Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness Chapman of Darlington and David Lidington

Tuesday 20th January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Lidington]

Ministers continue to speak up for the benefits of TTIP, with my noble Friend Lord Livingston in the vanguard on this matter. A successful TTIP deal would benefit the average British family by about £400 a year by delivering a greater choice of products at lower prices, and would give our small businesses much better access to the 300 million consumers in the United States.

[Jenny Chapman (Darlington) (Lab)]

9. What assessment he has made of the potential effect of the Sri Lankan presidential election result on democracy and human rights in that country.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness Chapman of Darlington and David Lidington

Tuesday 29th October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Jenny Chapman (Darlington) (Lab)]

11. What recent discussions he has had with the Russian Government regarding violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in Russia.

[The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington)]

My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary discussed our concern about those attacks when they met their Russian opposite numbers last month.

[Jenny Chapman]

As the Minister knows, there is significant and growing concern in this country about violence in particular but also about the banning of certain publications, and about threats to remove children from LGBT couples. Will he consider raising the issue with the Council of Europe?

[Mr Lidington]

We will certainly consider raising, at every possible opportunity, our concern both about Russian legislation on the matter and about what is, inevitably, anecdotal evidence of appalling attacks on individual LGBT Russian citizens and civil society organisations.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness Chapman of Darlington and David Lidington

Tuesday 4th December 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Lidington]

I share my hon. Friend’s view that a free press is integral to democracy in any country. The British Government have provided funding for professional training for journalists in Azerbaijan, and we support vigorously the work of the Council of Europe, the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe to encourage and promote media freedom both in Azerbaijan and more widely in the southern Caucasus region.

[Jenny Chapman (Darlington) (Lab)]

T3. On trade with the middle east, what discussions have been held with the European Commission on the labelling of settlement goods?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Baroness Chapman of Darlington and David Lidington

Tuesday 17th April 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Jenny Chapman (Darlington) (Lab)]

5. What reports he has received on the conduct of recent presidential elections in the Russian Federation.

[The Minister for Europe (Mr David Lidington)]

The Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, while giving a positive overall assessment of voting on election day, identified problems with unequal campaign conditions and serious limitations on voter choice.

[Mrs Chapman]

I am grateful to the Minister for his answer. Does he know whether the Prime Minister raised the issue of electoral irregularities with President Putin when he called to congratulate him on his election victory?

[Mr Lidington]

We raise with Russian leaders and Russian officials, at every opportunity, our concerns about human rights in their country, and we have certainly raised with the Government of Russia our concerns about how the presidential elections, and indeed last year’s parliamentary elections, were conducted.