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1194147

registered interest
date	11/05/2020
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	Coronavirus: Emergency Powers
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	What steps he is taking with his international counterparts to ensure that states use their emergency powers proportionately during the covid-19 pandemic.
tabling member constituency	Paisley and Renfrewshire South
tabling member printed	Mhairi Black
uin	902376
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK is playing a major role in the global response as we galvanise support for our Four-Point Plan: 1) co-ordinating the global health response; 2) accelerating the search for a vaccine, treatments and testing; 3) securing a sound economic response; and 4) bringing our people home.</p><p>The Foreign Secretary and Ministerial team are carrying out extensive bilateral and multilateral engagement, including with G7/G20 counterparts, and working with international companies to tackle the crisis.</p><p>We are also working closely with UN Security Council members and the UN Secretary-General to address pandemic and secondary impacts, including instability.</p><p>Through our international engagement, we have repeatedly made clear that measures taken by States to tackle CV19 must be necessary, proportionate, time-bound, transparent and regularly reviewed.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 11/05/2020 15:59:58 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4421 label Biography information for Mhairi Black

1193323

registered interest
date	05/05/2020
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	Human Rights: Coronavirus
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 effect of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic by governments overseas on human rights standards in those countries.
tabling member printed	Lord Hain
uin	HL3864
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>We are concerned by reports that some governments are using the current crisis to fail to comply with their human rights obligations. On 9 April, the UK participated in the UN Human Rights Council's first ever virtual conversation with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Discussion focused on the human rights implications of the COVID-19 crisis; both the immediate impact of the response on human rights around the world, and the social and economic consequences, including the prospect of greater inequality. In his statement to the Council, our Ambassador to the UN in Geneva stressed the importance of ensuring that parliaments, media and civil society all play their role to scrutinise the actions of governments and international agencies, and that we make use of the international human rights frameworks. The British Government remains committed to standing up for human rights and the rule of law in all circumstances.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 11/05/2020 11:12:13 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	567 label Biography information for Lord Hain

1192729

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
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	South China Sea
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Chinese counterpart on the harassment of the West Capella, a ship operated by a UK-registered company.
tabling member constituency	Carmarthen East and Dinefwr
tabling member printed	Jonathan Edwards
uin	42987
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The British Government's position is to oppose any action which raises tensions in the South China Sea. We regularly make this position clear to the Chinese authorities and encourage all parties, including China, to settle their disputes peacefully through the existing legal mechanisms, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and to uphold existing Arbitration rulings.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 11/05/2020 13:18:00 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	3943 label Biography information for Jonathan Edwards

1192731

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
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	Colombia: Peace Negotiations
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Colombian counterpart on peace talks with the National Liberation Army; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	Liverpool, Walton
tabling member printed	Dan Carden
uin	43152
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK remains extremely concerned about the continued activity of illegal armed groups in Colombia, including the National Liberation Army (ELN), and the impact their violence has on Colombian society - even more so at this challenging time. We noted the unilateral ceasefire declared by the ELN on 30 March at a UN Security Council meeting on 14 April and hoped it would facilitate efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as potentially representing a positive step towards peace. We regret that this ceasefire has not been renewed by the ELN.</p><p>The UK has reaffirmed its unwavering support to the Colombian authorities as they seek to ensure sustainable peace in Colombia, and has reiterated the importance of pressing ahead with work to consolidate peace and build stability. At the same time, the UK, alongside international partners, has continued to urge the ELN to end its campaign of violence and to play a part in bringing an end to this conflict.</p><p>The UK has been vocal in expressing our concern about the effect the activity of armed groups has on the future of peace in Colombia. We regularly raise these issues with the Colombian Government and in multilateral fora. Most recently, our Permanent Representative to the United Nations spoke on this issue at the UN Security Council on 14 April, and we consistently press the Colombian Government to focus on extending the rule of law to all parts of the country.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 11/05/2020 13:22:12 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4651 label Biography information for Dan Carden

1192818

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
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	Europe Day
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans the Government has to mark Europe Day 2020.
tabling member constituency	Cambridge
tabling member printed	Daniel Zeichner
uin	43046
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>As the UK is no longer a member of the European Union we have no plans to mark Europe Day.</p> answering member constituency Aldridge-Brownhills answering member printed Wendy Morton question first answered 11/05/2020 13:23:37 answering member 4358 label Biography information for Wendy Morton
tabling member	4382 label Biography information for Daniel Zeichner

1192859

registered interest
date	04/05/2020
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	British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus
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 he has had with his counterparts in (a) Philippines, (b) Turkey and (c) New Zealand on facilitating the repatriation of UK nationals from those countries.
tabling member constituency	Twickenham
tabling member printed	Munira Wilson
uin	43178
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK is grateful for the continued support of our international partners. Their assistance in flying our citizens home and keeping flight routes running by keeping key transit hubs open to air traffic, are invaluable to our efforts to repatriate British nationals.</p><p>We are in regular contact with the Government of the Philippines on the repatriation of British nationals. This engagement has been critical to our efforts to repatriate approximately 1100 British Nationals from the Philippines, including via two UK charter flights. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Foreign Minister Locsin on 31 March. I also spoke to Foreign Minister Locsin on 26 April to finalise planning for the second UK charter flight to bring British nationals home. We are supporting all remaining BNs with information on commercial flights and keeping the option of a third charter flight under review.</p><p>We have regular discussions with the Turkish authorities on these issues, both through our Embassy in Turkey and through Ministerial contact. The Minister for the European Neighbourhood and Americas, most recently discussed the repatriation of British nationals with her Turkish counterpart on 21 April. We are working hard with Turkey to ensure that British nationals in Turkey can return to the UK using the remaining commercial flights as soon as possible.</p><p>The Foreign Secretary spoke to New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, on 30 April. The Foreign Secretary thanked him for New Zealand's support in facilitating the five charter flights which have returned over 1500 British nationals to the UK and asked for his continued support for a further three charter flights scheduled to begin on 11 May.</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 11/05/2020 13:20:10 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4776 label Biography information for Munira Wilson

1192083

registered interest
date	01/05/2020
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	British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support British nationals overseas whose visas have expired during the lockdown period; and what recent discussions his Department has had with its overseas counterparts on ensuring that those British nationals are not unfairly sanctioned by those states.
tabling member constituency	Stourbridge
tabling member printed	Suzanne Webb
uin	42208
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2020 answer text <p>The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has lobbied countries across the globe to ensure that British nationals who are waiting to be repatriated are not regarded as over-stayers and will not suffer any immigration penalties. We advise British nationals who are in this position to contact the relevant immigration authority in the country in which they are located. In a number of countries, including Thailand and Indonesia, we have provided British national travellers with expiring visas with letters and information notes from the Consulate to support their visa extension requests.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 07/05/2020 15:54:37 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4802 label Biography information for Suzanne Webb

1192092

registered interest
date	01/05/2020
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	Saudi Arabia: Security
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) security, (b) justice and (c) policing support his Department provided to Saudi Arabia in (i) 2018, (ii) 2019 and (iii) 2020.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	42183
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2020 answer text <p>Saudi Arabia is an important strategic partner to the UK in tackling potential security and terrorist threats to the UK and other countries. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not currently run any security, justice or policing support in Saudi Arabia. The British Government has worked with the Government of Saudi Arabia on a range of mutually beneficial security and policing priorities. All of our cooperation is subject to individual rigorous human rights risk assessments (Overseas Security and Justice Assistance assessments), to ensure all work meets our human rights obligations.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 07/05/2020 14:57:27 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly previous answer version 19492 answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1192101

registered interest
date	01/05/2020
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	Saudi Arabia: 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, if he will make representations to his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the (a) application of the Royal Decree announced 26 April 2020 to (i) Ali al Nimr, (ii) Dawood al Marhoon, (iii) Abdullah Hasan al-Zaher and (iv) all other child defendants facing the death penalty and (b) subsequent commutation of their death sentences.
tabling member constituency	Stirling
tabling member printed	Alyn Smith
uin	42185
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/05/2020 answer text <p>We welcome the decision by Saudi Arabia to end the use of the death penalty as a discretionary punishment for minors, including those under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged crime.</p><p>We remain concerned about the cases of Ali al Nimr, Dawood al Marhoon and Abdullah Hasan al-Zaher, and continue to follow them closely.</p><p>The Saudi authorities understand our position that we oppose the death penalty in all circumstances and especially in cases that involve child defendants. This position is in line with the minimum standards set out in the 2008 EU Guidelines on the Death Penalty; the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and, the Arab Charter on Human Rights.</p><p>The former Minister for the Middle East and North Africa raised our concerns about the death penalty with Deputy Justice Minister HE Abdullah Al Sulaimi on 11 February. The Foreign Secretary also raised our human rights concerns with Saudi Arabia during his visit in March this year.</p><p>We will continue to raise our concerns with the Government of Saudi Arabia to promote the protection of all child defendants against the death penalty regardless of the crime committed. We will encourage the authorities to review death penalty judgements for all minors, or individuals who were minors when the crime was committed.</p> answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly question first answered 07/05/2020 15:00:06 answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly previous answer version 19485 answering member constituency Braintree answering member printed James Cleverly answering member 4366 label Biography information for James Cleverly
tabling member	4738 label Biography information for Alyn Smith

1192110

registered interest
date	01/05/2020
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	British Nationals Abroad: Coronavirus
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what medical criteria his Department is using to prioritise UK nationals overseas for Government commissioned flights for repatriation.
tabling member constituency	Slough
tabling member printed	Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi
uin	42161
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/05/2020 answer text <p>The UK Government is working with the airline industry and host governments across the world to help bring back British travellers to the UK as part of the plan announced by the Foreign Secretary on 30 March - with up to £75 million available for special charter flights from priority countries, focused on helping the most vulnerable travellers.</p><p>We will prioritise vulnerable British nationals most at risk from the effects of Coronavirus who normally live in the UK and are trying to return home for these flights, together with their families who normally live with them in the UK. We are giving additional consideration to the local context and the situation of the individual themselves, this can include lock-down processes in country, access to reliable healthcare, possible reduction in access to routine medication, and those at additional risk if they contract the virus, for example the elderly or those with pre-existing medical conditions. ​​​​​​​</p> answering member constituency Selby and Ainsty answering member printed Nigel Adams question first answered 06/05/2020 15:38:25 answering member 4057 label Biography information for Nigel Adams
tabling member	4638 label Biography information for Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi