Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of instances of persecution on the grounds of religion or belief in some Indian states; when they last raised this with the government of India, including the High Commission of India in London; and what response they have received from the government of India.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect and tolerance between different religious and non-religious communities, regardless of faith.
I [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad] discussed human rights with the Government of India, leaders of faith groups and others during my visit to India in May 2023. FoRB was also among the issues discussed during my visit to India in February. Where we have issues, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level.
The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions across India, consistently monitor human rights in the country, regularly engage with civil society and religious representatives, and have run projects supporting human rights.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take action following reported cases of self-immolation and suicide among Tibetan Monks protesting against the government of China; and in particular whether they have made representations to that government, including in relation to the death of monk Tenzin Dorjee.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government consistently raises human rights issues with the Chinese authorities, including in relation to Tibet. The Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific raised human rights during her visit to China in April, and the Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting in February with China's Foreign Minister. We also regularly raise concerns about China's actions in Tibet in multilateral fora, for example, in January at China's Universal Periodic Review, and in March as part of our Item 4 statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 25 April (HL Deb col 624GC–643GC), whether a percentage of aid to Pakistan will be allocated to improving the living conditions of people from religious minorities, including the provision of fresh running water and electricity, and the creation of primary schools.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK's targeted aid programmes are working to alleviate the issues facing minorities in Pakistan. Our £46.7 million Aawaz II programme is tackling social intolerance and exclusion by supporting systemic reforms and promoting interfaith dialogue. Our £130 million Girls and Out of School Action for Learning programme is improving education outcomes for marginalised children, including those from religious minorities; by 2027, the programme will support 250,000 children from marginalised sections of society. Our £4.2 million Hate Speech and Disinformation Programme is helping to protect vulnerable groups, with a focus on making digital spaces safer for women and religious minorities. These programmes tackle broad issues which impact across a variety of vulnerable demographics. We assess that this is the most effective way of helping vulnerable populations.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office are taking to ensure transparency in relation to ministerial recusals.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Under the terms of the Ministerial Code, Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises, or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their ministerial position and their private interests, financial or otherwise.
There is an established regime in place for the declaration and management of interests held by ministers. This ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any potential or perceived conflicts of interest. Interests judged, by the Independent Adviser on Ministers' Interests, to be relevant to a ministerial role are published in the List of Ministers' Interests, which is available on GOV.UK.
As set out in the Ministerial Code, it is the personal responsibility of each Minister to decide whether and what action is needed to avoid a conflict or the perception of a conflict, taking account of advice received from their Permanent Secretary and the Independent Adviser on Ministers' interests.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions the Foreign Secretary has had with the Ministry of Defence regarding future expansion of Pillar II of the AUKUS agreement.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign and Defence Secretaries regularly discuss AUKUS. For example, they did so during their joint visit to Australia in March ahead of the announcement on 8 April that AUKUS partners will undertake consultations in 2024 with others regarding engagement in individual Pillar II (advanced military capabilities) projects, including actively considering collaboration with Japan.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will publish the guidance provided to Ministers on recusing themselves from decision making; and what plans they have, if any, to review that guidance.
Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Minister of State (Cabinet Office)
As set out in the Ministerial Code, there is an established regime in place for the declaration and management of interests held by ministers. This ensures that steps are taken to avoid or mitigate any potential or perceived conflicts of interest. Under the terms of the Ministerial Code Ministers must ensure that no conflict arises or could reasonably be perceived to arise, between their ministerial position and their private interests, financial or otherwise. The Ministerial Code is the responsibility of the Prime Minister. There are no current plans to update the Ministerial interests’ provisions in the Code.
Chapter 7 of the Ministerial Code provides detail on the procedure ministers must follow regarding their private interests. In particular it states, “it is the personal responsibility of each Minister to decide whether and what action is needed to avoid a conflict or the perception of a conflict”.
More information about the process by which ministerial interests are managed is available in the Annual Report of the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests and the List of Ministers Interests. These are available on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken in response to the issuing of practice recommendations to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office by the Information Commissioner’s Office, following its assessment that the information request handling processes of that department "do not conform to parts 1, 4 and 5 of the section 45 Freedom of Information Code of Practice".
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO takes its responsibilities under the Freedom of Information Act very seriously and will continue to strive to answer Freedom of Information (FOI) requests within the required timescales.
We welcome the Information Commissioner's Office's (ICO) Practice Recommendations and have agreed to publish a full response by the 31 May 2024 as requested. We are considering all of their recommendations and are constructing a detailed implementation plan to improve our timeliness.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that online sales representatives, working for illicit Chinese pharmaceutical and chemical companies, are producing and smuggling illegal drugs into the UK, what action they are taking to combat the sale and advertisement of such drugs on the internet, and what response they have received from any representations they have made to the government of China in this regard.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
Illicit production of synthetic drugs is a growing global concern, and we assess that criminal groups involved in illicit production are present in numerous countries around the world, including China. UK law enforcement agencies regularly engage with counterparts in countries where websites supplying and advertising illicit drugs are hosted. We have provided additional resources to the National Crime Agency (NCA) and Home Office international networks in key source and transit countries to work with other governments to identify and disrupt criminal groups who seek to exploit the UK. We are also working closely with partners to monitor developments in source countries, to assess how changes are likely to affect the drugs threat to the UK.
With regards to action being taken to combat the sale of illicit drugs on the internet, our Online Safety Act will introduce measures requiring platforms to remove content relating to the sale of illegal drugs online and prevent users from being exposed to it. If they fail to comply, they risk stiff financial penalties or in the most serious cases, having their sites blocked by the independent regulator, Ofcom.
Additionally, the NCA, along with policing colleagues across the UK target key offenders operating online and work to ensure they have the resources and powers they need to keep our country safe. For example, proposals are being taken forward in the Criminal Justice Bill to create a new power enabling law enforcement to suspend IP addresses and/or domain names being used for criminal purpose, including the sale of illicit drugs. This new power will allow agencies to obtain a court order to formally request action by organisations both domestically and outside of the UK.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by the World Food Programme that the situation in Sudan is “catastrophic” and that it is currently only able to reach 10 per cent of the population; and what discussions they have had with those blocking access.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly condemns the decision on 21 February by the Sudanese Armed Forces to withdraw permission for cross-border deliveries of humanitarian aid from Adré, Chad. The UK continues to press the warring parties to facilitate unhindered, crossline and cross-border humanitarian access across Sudan. In 2024/2025, UK ODA to Sudan will nearly double to £89 million. This includes funding to UNICEF, providing emergency, life-saving food assistance to support people particularly in hard-to reach areas; and the World Food Programme to assist over 285,000 beneficiaries for six months by providing 13,405 tons of food commodities including cereals, pulses, oils and salt. On 8 March, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted UK-drafted Resolution 2724 calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities and unhindered humanitarian access.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had, if any, with the government of Turkey, in relation to Turkish military attacks on Sinjar.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK recognises Turkey's right to self-defence, while fully supporting Iraq's territorial integrity. We encourage restraint from activity that could lead to loss of civilian life, or damage to civilian infrastructure. It is critical that Turkey and Iraq reach a way to address security concerns that does not lead to regional instability. We welcome recent high-level engagement between both countries, including President Erdoğan's visit to Iraq on 22 April. As a close NATO ally, we regularly engage Turkey on regional stability. Most recently, the UK National Security Advisor discussed this issue with his Turkish counterpart in London on 11 April.