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423320

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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	China: 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 assessment his Department has made of developments in the human rights situation in China since March 2015.
tabling member constituency	East Worthing and Shoreham
tabling member printed	Tim Loughton
uin	12932
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2015 answer text <p>We pay close attention to the human rights situation in China and report on it regularly through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy. The latest update was published on 15 July and outlines a range of developments from January to June this year.</p><p>Whilst we recognise the improvements China has made to social and economic rights, we continue to have concerns about a range of restrictions to civil and political rights. The operating space for civil society groups is shrinking, and over 200 lawyers have been detained or questioned since July. We regularly raise our concerns with China, both through the annual UK-China Human Rights Dialogue and through bilateral meetings, and will continue to do so. We also work through international fora, such as the UN Human Rights Council, to highlight our concerns.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 27/10/2015 13:16:26 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	114 label Biography information for Tim Loughton

423321

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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	China: 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 assessment his Department has made of the level of freedom of religion or belief in Xinjiang Province.
tabling member constituency	East Worthing and Shoreham
tabling member printed	Tim Loughton
uin	12933
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2015 answer text <p>Freedom of religion or belief remains one of the Government’s top priorities and we are dedicated to its promotion and protection around the world. We remain concerned in particular by the restrictions placed on their right to celebrate Ramadan and wear Islamic dress. We raise this issue regularly with the Chinese authorities, and did so in detail during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in April this year. We will continue to raise this issue.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 27/10/2015 13:30:35 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	114 label Biography information for Tim Loughton

423322

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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	China: Capital Punishment
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has requested that the Chinese government discloses the number of executions taking place in China.
tabling member constituency	East Worthing and Shoreham
tabling member printed	Tim Loughton
uin	12934
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2015 answer text <p>The UK is against the use of the death penalty in all circumstances and we are committed to encouraging its global abolition. China has recently renewed the number of crimes punishable by death from 55 to 46, but it is still believed to be the biggest implementer of the death penalty with numbers estimated in the low thousands.</p><p>We continue to raise this issue with Chinese authorities and did so in detail during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in April. We have not asked China to disclose the full number of executions but instead focus our lobbying on urging China to reduce its use and ratify relevant international treaties – such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. A transparent legal system and reforms in the rule of law will go some way to helping China in this respect, and we will continue to encourage China to make positive developments in these areas.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 27/10/2015 13:34:32 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	114 label Biography information for Tim Loughton

423323

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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	China: Prisoners
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many prisoners of conscience in China have been visited by UK diplomatic staff during 2015.
tabling member constituency	East Worthing and Shoreham
tabling member printed	Tim Loughton
uin	12935
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2015 answer text <p>We closely monitor the human rights situation in China and report on individual cases of concern through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy. Working with international partners, UK officials talk to a wide range of human rights defenders. Sometimes it is not possible to meet an individual in person because they are in detention or under house arrest. In these cases, UK officials frequently work with family members and lawyers to maintain contact. We continue to raise cases of concern with the Chinese authorities, including during the annual UK-China Human Rights Dialogue.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 27/10/2015 13:45:13 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	114 label Biography information for Tim Loughton

423324

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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	China: International Covenant on Civil and Political 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 discussions his Department has had with the Chinese government on that country's ratification of the International Covenant on civil and political rights.
tabling member constituency	East Worthing and Shoreham
tabling member printed	Tim Loughton
uin	12936
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/10/2015 answer text <p>We have regular discussions with the Chinese authorities on a range of human rights issues, and have raised China’s ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on numerous occasions. We last discussed this in detail during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in April this year, and also raised it at China’s most recent Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in October 2013.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 27/10/2015 13:47:21 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	114 label Biography information for Tim Loughton

423325

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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: Contracts for Services
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has taken steps to ensure that contractors used by his Department do not instigate investigatory proceedings against staff for writing directly to him about their employment conditions or pay.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	12951
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2015 answer text <br /><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Following the allegations from Citizens UK on 13 October 2015, of disciplinary action taken against the cleaners, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials asked Interserve for further information. Interserve replied on 15 October to say they had commenced an investigation into the letter of 21 July as it potentially represented a breach of the signed confidentiality agreement they have with their staff. They have since confirmed that no disciplinary action has been or will be taken.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 28/10/2015 12:34:44 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 26066 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

423326

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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	Cleaning Services: Living Wage
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what meetings he has had with cleaners working in his Department's premises to discuss payment of the living wage.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	12948
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2015 answer text <p>There have been no meetings between Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers and the cleaners.</p> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 28/10/2015 12:31:34 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 26062 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

423327

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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	Ukraine: Armed Conflict
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 effectiveness of the Minsk Agreement in reducing fighting in Ukraine.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	12946
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2015 answer text <p>A renewed attempt in early September by the Minsk signatories to ensure a comprehensive ceasefire has resulted in a considerable reduction in fighting along the line of contact in Eastern Ukraine, compared with the levels in previous months. Since September, casualties have mainly resulted from land mines and unexploded ordnance rather than direct shelling, which has practically ceased.</p> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 28/10/2015 12:25:15 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 26061 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

423328

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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	Cleaning Services: Living Wage
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 place in the Library a copy of any letters or emails (a) sent to Interserve by his Department and (b) received by his Department from Interserve relating to a letter sent by cleaners working in his Department's premises to him regarding the living wage dated 21 July 2015.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	12947
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2015 answer text <br /><table><tbody><tr><td><p>Officials are currently compiling and reviewing correspondence in relation to the cleaners' letter to me of 21 July 2015 in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request. Copies of all information released under the FOI request will be placed in the Library as soon as investigations are complete.</p></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 28/10/2015 12:29:19 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 26059 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

423329

registered interest
date	22/10/2015
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	Zimbabwe: Politics and Government
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his most recent assessment is of the political situation in Zimbabwe.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	12945
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/10/2015 answer text <table><tbody><tr><td><p>Since the 2013 elections, our assessment of the political situation in Zimbabwe remains broadly the same, with 2015 signalling some positive developments. Within the Zimbabwe African National Union administration there are signs of reformist policies beginning to emerge, especially on the economy. The human rights situation has remained relatively stable and reported violations continue to fall. However, the situation continues to be fragile and we remain concerned about human rights abuses, especially during election periods. Ahead of the 2018 elections, it is critical that electoral reforms are implemented, and that the international community supports the people of Zimbabwe in exercising their democratic right to build a free, peaceful and prosperous future.</p></td></tr></tbody></table> answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond question first answered 28/10/2015 12:22:55 answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede previous answer version 26058 answering member constituency Runnymede and Weybridge answering member printed Mr Philip Hammond answering member 105 label Biography information for Lord Hammond of Runnymede
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn