Despite some signs of progress under the civilian-led government in Sudan, including institutions observing Christian holidays and allowing Christians to attend church services on Sundays, we remain concerned by ongoing infringements of Freedom of Religion or Belief in Sudan. The burning down of three churches in Sudan\u2019s Blue Nile State is disturbing and the Sudanese authorities must investigate. That these churches were attacked having been rebuilt by members of the local community after previous arson attacks is tragic, and those who seek to sow division must not succeed. Promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief as a means of enhancing tolerance and inclusion remains a key part of our ongoing engagement with Sudan. I personally raised this case, along with wider human rights issues, with the Sudanese ambassador and I urge the Sudanese authorities to prevent such attacks and investigate.<\/p>
Our Embassy in Khartoum\u2019s human rights programming aims to address bureaucratic obstacles and legal restrictions that disproportionately affect religious minorities, which has included the denial of permits for Church buildings and cases of church demolition. Sudan is a priority country in the UK\u2019s Annual Human Rights Report and we will continue to urge respect for human rights, including the rights of minorities to follow their chosen beliefs, in our engagement with the Sudanese authorities.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4210", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2020-02-04", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2020-02-04T14:14:48.337Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "16"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Foreign and Commonwealth Office"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2020-01-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Sudan: Religious Freedom"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports of the burning down of three churches in Bout, in Sudan\u2019s Blue Nile State; and what representations they have made to the government of Sudan about upholding and safeguarding the rights of minorities to follow their chosen beliefs, as enshrined in Article 18 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/738", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Alton of Liverpool"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Alton of Liverpool"} ], "uin" : "HL534"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1167266", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1167266/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Gender Pay Gap among all employees in the UK continues to decline, currently at a record low of 17.3%.<\/p>
<\/p>
This year, mandatory reporting regulations have seen over 10,000 employers report their gender pay gap for the second time, with around half of all employers in-scope of the regulations publishing action plans.<\/p>
<\/p>
To close the gap entirely we need a much wider cultural change, which can\u2019t be imposed from above. We strongly encourage all employers to publish action plans, prompting discussions about the drivers of the pay gap in their organisations. To support employers, we have published advice on how to diagnose their gaps and develop an effective action plan, alongside evidence-based guidance on practical actions they can take to close the gap. We actively disseminate this guidance to employers throughout the year to ensure they have the information they need to create an action plan.<\/p>
<\/p>
This position is kept under review. If we do not think that employers are making enough progress, we will act.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4311", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Baroness Williams of Trafford"} } , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Baroness Williams of Trafford"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2019-11-05", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2019-11-05T13:08:02.01Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "31"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Women and Equalities"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2019-10-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Equal Pay"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "2"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25277", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Lords"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have to ensure that companies publish their action plans for closing the gender pay gap.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1796", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Taylor of Warwick"} } , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Lord Taylor of Warwick"} ], "uin" : "HL534"} ], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 2, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]} }