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1239735

registered interest
date	01/10/2020
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	Xinjiang: Religious Buildings
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 the reported destruction of religious shrines and mosques in Xinjiang province in China.
tabling member constituency	Wakefield
tabling member printed	Imran Ahmad Khan
uin	98297
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2020 answer text <p>We are concerned by credible reports that mosques and other religious sites have been demolished in Xinjiang, evidence of which British diplomats have seen first-hand. On 25 September at the UN Human Rights Council, we raised our deep concerns about the human rights violations in Xinjiang, including severe restrictions on culture and religion, and called on the Chinese Government to allow unfettered access to Xinjiang. On 28 July, the Foreign Secretary raised our serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 07/10/2020 10:36:01 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4841 label Biography information for Imran Ahmad Khan

1239736

registered interest
date	01/10/2020
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	China: Detainees
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recent findings by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute showing 380 detention camps in Xinjiang in China.
tabling member constituency	Wakefield
tabling member printed	Imran Ahmad Khan
uin	98298
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2020 answer text <p>The recent Australian Strategic Policy Institute report is further evidence that, despite China's claims to the contrary, internment camps continue to be used to extra-judicially detain Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities across the region. On 25 September at the UN Human Rights Council, we raised our deep concerns about the human rights violations in Xinjiang and called on the Chinese Government to end its policy of extra-judicial detention and to release all those who are arbitrarily detained.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 07/10/2020 10:37:28 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4841 label Biography information for Imran Ahmad Khan

1239763

registered interest
date	01/10/2020
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	Yemen: Armed Conflict
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 steps his Department is taking to support the implementation of the recommendations of the September 2020 report from the UN Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen.
tabling member constituency	Bermondsey and Old Southwark
tabling member printed	Neil Coyle
uin	98230
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2020 answer text <p>The UK supports the UN Group of Eminent Experts (GEE), which is an important mechanism for ensuring accountability and supporting the promotion and protection of human rights in Yemen. We supported resolutions of the UN Human Rights Council to establish the GEE in 2017 and to renew its mandate in 2018 and 2019. The UK is deeply concerned by the allegations in the GEE's latest report. The UK calls on all the parties to the conflict to engage constructively with the GEE, investigate these allegations, protect human rights and comply with their obligations under International Humanitarian Law. The Government takes its export responsibilities extremely seriously and assesses all export licences in accordance with strict licensing criteria. We will not issue any export licences where to do so would be inconsistent with these criteria. Yemen is a human rights priority country for the UK. In the latest Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office human rights report, we highlighted our concerns over women's rights including girls' education, the recruitment of child soldiers, arbitrary detention, and attacks on freedom of religion or belief and on freedom of speech and association.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly grouped question UIN 98231 question first answered 08/10/2020 15:11:10 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4368 label Biography information for Neil Coyle

1239764

registered interest
date	01/10/2020
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	Yemen: Armed Conflict
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 the recommendations in the UN Group of Eminent Experts' report on Yemen calling on (a) the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Yemen to the International Criminal Court and b) third states to stop transferring arms to parties to the conflict in Yemen.
tabling member constituency	Bermondsey and Old Southwark
tabling member printed	Neil Coyle
uin	98231
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2020 answer text <p>The UK supports the UN Group of Eminent Experts (GEE), which is an important mechanism for ensuring accountability and supporting the promotion and protection of human rights in Yemen. We supported resolutions of the UN Human Rights Council to establish the GEE in 2017 and to renew its mandate in 2018 and 2019. The UK is deeply concerned by the allegations in the GEE's latest report. The UK calls on all the parties to the conflict to engage constructively with the GEE, investigate these allegations, protect human rights and comply with their obligations under International Humanitarian Law. The Government takes its export responsibilities extremely seriously and assesses all export licences in accordance with strict licensing criteria. We will not issue any export licences where to do so would be inconsistent with these criteria. Yemen is a human rights priority country for the UK. In the latest Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office human rights report, we highlighted our concerns over women's rights including girls' education, the recruitment of child soldiers, arbitrary detention, and attacks on freedom of religion or belief and on freedom of speech and association.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly grouped question UIN 98230 question first answered 08/10/2020 15:11:10 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4368 label Biography information for Neil Coyle

1239159

registered interest
date	30/09/2020
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	Iran: Arms Trade
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 steps he plans to take to seek an extension of the UN conventional arms embargo on Iran before it expires.
tabling member constituency	Bridgend
tabling member printed	Dr Jamie Wallis
uin	97724
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2020 answer text <p>The UN conventional arms embargo on Iran is due to expire on 18 October. The UK, alongside our E3 partners (France and Germany), remain concerned about the impact of the expiry on the region. Despite E3 efforts to find a compromise in the UN Security Council, there was no consensus to extend the embargo. We remain committed to countering Iranian proliferation to non-state actors in the region. The EU arms embargo and UN ballistic missile restrictions will remain in place as will other prohibitions on the proliferation of weapons, including to Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraqi militia groups and the Houthis. Regional security needs to be addressed through any renewed negotiations with Iran, regional dialogue and by working with partners in the region.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 07/10/2020 15:05:38 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4766 label Biography information for Dr Jamie Wallis

1239171

registered interest
date	30/09/2020
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	Development Aid: Females
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department's press notice entitled New Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will lead global action to ensure world’s poorest are protected from ravages of coronavirus and famine published on 2 September 2020, what estimate he has made of the potential number of (a) women and (b) girls that will benefit from the £119m funding package.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	97706
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2020 answer text <p>Tackling the increasing threat of famine and broader acute food insecurity is a key priority for the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The UK's £119 million aid package will help alleviate extreme hunger for over 6 million people in Yemen, Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Central African Republic, the Sahel, South Sudan and Sudan.</p><p>This includes assistance to women, girls and children. For example, as part of this aid package, the UK is supporting a partnership with UNICEF intended to leverage investments from others to collectively reach at least 4.3 million children per year with services to prevent acute malnutrition.</p><p>Additionally, our funding for the Sahel Region will provide nutrition screening to 526,250 children and mothers in this region, including emergency malnutrition response treatment to 25,914 children with severe acute malnutrition.</p><p>The aid package also includes funding for child protection which is expected to help 10,000 women and children in Somalia who are at risk of famine. Alongside this, we are a major contributor to, and supporter of, the UN's Global Humanitarian Response Plan, which supports the most vulnerable people in the COVID-19 crisis, including women and girls.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 07/10/2020 16:47:15 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1239173

registered interest
date	30/09/2020
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	Non-governmental Organisations: Sexual Offences
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 steps his Department is taking to help prevent sexual abuse by people employed by (a) NGOs and (b) the UN who are delivering (a) UK Official Development Assistance and (b) UK funded humanitarian assistance.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	97707
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2020 answer text <p>Safeguarding remains a top priority for the FCDO and we require all partners, including NGOs and the UN, to adhere to the highest standards of safeguarding against sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment (SEAH). FCDO monitors compliance throughout all programmes and staff are provided with guidance and training to do that. If partners do not meet our high standards, we will take swift and robust action.</p><p>FCDO convenes eight sets of organisations - including NGOs and the UN - to discuss delivery of the commitments made at the UK-led 2018 Safeguarding Summit to prevent and better respond to SEAH and we publish an annual progress report. FCDO funds initiatives to help partners meet our standards, including the Resource and Support Hub which offers guidance, tools and analysis, focusing on grassroots organisations in developing countries.</p><p>FCDO is supporting initiatives to prevent perpetrators of sexual abuse moving around the sector, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme which in 2019 prevented 36 people with a history of misconduct from being offered aid sector jobs.</p><p>The UK supports safeguarding capability-building initiatives in the UN and uses UN Executive Board discussions and joint initiatives with other major donors to ensure continued focus and improvement in this area.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 07/10/2020 10:46:50 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1239174

registered interest
date	30/09/2020
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	Democratic Republic of Congo: Sexual Offences
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 assessment his Department has made of the accuracy of reports of sexual abuse by aid workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the 2018 Ebola outbreak; and what steps his Department is taking to help tackle sexual abuse by aid workers during the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	97708
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2020 answer text <p>Sexual exploitation and abuse are completely abhorrent. We regularly assess all of our partners against the highest safeguarding standards and expect thorough investigations whenever allegations are made. We take these recent allegations in DRC very seriously; there is no reason to believe they are not credible. The World Health Organization and other agencies have confirmed that they are urgently investigating. We will scrutinise their findings closely and are in close contact with them.</p><p>The UK is committed to driving up safeguarding standards across the aid sector, during the COVID-19 pandemic and at all times. We're working with partners to: prevent sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment; listen to those affected; respond sensitively but robustly when harm or allegations of harm occur; and learn from every case. We will continue to demand the highest standards of our partners and hold ourselves to those same high standards.</p><p>In March, the UK commissioned specific guidance for staff and external partners about managing the heightened risk of sexual exploitation and abuse and sexual harassment during the COVID-19 pandemic. This and a wide range of other tools and guidance are on the Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub, which FCDO created last year</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 07/10/2020 10:54:37 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1239175

registered interest
date	30/09/2020
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	Non-governmental Organisations: Sexual Offences
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 steps the Government has taken since (a) 2018 and (b) 31 December 2019 to tackle sexual abuse by aid workers.
tabling member constituency	Oxford West and Abingdon
tabling member printed	Layla Moran
uin	97709
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 08/10/2020 answer text <p>Sexual exploitation and abuse are completely abhorrent. Since 2018, the Government has taken action to prevent abuse by aid workers and to improve the response when it happens. We introduced enhanced safeguarding standards and regularly assess partners against them. We created Project Soteria with Interpol to strengthen vetting of aid workers and information sharing among law enforcement agencies. We champion the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme which prevented 36 individuals from being offered aid sector jobs in 2019. We created the Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub which provides resources for all aid organisations. In October 2019 we published reports summarising work over the previous 12 months including these and many other measures.</p><p>In 2020 as well as continuing with the work above, the UK and 14 other donors agreed common language on safeguarding for funding agreements with multilaterals, aligned with international standards. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is finalising a programme to support victims and survivors. We regularly convene the groups who signed commitments at the October 2018 London Safeguarding Summit and will publish a further annual progress report this month. Last month the Government published a safeguarding strategy covering all UK aid spend which builds on commitments made at the 2018 Summit.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 08/10/2020 15:02:56 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4656 label Biography information for Layla Moran

1239204

registered interest
date	30/09/2020
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	Arab States: Israel
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 number of Arab League countries that have recently normalised relations with Israel.
tabling member constituency	Hendon
tabling member printed	Dr Matthew Offord
uin	97552
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/10/2020 answer text <p>We warmly welcome the normalising of relations, and the strengthening of ties between Israel and its neighbours. We urge others across the region to follow the example of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. The changing regional context and converging Arab and Israeli interests present an opening to develop relations and create the conditions for serious Israeli-Palestinian talks to resume. We profoundly hope that this moment can be used as a step towards direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians, as there can be no substitute in order to reach a two-state solution and a lasting peace.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 07/10/2020 15:00:48 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4006 label Biography information for Dr Matthew Offord