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1204818

registered interest
date	17/06/2020
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	Malawi: Elections
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 counterpart in the Government of Malawi on the free and fair conduct of the presidential election planned for 23 June 2020.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	60803
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>The UK is closely monitoring the political and security situation in Malawi ahead of fresh Presidential elections on 23 June. We have taken every opportunity to encourage all sides to respect the rule of law, follow due process under the constitution, and to respect the rulings of Malawi's courts. We have also urged de-escalation of inflammatory rhetoric and peaceful campaigning from all sides. I reiterated these messages in a phone call with Malawi's Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs on 15 May, as did the UK Chargé d'Affaires in his meeting with President Mutharika on 11 May.</p><p>The risks of the Covid-19 endemic have impacted the possibility for international organisations to observe the elections, however the UK's High Commission in Lilongwe is working closely with civil society organisations engaged in electoral observation ahead of polling day to encourage due diligence in the electoral process.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge grouped question UIN 60805 question first answered 22/06/2020 15:35:23 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1204820

registered interest
date	17/06/2020
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	Malawi: Election Observers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government is supporting any international observer missions to monitor the free and fair conduct of the presidential election in Malawi planned for 23 June 2020.
tabling member constituency	Glasgow North
tabling member printed	Patrick Grady
uin	60805
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>The UK is closely monitoring the political and security situation in Malawi ahead of fresh Presidential elections on 23 June. We have taken every opportunity to encourage all sides to respect the rule of law, follow due process under the constitution, and to respect the rulings of Malawi's courts. We have also urged de-escalation of inflammatory rhetoric and peaceful campaigning from all sides. I reiterated these messages in a phone call with Malawi's Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs on 15 May, as did the UK Chargé d'Affaires in his meeting with President Mutharika on 11 May.</p><p>The risks of the Covid-19 endemic have impacted the possibility for international organisations to observe the elections, however the UK's High Commission in Lilongwe is working closely with civil society organisations engaged in electoral observation ahead of polling day to encourage due diligence in the electoral process.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge grouped question UIN 60803 question first answered 22/06/2020 15:35:23 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4432 label Biography information for Patrick Grady

1204835

registered interest
date	17/06/2020
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	Georgia: Foreign Relations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase British-Georgian economic co-operation.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	60839
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>The UK is committed to deepening its bilateral cooperation with Georgia and to growing our strong economic relationship. We do so through ongoing initiatives such as the Wardrop Strategic Dialogue and the UK's Good Governance Fund, which is supporting economic reforms and Georgia's economic recovery from COVID-19. We have recently expanded the commercial section at the British Embassy Tbilisi, which works to identify new opportunities for UK businesses and address barriers to trade where they exist. This is underpinned by the UK-Georgia Strategic Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, and in particular it's Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area element, which is expected to take effect from 1 January 2021.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 22/06/2020 14:52:37 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1204836

registered interest
date	17/06/2020
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	Baltic States and Scandinavia: Foreign Relations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to increase co-operation with the Baltic and Nordic states after the transition period.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	60840
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>As we leave the EU, we remain committed to our deep relationships with all our Nordic and Baltic Partners. We want the UK to have increasingly strong future partnerships with the Nordic and Baltic countries, and to ensure we maintain the closest possible links with our European allies. This includes for example ministerial engagement in the Northern Group and our Joint Expeditionary Force commitments which underline the importance of our cooperation.</p><p>The UK has close and robust ties across the region spanning people to people links, trade and investment, security and defence, and science and innovation. We continue to work closely at the highest levels with our Nordic and Baltic partners on a range of shared interests, underpinned by common values and a mutual desire to work together for the security and prosperity of our people.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 22/06/2020 14:55:30 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West

1204361

registered interest
date	16/06/2020
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	Ethiopia: Dams
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether officials in his Department have had discussions with their (a) Egyptian, (b) Sudanese and (c) Ethiopian counterparts on the Grand Renaissance Dam.
tabling member constituency	Orkney and Shetland
tabling member printed	Mr Alistair Carmichael
uin	59708
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>We are aware of reports on the ongoing dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. We continue to urge all parties involved to come to an agreement and to avoid taking any unilateral action. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry on these terms on 8 June, as did the Minister for Africa with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu on 20 May. We welcome the resumption of talks between the Sudan, Ethiopia and Egypt to work towards a peaceful resolution.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 22/06/2020 15:42:21 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	1442 label Biography information for Mr Alistair Carmichael

1203578

registered interest
date	15/06/2020
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	Ilois: Black Lives Matter
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	Her Majesty's Government, further to the support expressed by the Prime Minister for the Black Lives Matter campaign in his message of 8 June, what steps they are taking to ensure that the ethos of that campaign is fully incorporated into their decision-making regarding the treatment of citizens of the British Indian Ocean Territory and the right of return of Chagossians to the Outer Islands.
tabling member printed	Baroness Whitaker
uin	HL5736
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government has expressed sincere regret about the manner in which Chagossians were removed from the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) in the 1960s and 1970s. It announced in November 2016 that resettlement of Chagossians could not be supported on the grounds of feasibility, defence and security interests, and cost to the British taxpayer. The Government further announced at that time that it would implement a support package worth approximately £40 million over ten years. The support package intends to provide Chagossians in the communities in which they currently live - predominantly UK, Mauritius and Seychelles, - with better life chances. The Government recognises the emotional connection of Chagossians to BIOT, and has expanded the heritage visit programme to allow more Chagossians to visit in the coming years.</p> answering member printed Baroness Sugg question first answered 22/06/2020 11:03:11 answering member 4584 label Biography information for Baroness Sugg
tabling member	2510 label Biography information for Baroness Whitaker

1203587

registered interest
date	15/06/2020
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	British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what debt recovery agency his Department plans to refer debts relating to emergency repatriation loans to in the event that they have not been repaid within six months.
tabling member constituency	Edmonton
tabling member printed	Kate Osamor
uin	59528
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>British nationals who are overseas and wish to return to the UK, but cannot afford travel costs and have no other options for getting funds to return home, may apply for an emergency loan from the Government as a last resort.</p><p>Those eligible must sign an Undertaking to Repay (UTR) in which they agree to repay the loan within 6 months. Loan recipients are unable to renew their passport until they repay the loan in full. If loan recipients do not repay the loan or set up a repayment plan with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) within 6 months, their passport may be cancelled, and their details passed to Indesser, a cross Government debt management service. The FCO will always work with British nationals to agree flexible repayment plans tailored to individual circumstances. We will not cancel the passports of those actively seeking to repay their loan. All loans are interest free.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 22/06/2020 14:11:26 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4515 label Biography information for Kate Osamor

1203606

registered interest
date	15/06/2020
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	Nigeria: 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 effect of Operation Safe Corridor in Nigeria on human rights standards in that country.
tabling member constituency	Strangford
tabling member printed	Jim Shannon
uin	59461
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 22/06/2020 answer text <p>We are concerned by allegations of human rights abuses in Amnesty International's recent report, We Dried Our Tears. The British High Commissioner has raised the report's findings with the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, calling for a full investigation into the allegations and prosecution of any individuals found to have committed abuses in military detention facilities. The UK Government does not provide any support to the military detention facilities mentioned. The UK Government does not provide funding directly to the Government of Nigeria.</p><p>We are also concerned by criticisms in the report of Operation Safe Corridor. The programme is run by the Federal Government of Nigeria and is intended to provide defectors from Boko Haram with a voluntary way to disarm and reintegrate with society through de-radicalisation, psychosocial support and livelihood training. By providing a way to disengage from conflict, these programmes are an essential part of peacebuilding, but they must be fit for purpose and conducted in a way that fully respects human rights.</p><p>The UK, alongside the US and EU, provides funding to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to assist in the reintegration element of the Operation Safe Corridor. All UK Government programme spend is subject to regular monitoring and review. We are urgently following up points raised in the report with IOM, in particular in relation to the process for screening participants, the conditions in which they are detained and the timeline for rehabilitation. IOM have assured us that no children are currently enrolled. The UK's position on human rights is clear: they are universal and must apply equally to all people. The UK will continue to call on all parties to the conflict in North East Nigeria to respect human rights and abide by international humanitarian and human rights law.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 22/06/2020 15:44:22 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4131 label Biography information for Jim Shannon

1203622

registered interest
date	15/06/2020
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	Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Development Aid
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publish the criteria his Department plans to use for prioritising Official Development Assistance spending in the event of a decrease in GNI.
tabling member constituency	Birmingham, Edgbaston
tabling member printed	Preet Kaur Gill
uin	59554
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2020 answer text <p>To tackle poverty and advance our Global Britain objectives, the Foreign Office takes evidence-based spending decisions and maintains high standards of programme delivery that are consistent with HMG best practice. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will ensure it meets any revised spending targets as a result of changes in UK Gross National Income.</p><p>Further details on how the Foreign and Commonwealth Office allocates Official Development Assistance funding can be found here: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-development-assistance-oda-allocations-aid-policy" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-development-assistance-oda-allocations-aid-policy</a>.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 18/06/2020 15:07:39 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4603 label Biography information for Preet Kaur Gill

1203641

registered interest
date	15/06/2020
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	Turkey: Press Freedom
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 representations he has made to his Turkish counterpart on the release of detained journalists in that country.
tabling member constituency	Hornsey and Wood Green
tabling member printed	Catherine West
uin	59538
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/06/2020 answer text <p>We regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Turkish authorities at the highest level, particularly around detentions, freedom of expression and association. We continue to urge the authorities to ensure that all detainees are treated in accordance with relevant international human rights standards. We will continue to engage the Turkish Government on these important issues, and to urge respect for freedom of the media. We continue to be clear in our expectation that Turkey, like all countries, should live up to its human rights obligations towards all its citizens.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 18/06/2020 08:09:27 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4523 label Biography information for Catherine West