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1015823

registered interest
date	27/11/2018
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	Bangladesh: Elections
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the forthcoming general election in Bangladesh will be free and fair.
tabling member printed	Lord Ahmed
uin	HL11827
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2018 answer text <p>​The British Government has been consistently clear that we wish to see a free, fair and pluralistic election in Bangladesh. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field, has repeatedly encouraged the Government of Bangladesh and opposition parties to engage in an effective dialogue to this end, and the power to deliver it lies with them. Through our High Commission in Dhaka we have been clear that the Election Commission should be allowed to continue its important work without interference. We have consistently made the case for international oversight of the election and the EU has agreed to send an Election Expert Mission. Through the Department for International Development funding, the UK will also support local observation of the general election. The Foreign Secretary raised his concerns regarding the next election in Bangladesh with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when they met at the UN General Assembly in New York on 24 September. In a call on 1 November with State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, the Minister for Asia and the Pacific again made the case for a free, fair and participatory election. As did I when I spoke to him on 23 November.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL11828 HL11829 question first answered 11/12/2018 15:25:07 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed

1015824

registered interest
date	27/11/2018
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	Bangladesh: Elections
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the British High Commission in Bangladesh will call for greater democracy in that country as the general election there approaches.
tabling member printed	Lord Ahmed
uin	HL11828
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2018 answer text <p>​The British Government has been consistently clear that we wish to see a free, fair and pluralistic election in Bangladesh. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field, has repeatedly encouraged the Government of Bangladesh and opposition parties to engage in an effective dialogue to this end, and the power to deliver it lies with them. Through our High Commission in Dhaka we have been clear that the Election Commission should be allowed to continue its important work without interference. We have consistently made the case for international oversight of the election and the EU has agreed to send an Election Expert Mission. Through the Department for International Development funding, the UK will also support local observation of the general election. The Foreign Secretary raised his concerns regarding the next election in Bangladesh with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when they met at the UN General Assembly in New York on 24 September. In a call on 1 November with State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, the Minister for Asia and the Pacific again made the case for a free, fair and participatory election. As did I when I spoke to him on 23 November.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL11827 HL11829 question first answered 11/12/2018 15:25:07 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed

1015826

registered interest
date	27/11/2018
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	Bangladesh: Elections
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the re-categorisation of Bangladesh by the Bertelsmann Stiftung Transformation Index as an autocracy rather than a democracy, what steps they will take to encourage neutral observers for the forthcoming general election in that country.
tabling member printed	Lord Ahmed
uin	HL11829
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/12/2018 answer text <p>​The British Government has been consistently clear that we wish to see a free, fair and pluralistic election in Bangladesh. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field, has repeatedly encouraged the Government of Bangladesh and opposition parties to engage in an effective dialogue to this end, and the power to deliver it lies with them. Through our High Commission in Dhaka we have been clear that the Election Commission should be allowed to continue its important work without interference. We have consistently made the case for international oversight of the election and the EU has agreed to send an Election Expert Mission. Through the Department for International Development funding, the UK will also support local observation of the general election. The Foreign Secretary raised his concerns regarding the next election in Bangladesh with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when they met at the UN General Assembly in New York on 24 September. In a call on 1 November with State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, the Minister for Asia and the Pacific again made the case for a free, fair and participatory election. As did I when I spoke to him on 23 November.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL11827 HL11828 question first answered 11/12/2018 15:25:07 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed

971198

registered interest
date	10/09/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Visas: Pakistan
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current additional cost of a UK visa applied for in Mirpur, compared to one applied for in Lahore, Karachi or Islamabad; whether they have sought to reduce that cost through procurement; and if so, how.
tabling member printed	Lord Ahmed
uin	HL10200
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2018 answer text <p>The cost of applying for a visa itself does not vary anywhere in Pakistan, however, the Mirpur Visa Application Centre is User Pays as opposed to the other sites in Pakistan which are Free To Use. As such use of the Mirpur site attracts a User Pays Fee, which is governed by Fees Regulations and is currently the equivalent of £55 in local currency and can be found on gov.uk under section 3 of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/home-office-immigration-and-nationality-fees-2018" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visa-regulations-revised-table/home-office-immigration-and-nationality-fees-2018</a> This amount is the same for all User Pays Centres across the globe and is set at a level only to meet the delivery costs of these sites.</p><p>If this amount was not charged then HM Government would be unable to provide a service in Mirpur and applicants from in and around that area would have to travel to another site, either in Pakistan or beyond, which they are still free to do, but at their own expense.</p><p>The costs associated with these sites are bound by the terms and conditions of the current Next Generations Visa Services contracts with VFS Worldwide and Teleperformance and which are currently set to expire on 31 March 2021. Under those terms no re-procurement of these services can take effect before this date.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 17/09/2018 12:59:39 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford attachment 1 file name HO Immigration and Nationality Fees - April 2018.pdf title HO Immigration and Nationality Fees - April 2018
tabling member	3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed

971200

registered interest
date	10/09/2018
answering body	Home Office
answering dept id	1
answering dept short name	Home Office
answering dept sort name	Home Office
hansard heading	Gerry's International
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government when the current agreement with Gerry's International (PvT) Ltd for visa services will expire.
tabling member printed	Lord Ahmed
uin	HL10201
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2018 answer text <p>The Home Office do not operate a contract agreement with Gerry's International (PvT) Ltd. The contract for providing Visa Application Centres in Pakistan was awarded to VFS Worldwide Holdings Ltd in 2014 initially for a five year period and extended recently for a further two years until 31 March 2021.</p> answering member printed Baroness Williams of Trafford question first answered 17/09/2018 13:04:31 answering member 4311 label Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford
tabling member	3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed

967400

registered interest
date	04/09/2018
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	Gaza: Israel
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 Israel regarding its access to, and development of, Gaza’s oil and gas reserves.
tabling member printed	Lord Ahmed
uin	HL9902
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/09/2018 answer text <p>​The UK strongly supports the development of the Gazan gas fields. Over recent years, we have had extensive discussions with the Palestinian authorities on the development of the gas fields for the benefit of the Palestinian economy. The UK is not backing Israeli control of the gas fields. We have, however, been in discussions with the Israeli authorities to encourage them to enable the exploitation of these fields.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 17/09/2018 14:37:14 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed

947528

registered interest
date	24/07/2018
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	Gaza: Humanitarian Aid
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 Israel regarding the safety of British humanitarian workers travelling to Gaza as part of the Freedom Flotilla; and what responses they have received to any such representations.
tabling member printed	Lord Ahmed
uin	HL9824
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/08/2018 answer text <p>On 30 July, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv sought consular access from the Israeli authorities to a British national who was detained aboard the flotilla that was travelling to Gaza. This access was granted. Embassy officials also discussed the travelling flotilla with the Israeli authorities on 6 June. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all travel to Gaza (including the waters off Gaza).</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 07/08/2018 12:01:01 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed

947529

registered interest
date	24/07/2018
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	Gaza: Humanitarian Aid
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what support is available to any British citizen aboard the Freedom Flotilla.
tabling member printed	Lord Ahmed
uin	HL9825
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/08/2018 answer text <p>​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises British nationals against all travel to Gaza and is unable to provide routine consular assistance. Any British nationals in Gaza who do require emergency assistance should contact the British Consulate General in Jerusalem.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 03/08/2018 12:02:43 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed

921762

registered interest
date	11/06/2018
answering body	Department for International Development
answering dept id	20
answering dept short name	International Development
answering dept sort name	International Development
hansard heading	Bangladesh: Rohingya
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations, if any, they have received about any issues in relation to safeguarding or sexual abuse of Rohingya women and children in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh; and what action they intend to take in response to such issues.
tabling member printed	Lord Ahmed
uin	HL8471
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 21/06/2018 answer text <p>We recognise that Rohingya women and girls face risks in the camps including domestic violence, sexual harassment, forced labour and sexual exploitation. DFID is helping to provide services including psycho-social counselling, reproductive health services, child-friendly spaces, safe shelters and legal advice. We are also providing essential support for personal safety, including improved lighting and alarms to help keep women and girls safer.</p> answering member printed Lord Bates question first answered 21/06/2018 14:48:28 answering member 1091 label Biography information for Lord Bates
tabling member	3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed

910400

registered interest
date	23/05/2018
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	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their assessment of human rights and religious rights in China.
tabling member printed	Lord Ahmed
uin	HL8158
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/06/2018 answer text <p>​We have concerns about restrictions on civil and political freedoms in China, particularly around ethnic minority rights; the death penalty; and freedom of expression, association and assembly. We also remain concerned about restrictions on freedom of religion or belief. We are aware of reports of the closure or demolition of places of worship, of the removal of religious symbols, and that individuals are being harassed or detained for their beliefs across China.</p><p>The Prime Minister raised human rights when she visited China in February 2018. We raise the full range of our human rights concerns in China at the UK/China human rights dialogue, which last took place in Beijing in June 2017.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 05/06/2018 16:29:35 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3470 label Biography information for Lord Ahmed