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1111035

registered interest
date	10/04/2019
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	Rwanda: Genocide
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 remarks made by the Rwandan Minister of Justice and Attorney General Johnston Busingye that “Anyone who cares about British values and justice should be ashamed. The UK will go down in history as the only country in Europe which knowingly shielded alleged Rwandan genocidaires from justice.”
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL15175
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2019 answer text <p>​We strongly disagree with any remarks that alleges the UK has shielded alleged genocidaires. The decision on whether or not to extradite is a matter for the courts, not the government. We are a committed partner of Rwanda and believe in holding any perpetrators to account and ensuring justice is achieved. In line with this commitment, following the High Court ruling the Metropolitan Police undertook work to scope the allegations and subsequently launched an investigation. The Minister for Security committed in the House of Commons to ensuring that those suspected of war crimes face full justice and that resourcing or any other barriers will not stand in the way of completing this investigation as quickly as possible. However it is important to recognise that these investigations are complex and in order to ensure a free and fair trial, this will take time.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 25/04/2019 11:32:14 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1111036

registered interest
date	10/04/2019
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	Hong Kong: Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they are giving to the inclusion of a human rights clause, protecting the rule of law, in any future trade deal that includes trade with Hong Kong; and whether they intend, in conjunction with other countries, to raise issues regarding Hong Kong in international fora, in particular its extradition laws and the autonomy of Hong Kong.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL15176
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2019 answer text <p>The UK has long supported the promotion of our values globally and this will continue as we leave the EU. We are committed to upholding the UK’s high standards and we are exploring all options in the design of future trade and investment agreements, including human rights provisions within these.</p><p>We will continue to monitor closely events in Hong Kong, including proposals to change extradition laws, and any developments that may affect Hong Kong’s high degree of autonomy. Where appropriate, we will raise issues of concern with the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities, speak publicly about the issue, or raise in international fora.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 25/04/2019 11:35:08 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1110669

registered interest
date	09/04/2019
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	Iraq: Yazidis
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Iraq to extend the provisions of the bill on rights for Yazidi female survivors, submitted to the Iraqi parliament on 28 March, to include all women kidnapped and enslaved by ISIS, and to ensure that all crimes committed against minorities are defined as such in international fora.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL15133
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2019 answer text <p>We welcome the steps latterly taken by the Iraqi government to extend rights to Yezidi female survivors, including addressing the specific problem of the legal status of children born to Yezidi survivors as a result of sexual violence. We have not made representations to the Government of Iraq to extend the provisions of the bill submitted to the Iraqi parliament on 28 March but will continue to raise with the Iraqi authorities the importance of promoting and protecting the rights of all victims of Daesh’s crimes.</p> answering member printed Baroness Goldie question first answered 25/04/2019 16:15:27 answering member 4306 label Biography information for Baroness Goldie
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1110670

registered interest
date	09/04/2019
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	Brunei: Legal Systems
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 8 April (HL14929), whether they have discussed the changes to Brunei’s laws with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth; and whether, while such laws remain in place, they will call for Brunei’s suspension from the Commonwealth due to those laws' incompatibility with Commonwealth values.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL15134
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2019 answer text <p><del class="ministerial">I</del> <ins class="ministerial">Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon </ins>spoke to the Secretary General of the Commonwealth about the situation in Brunei on 4 April. The Secretary General is in contact with the Government of Brunei and is working through Commonwealth channels.</p><p>​The UK encourages all Commonwealth partners to protect and promote the values in the Commonwealth Charter, including its opposition to all forms of discrimination. We have made clear that nobody should face persecution or discrimination because of who they are or whom they love.</p><p>Brunei is one of several Commonwealth countries that imposes corporal and capital punishments. It has now introduced new potential penalties under the Sharia Penal Code.</p><p>We have raised our concerns with the Government of Brunei. We will continue to encourage Brunei to remove corporal and capital punishment from its statutes, to pass laws that decriminalise same-sex relations and protect LGBT people from all forms of discrimination.</p> answering member printed Baroness Barran question first answered 25/04/2019 16:16:20 question first ministerially corrected 25/04/2019 16:35:00 answering member 4703 label Biography information for Baroness Barran previous answer version 115069 answering member printed Baroness Goldie answering member 4306 label Biography information for Baroness Goldie
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1110671

registered interest
date	09/04/2019
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	Hong Kong: 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 the charges (1) incitement to public nuisance, (2) incitement to incite public nuisance, and (3) conspiracy to public nuisance, used in Hong Kong; and what effect they anticipate such charges will have on Hong Kong’s freedoms and sustaining the “two systems, one country” model.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL15135
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/04/2019 answer text <p>The British Government is aware that each of the nine key figures of the 'Occupy' Movement were found guilty of at least one public nuisance offence on 9 April. The Court found that the charges brought were constitutional. It also found that the offence of conspiracy to cause a public nuisance does not have the undesirable effect of curtailing or suppressing civil disobedience or supressing human rights.</p><p>Sentencing is due on 24 April, and the defendants have the right to appeal including on the legitimacy of the legal provisions under which they were charged. It would therefore not be appropriate to comment further or in detail on these ongoing legal cases. It would be deeply concerning if this or any other ruling discourages legitimate protest in the future, or discourages young people from engaging in politics.</p><p>Hong Kong citizens are guaranteed the right to freedom of assembly and demonstration under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. Hong Kong's success and stability depend on its high degree of autonomy and respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms enshrined in the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law.</p> answering member printed Baroness Goldie question first answered 25/04/2019 16:29:01 answering member 4306 label Biography information for Baroness Goldie
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1110672

registered interest
date	09/04/2019
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	Hong Kong: Human Rights
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised with the government of China (1) the jailing of political protestors, (2) restrictions on free speech, (3) the abduction of booksellers who supply titles critical of China’s rulers, (4) the banning of a political party, and (5) the expulsion of a senior Financial Times journalist, Victor Mallet, in Hong Kong.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL15136
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2019 answer text <p>The British Government takes extremely seriously our longstanding duty to uphold the implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. We will continue to monitor closely events in Hong Kong, speaking publicly on issues of concern. We have raised a number of concerns with the Chinese and Hong Kong SAR Governments, including the banning of the Hong Kong National Party, the refusal of Victor Mallet's visa renewal, the abduction of the booksellers, and wider concerns about the erosion of rights and freedoms, including the right to free speech, guaranteed by the Joint Declaration. <br> <br>The Six Monthly Reports to Parliament contain a detailed analysis of developments, and clearly sets out where we have concerns. ​</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 16/04/2019 13:45:29 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1110673

registered interest
date	09/04/2019
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	Hong Kong: 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 the impact that the new national anthem law in China, which applies at the high-speed rail terminus in Hong Kong, and which has made it an offence to insult China’s national anthem, while failing to define such insults, will have on the human rights of Hong Kong citizens; and what assessment they have made of the implications of (1) the new Chinese national security law, and (2) proposals to change Hong Kong’s extradition laws to enable extradition from Hong Kong to the mainland.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL15137
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2019 answer text <p>We believe that it is fitting to show respect to any National Anthem. Whether it is necessary to enforce such respect with legislation is a matter for the Chinese and Hong Kong SAR Governments to decide. In Hong Kong freedom of speech is guaranteed under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and it is vital that such freedoms are fully respected</p><p>Article 23 of the Hong Kong Basic Law requires that Hong Kong enact laws relating to national security. We are not, however, aware of any plans to enact such legislation at the present time</p><p>We are aware of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's proposals to change the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance. We have noted the concerns voiced by legal and business representative organisations and civil society groups in Hong Kong about both the content and the short consultation period allowed for the proposed changes. We have raised a number of issues with the Hong Kong Government, including the implications for both our joint security cooperation and our bilateral extradition treaty and the potential consequences for the UK business community and for UK citizens living in or travelling through Hong Kong. We will continue to seek clarity from the authorities on these points and to make clear that we would welcome a longer consultation period to allow the issues we and others have raised to be dealt with in a comprehensive way that maintains public and business confidence. <br> <br>It remains the British Government's view that, for Hong Kong's future success, it is essential that Hong Kong enjoys, and is seen to enjoy, the full measure of its high degree of autonomy and rule of law as set out in the Joint Declaration and enshrined in the Basic Law, in keeping with the commitment to 'One Country, Two Systems'. ​</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 16/04/2019 13:33:45 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1109273

registered interest
date	02/04/2019
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	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 Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs in Guangzhou, China, is offering rewards to those who provide it with information on the structure and activities of illegal religious groups in that city.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL14990
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/04/2019 answer text <p>We are aware of the reports from Guangzhou and continue to monitor these and other reports relating to freedom of religion or belief in China. Everyone should be free to practice their religion according to their beliefs, in accordance with the international frameworks to which both the UK and China are party. We believe that societies which aim to guarantee freedom of religion or belief are more stable, prosperous and more resilient against violent extremism. The prohibition of some religious groups, and the legal restrictions and harassment aimed at others, undermines freedom of religion or belief in China.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 10/04/2019 15:48:28 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1109274

registered interest
date	02/04/2019
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	Yemen: Armed Conflict
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the response by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on Yemen on 1 April (HL Deb, cols 59–65),  in which years the UK participated in coalition naval enforcement measures in Yemen’s territorial waters that put in effect UN Resolution 2216, adopted by the UN Security Council in April 2015, that prohibited the delivery of arms to Houthi rebels; what steps they have taken in response to the final report of the UN Security Council Panel of Experts on Yemen, published on 26 January 2018, which stated that the closure of the port of Hodeidah in November 2017 “had the effect of using the threat of starvation as an instrument of war”; and what assessment they have made of the success of Royal Navy officers in the coalition’s operational command rooms in ensuring the delivery of lawful shipments of food, water and equipment for the maintenance of water treatment plants to Yemen’s ports.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL14991
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/04/2019 answer text <p>UK naval forces are not operating in Yemeni waters. In November 2017, following an attempted Houthi ballistic missile strike on Riyadh, the Coalition introduced access restrictions on Red Sea ports. These restrictions were lifted two months later following concerted UK diplomacy and additional UK support to the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM). This included the International Development Secretary’s own visit to Saudi Arabia, where she made detailed operational requests on access and pushed for unconstrained access to be granted across the country. Royal Navy Liaison Officers operate in the Royal Saudi Naval Forces headquarters in a liaison capacity only.</p><p>​</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 16/04/2019 13:27:49 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool

1108817

registered interest
date	01/04/2019
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	North Korea: Smuggling
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking following the evidence gathered by HMS Montrose regarding fuel tankers illegally smuggling petrol to North Korea.
tabling member printed	Lord Alton of Liverpool
uin	HL14924
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 15/04/2019 answer text <p>We have passed on evidence gathered by HMS Montrose on illegal North Korean ship to ship transfers of fuel to the UN Panel of Experts. The Panel is mandated to gather, examine and analyse information provided by States on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolutions, as well as information on incidents of non-compliance. ​</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 15/04/2019 14:23:38 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	738 label Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool