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1311452

registered interest
date	22/04/2021
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	Tigray: Armed Forces
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 estimate his Department has made of the number of Eritrean forces in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	185804
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>We believe a substantial number of Eritrean troops have been deployed to Tigray. As I [Minister Duddridge] made clear to the Eritrean Ambassador on 16 March, and through our joint statements at the Human Rights Council on 26 February and by the G7 on 2 April, Eritrean troops (as well as other parties to the conflict) stand accused of atrocities and their continued presence is fuelling insecurity and preventing desperately needed humanitarian access. There must be an end to the fighting and all Eritrean forces must leave Ethiopia immediately, in line with the commitment made by Prime Minister Abiy in his announcement on 26 March. We have yet to see any evidence that Eritrean forces are leaving Tigray - in fact, we have received reports of Eritrean troops wearing Ethiopian National Defence Force uniforms, as well of new Eritrean forces deploying. We will continue pressing for this commitment to be delivered.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 29/04/2021 11:06:43 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1311453

registered interest
date	22/04/2021
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	Tigray: 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 his Department has made of reports that people living in the Tigray region are subject to starvation as a result of the war in that region.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	185805
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>The UK has been consistent in calling for the protection of civilians in Ethiopia, unfettered humanitarian access, and respect for human rights. We are deeply concerned about the impact of the conflict on food security and nutrition in Tigray, including reports of people dying from hunger. UK-funded aid agencies in Tigray are delivering support in challenging circumstances, including food, shelter, water and healthcare. A joint humanitarian and political team from the British Embassy in Addis Ababa visited Tigray 4-5 March, 4-7 April and the week of 19 April. They met with the provisional administration of Tigray, the Mayor of Mekelle, the Interim Head of Administration in Shire and with humanitarian agencies working in the region. They spoke directly to people displaced by violence and heard harrowing accounts of human rights violations.</p><p>Since the conflict started, the UK has consistently called for an end to fighting, and for all parties to the conflict to prioritise the protection of civilians. Currently 4.5 million are in need of food aid. I [Minister Duddridge] shared the UK's concerns on food security with the International Development Committee on 18 March. To date the UK has provided £19 million of badly needed support to people in Tigray.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 29/04/2021 11:04:14 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1311454

registered interest
date	22/04/2021
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	Tigray: 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 help ensure that people living in the Tigray region of Ethiopia are not subject to sexual violence as a result of the conflict in that region.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	185806
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>The UK is appalled by reports of atrocities including widespread rape and other forms of sexual violence perpetrated by different armed groups in Tigray. This is unacceptable. The protection of civilians is at the core of the UK's response to the crisis. British Embassy staff conducted a specific protection mission in Shire in Tigray on 4-7 April. It included the assessment of the current Gender-Based Violence response, specific emergency services provided in camps and the gaps that need to be filled. They interviewed staff and volunteers supporting survivors of sexual violence to identify essential activities required to address the immediate needs of the survivors as well as the accountability needs.</p><p>The G7, under the UK Presidency, issued a statement on 2 April condemning human rights violations and abuses and sexual and gender based violence. The UK also condemned in the strongest terms the reported killings of civilians and acts of sexual violence via a joint statement on Ethiopia with 41 other countries at the 46th Session of the Human Rights Council. We support the UN's call for a &quot;zero tolerance&quot; policy and welcome the UN Security Council's 22 April Press Statement expressing their deep concern about allegations of human rights violations and abuses, including reports of sexual violence against women and girls in the Tigray region. The UK will support the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure that their joint investigations into atrocities in Tigray with the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission are independent, transparent and impartial and that those responsible for these human rights abuses are held to account.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 29/04/2021 11:08:56 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1311455

registered interest
date	22/04/2021
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	Tigray: 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 recent discussion his Department has had with its counterparts in Ethiopia on resolving the conflict in the Tigray region.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	185807
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>Since the conflict started, the UK has consistently called for an end to fighting, and for all parties to the conflict to prioritise the protection of civilians. We have, and will continue to advocate that a political process is essential to bring a full end to fighting and a sustainable settlement for Tigray. The Foreign Secretary raised these points when he met with Prime Minister Abiy on 22 January and pressed for a political dialogue to bring a lasting peace to Tigray. He also discussed the importance of credible elections in maintaining peace and stability. Ensuring security, freedom of the media and allowing political parties to organise and campaign are critical to credible elections. I also pressed for political dialogue to end the conflict when I spoke with the Ethiopian Ambassador to the UK on 24 February, and have spoken with regional partners and the UAE on this issue.</p> answering member constituency Rochford and Southend East answering member printed James Duddridge question first answered 29/04/2021 11:05:40 answering member 1559 label Biography information for Sir James Duddridge
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1311456

registered interest
date	22/04/2021
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	Hong Kong: British National (Overseas)
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 discussions he has had with his German counterpart on that country's decision not to recognise the new BN(O) passport for Hong Kongers.
tabling member constituency	Romford
tabling member printed	Andrew Rosindell
uin	185808
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2021 answer text <p>We are aware that the Hong Kong SAR Government recently wrote to several foreign Consulates urging them not to accept BN(O) passports for visa applications. The Hong Kong Government has no authority to dictate which passports foreign governments recognise as valid. We will continue to issue BN(O) passports, which are valid travel documents. The German Interior Ministry has confirmed that BN(O) passports continue to be recognised by the German authorities for the purposes of entry and stay in Germany under domestic regulations.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 28/04/2021 12:20:24 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	1447 label Biography information for Andrew Rosindell

1311470

registered interest
date	22/04/2021
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	Borneo: Coronavirus
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 (a) risk to travellers to Borneo during the covid-19 pandemic, and (b) Borneo's categorisation in the international travel Traffic Light System.
tabling member constituency	South Leicestershire
tabling member printed	Alberto Costa
uin	185968
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2021 answer text <p>FCDO travel advice related to COVID-19 is based on the country assessments of Public Health England and the National Travel Health Network and Centre, the organisation mandated to provide health advice to British nationals travelling overseas. They judge the risks of exposure to COVID-19 in each country/territory. All FCDO travel advice pages remain under constant review to ensure they reflect the latest threat assessment to British nationals and include up-to-date information and advice.</p><p>The Government will set out in May which countries will fall into which category, as well as confirming whether international travel can resume from 17 May 2021.As the 3 countries of Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia govern different parts of Borneo, FCDO travel advice and traffic light ratings will be set out separately under each respective country.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 28/04/2021 15:15:00 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4439 label Biography information for Alberto Costa

1311506

registered interest
date	22/04/2021
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	Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
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 assistance his Department is providing to Nazanin Zaghari-Radcliffe since her sentence ended in March 2021; and for what reason a representative from the British Embassy in Iran did not attend her most recent court hearing with her.
tabling member constituency	Battersea
tabling member printed	Marsha De Cordova
uin	186029
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2021 answer text <p>Iran's decision to sentence Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe on further charges is totally inhumane and wholly unjustified. This government remains committed to doing all we can to secure Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's return home. We requested access to the 14 March hearing, which was refused - Iran routinely denies our requests to attend the hearings of dual British nationals, because they do not recognise them as dual British nationals.</p><p>We continue to raise Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe's case at the most senior levels in the Iranian Government and are doing all we can to bring her home as soon as possible. The Foreign Secretary regularly presses Foreign Minister Zarif for her release, most recently on 3 April, and the Prime Minister has raised this with President Rouhani, most recently on 10 March. Our Ambassador in Tehran consistently raises the subject of our detainees with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, most recently on 27 April.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 28/04/2021 10:31:55 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4676 label Biography information for Marsha De Cordova

1311507

registered interest
date	22/04/2021
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	Anoosheh Ashoori
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 consular assistance has been provided to support British national, Anoosheh Ashoori, who has been detained in Iran since 2017; and whether he plans to grant Anoosheh Ashoori diplomatic protection to support his urgent return to the UK.
tabling member constituency	Battersea
tabling member printed	Marsha De Cordova
uin	186030
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>We remain committed to securing the immediate and permanent release of arbitrarily detained dual British nationals in Iran so that they can return to the UK and be reunited with their families. Our Embassy in Tehran continues to request consular access to Mr Ashoori and we have been supporting his family since being made aware of his detention. The Foreign Secretary regularly raises the UK's serious concerns about Iran's practice of detaining foreign and dual nationals directly with Foreign Minister Zarif, most recently on 3 April, and the Prime Minister has raised the issue with President Rouhani, most recently on 10 March. The ambassador in Tehran consistently raises the dual national detainees with the Iran authorities. We remain in close contact with the family on this matter.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 29/04/2021 11:26:18 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4676 label Biography information for Marsha De Cordova

1311510

registered interest
date	22/04/2021
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	UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent
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 the Government's contribution to the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent on 9 April 2021, what type of good practice will be shared in the Forum for the implementation of the Programme Activities of the International Decade For People of African Descent.
tabling member constituency	Brighton, Pavilion
tabling member printed	Caroline Lucas
uin	185841
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 29/04/2021 answer text <p>The UK Government is currently taking part in the discussions on the modalities of the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent and considering the issues in that context. We remain committed to combating all forms of racism, both at home and abroad. We believe that one of the most effective ways to tackle injustices and advocate for respect among different ethnic and racial groups is to encourage states to uphold their human rights obligations.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 29/04/2021 11:38:41 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	3930 label Biography information for Caroline Lucas

1311590

registered interest
date	22/04/2021
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	Development Aid
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 proportion of existing projects have been reduced following the decision to reduce the official development assistance budget.
tabling member constituency	Ellesmere Port and Neston
tabling member printed	Justin Madders
uin	185938
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2021 answer text <p>We are currently in the process of finalising programme portfolios at a country level. Full Official Development Assistance budgets, along with final audited spend for 2020/21, will be published in the Annual Report and Accounts in due course.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 28/04/2021 15:42:43 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4418 label Biography information for Justin Madders