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91015

registered interest
date	08/09/2014
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	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 recent steps his Department has taken to tackle religious persecution internationally.
tabling member constituency	North Swindon
tabling member printed	Justin Tomlinson
uin	208594
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2014 answer text <p>The promotion and protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief is one of the UK’s human rights priorities. We actively raise individual cases and work to combat discriminatory legislation and practices through multilateral systems and targeted project work. In the last month alone, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Ministers have expressed grave concern about persecution of individuals on the grounds of their religion or belief in Syria, Pakistan and Iraq.</p><p> </p><p>Most recently, at the Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council on Iraq on 1 September we and international partners sponsored a resolution which commits the Council to working with the government of Iraq “to foster religious freedom and pluralism by promoting the ability of members of all religious communities to manifest their religion and to contribute openly and on an equal footing to society, and to take appropriate measures to prevent attacks against persons on the basis of their religion or belief and to prosecute the perpetrators of such attacks.” We will work actively with the newly formed government of Iraq to support them in this aim.</p><p> </p><p>As a recent example of our project work, last week we also sponsored a conference to share best practice between human rights defenders and journalists working on freedom of religion or belief issues in South Asia.</p><p> </p><p>We will continue to be active bilaterally, multilaterally, through project work and in providing training to our staff to tackle religious persecution internationally.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 11/09/2014 10:09:57 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	4105 label Biography information for Justin Tomlinson

91016

registered interest
date	08/09/2014
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
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 has taken to end the persecution of Christians in Iraq by the Islamic State.
tabling member constituency	North Antrim
tabling member printed	Ian Paisley
uin	208526
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2014 answer text <p>The Government is providing £23 million in humanitarian assistance to those who have fled areas of Iraq controlled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and have taken part in a series of airdrops to people trapped by ISIL. We are providing military assistance to the Kurdish Peshmerga as set out in the Prime Minister’s statement on 1 September so that they can restore control over areas taken by ISIL. I also met leaders of the Syriac Orthodox Church, the church to which many Iraqi Christians belong, making a statement strongly condemning the persecution that Iraq’s religious minorities have suffered.</p><p>I visited Iraq on 26-27 August and pressed the then Prime Minister-designate Haider Al-Abadi to ensure his new government in Iraq would ensure the protection of all minorities, promote human rights and reassert the rule of law.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 11/09/2014 11:47:11 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	4129 label Biography information for Ian Paisley

90840

registered interest
date	05/09/2014
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	Written Questions
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what proportion of named day written questions were answered by his Department within the prescribed period in the (a) 2012-13 session, (b) 2013-14 session and (c) 2014-15 session to date.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	208425
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 10/09/2014 answer text <p>In 2012-13 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) received 572 named day questions, of which 570 (99.7%) were answered on time. In 2013-14 the FCO received 721 named day questions, of which 713 (98.9%) were answered on time. As at 5 September 2014, 195 named day questions had been tabled with dates for answer on or before 5 September, of which 185 (94.8%) had been answered on time.</p> answering member constituency Aylesbury answering member printed Mr David Lidington question first answered 10/09/2014 12:20:15 answering member 15 label Biography information for Sir David Lidington
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

90844

registered interest
date	05/09/2014
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	Syria
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government recognises President Assad as the legitimate head of state of Syria.
tabling member constituency	Newport West
tabling member printed	Paul Flynn
uin	208371
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2014 answer text <p>Britain has a long standing policy of recognising States and not governments. Our position on Assad remains unchanged – he does not have legitimacy and should step aside in the interests of the Syrian people. Assad’s elections and inauguration were parodies of democracy, disenfranchising millions of Syrians and conducted in a way which fell far short of any international democratic standards.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 11/09/2014 11:49:33 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	545 label Biography information for Paul Flynn

90592

registered interest
date	04/09/2014
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	Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia
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 bring forward proposals to make military exports to Saudi Arabia contingent on human rights reform in that country.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Greg Mulholland
uin	208151
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2014 answer text <p>The Government of Saudi Arabia faces a number of security challenges, with concerns arising from the fractious regional situation and external sources, and so have a legitimate requirement for types of equipment in the performance of its sovereign defensive responsibilities.</p><p>The Government remains confident that the UK has a thorough and robust export control and licensing system, which distinguishes between exports for legitimate defence and security purposes and exports that breach the Criterion 2 threshold: a clear risk that they might be used for internal repression, violation of human rights or gender-based violence. These considerations are specifically identified in the Government’s Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, Criteria against which all applications for strategic export control licences for military goods, including arms and dual-use goods are assessed on a case-by-case basis.</p><p>The Government is satisfied that the currently extant licences for Saudi Arabia are compliant with the UK’s export licensing criteria.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 11/09/2014 08:55:41 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1540 label Biography information for Greg Mulholland

90695

registered interest
date	04/09/2014
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	Bahrain
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Bahraini counterpart on the detention of Abdulhadi Alkhawaja; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	North Ayrshire and Arran
tabling member printed	Katy Clark
uin	208155
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2014 answer text <p>We are closely monitoring the case of Abdulhadi Al Khawaja. As in the case of his 110 day hunger strike in 2012, we are concerned about his welfare. Bahraini Ministry of Interior’s Ombudsman’s Office announced it was launching an investigation into the conditions of his detention. As a result, an investigator visited Mr Al Khawaja in Jau prison. We understand that Mr Al Khawaja has seen medical staff regularly since he began his hunger strike and that, according to the Ombudsman’s Office, the medical staff continue to provide him with health care and are monitoring his medical condition closely.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 11/09/2014 09:07:27 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1590 label Biography information for Baroness Clark of Kilwinning

90696

registered interest
date	04/09/2014
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	Bahrain
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 the government of Bahrain about the detention of Maryam Al-Khawaja at Bahrain International Airport; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	North Ayrshire and Arran
tabling member printed	Katy Clark
uin	208156
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2014 answer text <p>We are aware of the arrest of Maryam Al-Khawaja last week. We are monitoring the case closely. The British Ambassador to Bahrain raised her case with the Bahraini authorities last week. We urge the Government of Bahrain to ensure that due legal process is fully respected and international norms of justice adhered to.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 11/09/2014 09:56:32 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1590 label Biography information for Baroness Clark of Kilwinning

90697

registered interest
date	04/09/2014
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	Egypt
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 progress with democratic reform in Egypt.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Greg Mulholland
uin	208149
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2014 answer text <p>Since January 2014, Egypt has held a constitutional referendum; elected a new President, Abdel Fattah Al Sisi; and is preparing for parliamentary elections. We look to President Al Sisi to take steps to implement the rights contained in Egypt’s constitution by opening up political space, in particular ensuring freedom of expression and association as well as ensuring that human and legal rights are fully upheld. I raised these issues with the Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister for Europe during my visit to Cairo on 25 August.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 11/09/2014 10:13:24 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1540 label Biography information for Greg Mulholland

90698

registered interest
date	04/09/2014
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	Burma
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 the Burmese government on their treatment of the Rohingya.
tabling member constituency	Leeds North West
tabling member printed	Greg Mulholland
uin	208152
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2014 answer text <p>We have raised the treatment of the Rohingya in every one of our recent Ministerial contacts with the Burmese government.</p><p>The former Foreign Secretary, my Right Hon. Friend the member for Richmond (Yorks) ( Mr Hague), raised the situation in Rakhine State in a call with his Burmese counterpart, U Wunna Maung Lwin, in April. He called for the Burmese government to facilitate humanitarian assistance to all communities in the State. I also raised this issue with Khin Maung Soe, Burmese Minister for Electric Power in July, as well as with the Burmese Ambassador, whom I summoned in April to register my concerns. More recently, Minister of State for International Development, Mr Desmond Swayne, discussed Rakhine with Minister for the President’s Office, U Soe Thein in August.<br> <br>Our Ambassador and Embassy officials consistently discuss these concerns with representatives of the Burmese government.</p> answering member constituency East Devon answering member printed Mr Hugo Swire question first answered 11/09/2014 16:29:11 answering member 1408 label Biography information for Lord Swire
tabling member	1540 label Biography information for Greg Mulholland

90699

registered interest
date	04/09/2014
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	Hamas
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 he has made of the sources of rockets supplied to Hamas operating in Gaza; and if he will make a statement.
tabling member constituency	North Down
tabling member printed	Lady Hermon
uin	208182
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/09/2014 answer text <p>Our assessment is that rockets are brought to Gaza from several sources, including the tunnels which run into the territory.</p> answering member constituency Bournemouth East answering member printed Mr Tobias Ellwood question first answered 11/09/2014 11:54:46 answering member 1487 label Biography information for Mr Tobias Ellwood
tabling member	1437 label Biography information for Lady Hermon