Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to include specific references to older women and widows in their National Statement for the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2025.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK's National Statement will highlight our commitment to reaffirming the principles of the Beijing Declaration and putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do. It will also highlight the UK's commitment to promoting the rights and freedoms of all women and girls in all their diversity, including those of all ages. We support a strong and active civil society voice at CSW. The FCDO and OEO will consult with a range of civil society organisations, including women's rights organisations before and during CSW itself.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to consult with a range of civil society organisations representing a diversity of women’s voices for their National Statement at the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2025.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK's National Statement will highlight our commitment to reaffirming the principles of the Beijing Declaration and putting women and girls at the heart of everything we do. It will also highlight the UK's commitment to promoting the rights and freedoms of all women and girls in all their diversity, including those of all ages. We support a strong and active civil society voice at CSW. The FCDO and OEO will consult with a range of civil society organisations, including women's rights organisations before and during CSW itself.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they last undertook a Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS); when they will they undertake a JACS update; and whether there will be a focus on particularly vulnerable groups, including consideration of atrocities against women and girls and members of the Hazara community.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government conducted a Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) for Afghanistan in 2019. Given the sensitive context, this document has not been made public. An internal review of the 2019 JACS undertaken in July 2022 judged that the underlying conflict drivers had not changed. We continue to monitor the situation in Afghanistan closely, with a focus on the impact on the most vulnerable, drawing on internal assessments and external expert analysis. The decision to publicly release UK-commissioned reports and assessments is made on a case-by-case basis.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan following the recent introduction of the law on "the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice" and the ban on them training in any medical capacity.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government is deeply concerned at reports of a ban on women accessing medical training in Afghanistan and have repeatedly and strongly condemned Taliban restrictions on women and girls. Officials have directly pressed the Taliban to reverse their repressive so-called 'vice and virtue' law and have been raising the issue of the Taliban ban on women accessing medical education and training in Afghanistan since 4 December. We consider the Taliban's actions to be short-sighted and a grotesque backwards-step. Our ongoing support to those Afghans most in need is more essential than ever, and we remain committed that at least 50% of those reached by UK aid are women and girls.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when was their last engagement with the Taliban, what was discussed and whether the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan was raised in those exchanges.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We have repeatedly condemned Taliban restrictions on women and girls' rights, both bilaterally and internationally. Officials from the Doha-based UK Mission to Afghanistan continue to press Taliban acting ministers and Afghan officials on human rights abuses in Afghanistan. Officials visit Kabul regularly, raising issues directly with senior members of the Taliban, including their unacceptable policies towards women and girls. Most recently, on 16 December, officials raised the ban on women accessing medical education and training in Afghanistan and urged the Taliban to reverse the ban.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many members of the Taliban they have sanctioned so far and how this compares with the sanctions imposed by other NATO member countries.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We have repeatedly condemned the Taliban's human rights abuses, both bilaterally and internationally. The UK imposes UN sanctions on the Taliban, which lists 135 individuals and five organisations. The Government has not introduced sanctions on the Taliban since they took power in 2021, but we keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. It would not be appropriate to speculate about future sanctions designations as to do so could reduce their impact. The EU and the US have imposed human rights sanctions on members of the Taliban since 2021, and we remain in close contact on this and other ways to hold the Taliban accountable.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many members of the Taliban have been allowed to travel to the UK since the takeover in August 2021, and what was the reason for their travel.

Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)

We hold no record of any delegation of Taliban members travelling to the UK since August 2021.

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential merits of establishing a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing in England.

Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Education)

The Office for Equality and Opportunity maintains the legal framework for discrimination law. This includes the Equality Act 2010 and its protections for older people (through the protected characteristic of age) in a variety of settings, including work and the provision of services.

The Equality Act 2010, including its provisions relating to age, is enforced by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. In addition, the Equality Advisory and Support Service advises and assists individuals on issues relating to equality, including where they believe they may have been discriminated against on the basis of their age. We are committed to supporting these institutions to carry out their important functions. The Office for Equality and Opportunity is not considering establishing a Commissioner for Older People and Ageing at this time.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to join proceedings against Afghanistan (1) brought by Germany, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands before the International Court of Justice for violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, or (2) referred to the International Criminal Court by Chile, Costa Rica, France, Luxembourg, Mexico, and Spain regarding the situation of women and girls.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The Government supports the initiative to refer the Taliban to the International Court of Justice for violations of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and we welcome the continued focus on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan by the International Criminal Court. We have repeatedly condemned Taliban restrictions on women and girls' rights, including through UN Security Council and Human Rights Council resolutions. As the Foreign Secretary said on 24 August, the exclusion of women from all aspects of public life is another tragic setback for Afghanistan. We are discussing with international partners ways to hold them accountable. More broadly, officials regularly press the Taliban to reverse their inhuman restrictions, both bilaterally and with international partners.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to renew the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme beyond its current expiry date of 31 March.

Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We will announce the outcomes of the Business Planning process, including for the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme soon.

Found: , 4 Parliamentary questions Afghanistan: Women 30 Dec 2024 | HL3393 Asked by: Baroness Hodgson of Abinger