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1249805

registered interest
date	09/11/2020
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	North Korea: Coronavirus
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government (1) what assessment they have made of the humanitarian situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) what plans they have to offer humanitarian assistance to the government of North Korea; and (3) what discussions they have had with others in the international community about offering humanitarian assistance.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL10034
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/11/2020 answer text <p>An assessment of the humanitarian situation in North Korea was completed in September 2020. It concluded that North Korea's humanitarian need is likely increasing as a result of the country's border lockdown in response to COVID-19 and abnormally high cumulative rainfall in the monsoon period. The United Kingdom provides multilateral funds to the UN and other international organisations providing humanitarian assistance in North Korea, including the Global Humanitarian Response Plan (GHRP) in response to COVID-19. As a country of concern in the GHRP, North Korea is receiving funds from this global appeal. North Korea is also one of the countries eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX initiative to which the United Kingdom has committed up to £500 million.</p><p>We keep the humanitarian situation in North Korea under constant review, including through ongoing discussions with international organisations operational in country. We continue to make clear to the North Korean government that international support is available, and urge them to restore international access and monitoring for humanitarian assistance. The UK has also repeatedly called on North Korea to prioritise the well-being of its people over the development of illegal weapons programmes, through our bilateral relationship and in multilateral fora.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 23/11/2020 12:10:23 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1248984

registered interest
date	04/11/2020
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	China: Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that details of human rights activists working in China were allegedly shared with the government of China by the UN Human Rights Council; what steps, if any, they intend to take in response to those allegations; and what plans they have to clarify whether any British citizens' details were so shared.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL9972
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2020 answer text <p>The UK is aware of these reports and has made a number of enquiries into them. We note that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has said it stopped the practice of occasionally confirming the names of UN Human Rights Council participants to States in 2015 and does not believe that it has resulted in harm to any participants. We will continue to monitor the situation.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL9974 question first answered 18/11/2020 14:44:10 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1248985

registered interest
date	04/11/2020
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	China: Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of China has harassed human rights activists working in that country to support Uighurs; and what steps they have taken to assist those activists.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL9973
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2020 answer text <p>We are deeply concerned by the arbitrary detention of over a million Uyghurs in Xinjiang, including advocates of Uyghurs' rights, culture, language and religion. We engage with a range of human rights defenders, including Uyghur and non-Uyghur and those based outside of China, to better understand what is happening in Xinjiang. This informs our response to the violation and abuses in Xinjiang. Human rights defenders play an essential role in promoting and protecting democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 18/11/2020 14:42:24 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1248986

registered interest
date	04/11/2020
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	China: Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to call for a inquiry into the allegations that the UN Human Rights Council shared details of human rights activists in China with the government of China.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL9974
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/11/2020 answer text <p>The UK is aware of these reports and has made a number of enquiries into them. We note that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has said it stopped the practice of occasionally confirming the names of UN Human Rights Council participants to States in 2015 and does not believe that it has resulted in harm to any participants. We will continue to monitor the situation.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL9972 question first answered 18/11/2020 14:44:10 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1248515

registered interest
date	03/11/2020
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	Ramy Kamel
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last raised the case of Ramy Kamel with the government of Egypt; and what assessment they made of (1) his treatment in prison, (2) his visitation rights, and (3) his access to legal assistance.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL9900
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2020 answer text <p>We are following the case of Ramy Kamel closely. Our Embassy in Cairo is in regular contact with his lawyer, and has expressed to the Egyptian authorities our concern at his ongoing detention. Guaranteeing visitation rights and access to medical care in prisons was one of the specific recommendations we made in our intervention at Egypt's Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last year. Encouragingly, the Egyptian Government accepted our recommendation. We continue to follow this issue closely.</p><p>Egypt is a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Human Rights Priority Country. The UK continues to urge the Egyptian Government to ensure the full implementation of the rights and freedoms set out in Egypt's constitution. We regularly raise our concerns with the Egyptian Government, both in public and in private, including at Ministerial level.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 16/11/2020 16:34:31 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1247978

registered interest
date	02/11/2020
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	North Korea: Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made (1) of reports of persecution based on religion or belief in North Korea, and (2) the report by Korea Future Initiative Persecuting Faith: Documenting religious freedom violations in North Korea, published in October; and what plans they have to impose sanctions on those responsible for any such persecution in line with the recommendations made in the Bishop of Truro's independent review for the Foreign Secretary of FCO support for persecuted Christians, published in July 2019.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL9806
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/11/2020 answer text <p>The UK continues to have strong concerns about the lack of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in North Korea. Religious and human rights groups outside the country report that those conducting religious activities outside state-sanctioned religious groups face severe punishment including arrest, beatings and imprisonment in political prison camps. North Korea sits at the top of Open Doors' World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution and has done so for the past 17 years. We continue to urge North Korea to uphold its human rights obligations and engage substantively with the international community on this issue, including on freedom of religion or belief.</p><p>Defending the right to FoRB for all is a priority for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. We welcome the Korea Future Initiative's new report as another step towards ensuring that human rights violations in North Korea are documented for accountability and deterrence purposes. The UK Government remains committed to implementing the recommendations from the Bishop of Truro's independent Review on persecuted Christians in full. Of the recommendations, 18 have already been, or are in the process of being, implemented. One of those recommendations related to the establishment of the UK's Global Human Rights sanctions regime. This regime came into effect on 6 July and allows us to designate those who commit serious human rights abuses or violations, including those who target individuals on the grounds of their religion or belief. We take decisions about whether particular individuals or entities could be subject to measures under the regime on a case-by-case basis.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 16/11/2020 12:10:06 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1246946

registered interest
date	29/10/2020
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	Hong Kong: National Security
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the decision by the Hong Kong police to establish a multiplatform hotline to encourage the public to report potential breaches of national security.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL9754
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/11/2020 answer text <p>We have made clear our concerns about the National Security Law, which is a clear and serious breach of the Joint Declaration. We continue to be concerned by the targeting of law-makers and activists, which is further evidence of efforts to silence opposition. We expect any arrests and judicial processes to be conducted in a fair and transparent manner. It is essential that due process is followed and that the rights and freedoms of the people of Hong Kong are respected in full.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 10/11/2020 16:22:37 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1246776

registered interest
date	27/10/2020
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	Pakistan: Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last discussed reports of abductions, forced conversions and forced marriages of women and girls from religious minorities in Pakistan with the government of Pakistan; and what was the outcome of those discussions.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL9611
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government strongly condemns child, early and forced marriage and forced conversion of all women and girls in Pakistan, including from religious minorities. We regularly raise at a senior level our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief, women and girls' rights and gender equality with the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. Most recently, I raised our concerns about child, early and forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls in Pakistan, including from religious minorities with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister, Dr Shireen Mazari, on 19 October.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/11/2020 15:23:49 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1246777

registered interest
date	27/10/2020
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	Arzoo Raja
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Pakistan about the case of Arzoo Raja and her abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL9612
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>We are monitoring Arzoo Raja's case. The UK Government strongly condemns child, early and forced marriage and the forced conversion of women and girls in Pakistan, including from religious minorities. We regularly raise at a senior level our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief, women and girls' with the Government of Pakistan at a senior level. Most recently, I raised our concerns about child, early and forced marriage and forced conversion of women and girls with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister, Dr Shireen Mazari, on 19 October.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/11/2020 15:24:01 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1246778

registered interest
date	27/10/2020
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	Pakistan: Religious Freedom
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise (1) forced conversion, (2) forced marriages, (3) abductions, and (4) abuse, of religious minority women and girls at international fora dealing with human rights.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL9613
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/11/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government strongly condemns forced marriages, forced conversions, abductions and abuse of women and girls from religious minorities around the world. The UK is a world-leader in the fight to stamp out the practice of forced marriage, with our dedicated Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) leading efforts to combat it both at home and abroad. The FCDO also tackles child marriage through a range of other programmes, including on women and girls' empowerment and girls' education. Making progress on ending child marriage will remain a key focus, including as part of our work to deliver the Prime Minister's commitment to champion 12 years of quality education for girls.</p><p>We recognise that women and girls from religious minorities can often suffer because of both their gender and their faith. That is why we ensure that our human rights policy work considers the intersectionality of human rights, for example the importance of addressing the specific difficulties experienced by women from religious minority communities. One example of our work in this area is related to the UK's commitment to Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, which I lead on as the Prime Minister's Special Representative. We are working with international faith and belief leaders to issue a 'Declaration of Humanity' which calls for the end of sexual violence in conflict and to tackle the stigma so often faced by survivors. We will continue to raise these issues with our international partners and in multilateral fora such as the UN.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/11/2020 15:00:53 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool