a statement delivered on behalf of the Core Group on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in June 2020.</p><p>The Minister of State for South Asia and Minister responsible for Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, has raised the importance of protecting the rights of all communities including minority groups on several occasions with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, most recently during calls on 9 February and 22 January respectively. We will continue to engage with the Government of Sri Lanka to underline the importance we attach to this issue.</p><p>The UK and Core Group have tabled a new resolution on Sri Lanka which signals the international community's continued commitment to reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. The new resolution will call on the Government of Sri Lanka to ensure that the human rights of people in all of its communities are protected.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 24/02/2021 16:49:49 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1286891

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	British Indian Ocean Territory: UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2021 to Question 148829 on British Indian Ocean Territory, what his policy is on the application to the UK of the principles and rules (a) of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and (b) referenced in the UK Note Verbale (UK NV No 162/20), dated 16 September 2020, to the United Nations.
tabling member constituency	Sutton Coldfield
tabling member printed	Mr Andrew Mitchell
uin	154661
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>The United Kingdom is fully committed to upholding the rules of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and securing the implementation of its rights and obligations. This commitment was reaffirmed in our statement to the UN General Assembly on the adoption of the UNGA Resolution (A/RES/75/239) on the oceans and law of the sea on 8 December 2020. The Government has placed a paper setting out our legal position on the issues in the South China Sea in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament and we reaffirmed our position in a Note Verbale (UK NV No 162/20) to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on 16 September 2020.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 24/02/2021 14:26:06 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	1211 label Biography information for Mr Andrew Mitchell

1286896

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Sri Lanka: Minority Groups
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Sri Lankan counterpart on the rights of minority groups to lawful peaceful protest in that country.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	154612
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>The right to peaceful assembly is a vital part of a democratic society. The UK Government is aware of the recent demonstrations that took place in the northern and eastern parts of Sri Lanka, and are concerned at reports of threatening behaviour experienced by some demonstrators. Officials from the British High Commission in Colombo will continue to monitor the events closely.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 24/02/2021 14:23:06 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1286936

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Ethiopia: Christianity
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of reports of (a) attacks and killing of Christians in the Tigray region of Ethiopia, including at the Church of Mariam of Zion in Aksum, and (b) desecration of religious sites.
tabling member constituency	Cardiff South and Penarth
tabling member printed	Stephen Doughty
uin	155046
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>We are deeply concerned at the mounting evidence of human rights abuses and violations, including allegations of massacres of civilians, attacks on places of worship as well as damage to cultural monuments and artefacts. An ongoing lack of access to the Tigray region and conflicting reporting means that it remains difficult to confirm these reports, but we will continue to work with partners to seek further information. All parties to the conflict must respect human rights and avoid civilian loss of life at all costs. We have raised our concerns with Ethiopian Ministers, making clear the overriding need to protect civilians and adhere to international law and international human rights law. We continue to call for independent, international, investigations into allegations of human right abuses and violations, and unfettered access to Tigray - points the Foreign Secretary discussed with Prime Minister Abiy in Addis Ababa on 22 January. We also continue to call for the perpetrators of those incidents to be held to account, whoever they may be.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 24/02/2021 09:05:22 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4264 label Biography information for Stephen Doughty

1286956

registered interest
date	19/02/2021
answering body	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept id	208
answering dept short name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
answering dept sort name	Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
hansard heading	Jagtar Singh Johal
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Indian counterpart (a) on the alleged torture of Jagtar Singh Johal and (b) calling for his release; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	154762
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 24/02/2021 answer text <p>The UK Government takes all allegations of human rights violations very seriously and raises concerns with the local authorities where appropriate. We regularly raise Mr Johal's case directly with the Government of India, including his allegations of torture, his right to a fair trial, and concerns about delays to legal proceedings against him. The Foreign Secretary raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian Minister of External Affairs, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on 15 December 2020. The Secretary of State for International Trade raised the case with the Indian Minister for Law and Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad, on 5 February. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, last raised Mr Johal's case with the Indian High Commissioner on 28 January 2021, and with the Indian Foreign Secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, on 3 November 2020.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 24/02/2021 16:39:40 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn