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1173986

registered interest
date	28/01/2020
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	Eritrea: Christianity
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 risks to Christian communities in Eritrea.
tabling member constituency	East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow
tabling member printed	Dr Lisa Cameron
uin	9063
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2020 answer text <p>The Government of Eritrea permits and regulates the practice of three Christian religions: Orthodox, Catholic, and Lutheran, as well as Sunni Islam. The majority of worshippers from these permitted religions are able to practice their religion freely. I am concerned that those from minority unregistered religions, such as the Pentecostal Church and the Jehovah's Witnesses, face regular persecution and detention without trial, as well some practising permitted religions, who face occasional censorship.</p><p>We regularly raise our concerns about human rights in Eritrea with the Government, as my predecessor did with the Eritrean President's senior adviser when she saw him in July 2019. Our Ambassador in Asmara raised arbitrary detentions of members of the Christian community with the Eritrean Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 20 May 2019 and with the President's senior adviser on 14 August 2019. At the 41st session of the Human Rights Council in 2019 the UK reiterated calls for Eritrea to respect freedom of religion or belief. Eritrea remains a priority country for the FCO under our annual human rights reporting and we will continue to monitor the situation.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 04/02/2020 16:02:33 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
tabling member	4412 label Biography information for Dr Lisa Cameron

1173584

registered interest
date	27/01/2020
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	Sudan: South Sudan
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of UN peacekeeping in the disputed Abyei region on the Sudan-South Sudan border.
tabling member constituency	West Worcestershire
tabling member printed	Harriett Baldwin
uin	8271
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2020 answer text <p>The UK commends the vital role that the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) plays in the protection of civilians and assisting to bring stability to the region. However, we remain concerned that a final agreement on the situation in Abyei has not been reached and by ongoing impediments which prevent UN peacekeepers from fully implementing their mandate. The UN Security Council made clear in a press statement of 29 January that the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan must provide their full support to UNISFA, including by removing any obstacles that hinder UNIFSA’s work to protect civilians.</p><p>We are also concerned by increasing intercommunal tensions and by the attack on Kolom in Abyei on Wednesday 22 January. We offer sympathies to all those affected. We welcome the commitment of the Governments of Sudan and South Sudan to de-escalate tensions and jointly investigate and urge any investigation to be conducted swiftly and transparently. Our Minister of State for the Commonwealth, UN and South Asia reinforced this message with the Sudanese Ambassador on 28 January. We will also raise in New York the reports of UN peacekeepers’ failure to act in order to establish the facts of this tragic incident.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 04/02/2020 16:04:10 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
tabling member	4107 label Biography information for Dame Harriett Baldwin

1173715

registered interest
date	27/01/2020
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 steps his Department is taking to ensure the safety of British citizens abroad at risk of coming into contact with the coronavirus.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	8181
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2020 answer text <p>As the Foreign Secretary said on 30 January, the safety and security of British nationals will always be our top priority. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is in crisis mode to respond to those British Nationals effected by the outbreak of the Coronavirus. Our Embassy in Beijing and consular teams remain in close contact with British nationals in the region to ensure they have the latest information they need. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has also organised a repatriation flight for British Nationals and other entitled persons in Hubei Province which landed on 31 January at RAF Brize Norton.​</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 04/02/2020 15:58:58 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1173722

registered interest
date	27/01/2020
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: Religious 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 assessment he has made of trends in the level of religious freedom and tolerance in Nigeria.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	8188
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 04/02/2020 answer text <p>Nigeria is a secular state and the right to freedom of religion is protected by the Constitution. Communities of different religions live together peacefully across most of Nigeria. However, for many decades Nigeria has experienced episodes of serious religious conflict, including between Muslim and Christian communities. The drivers of violence are complex and rooted in ethnic and religious identities, politics and access to resources.</p><p>For more than a decade, Islamic insurgents including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa (ISWA), have caused immense suffering to both Muslim and Christian populations in the North East of the country. The groups seek to undermine the right to freedom of religion by attacking indiscriminately those who do not subscribe to their extremist views. We are appalled by and condemn these attacks, including a recent increase in attacks on Christians in December 2019.</p><p>The UK is firmly committed to promoting and protecting the right to freedom of religion or belief around the world. We are a strong voice internationally in defence of this fundamental right. We have made clear to the Nigerian authorities, at the highest levels, the importance of protecting civilians, including ethnic and religious minorities, and human rights for all Nigerians.</p> answering member constituency Pendle answering member printed Andrew Stephenson question first answered 04/02/2020 16:00:23 answering member 4044 label Biography information for Andrew Stephenson
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell