Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remark by Lord Bethell on 16 January (HL Deb, col 839) that a country-by-country guide to UK citizens’ rights and associated obligations in each of the EU 27 countries is desirable, whether they intend to produce such a guide; and if so, when.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office maintains 'Living in Country Guides' for all EU Member States, EEA EFTA countries and Switzerland on GOV.UK. The guides cover approximately a dozen different areas including, the Withdrawal Agreement, residency, healthcare and pensions and benefits.
The guides are updated on a constant basis and users can sign up for an email alert for their relevant guide so that they are notified when new content is added.
Where Her Majesty's Government policy that affects British nationals is relevant, it features on the guides and is updated with input from the government department that owns the policy as necessary.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will continue to update these pages as more information becomes available from Member State governments about what actions British nationals need to take to confirm their status under the Withdrawal Agreement.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government with which of the EU 27 member states they have negotiated a reciprocal agreement covering citizens rights; what each agreement covers; and what plans they have to pursue any more such agreements.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Withdrawal Agreement protects the rights of UK nationals living in the EU for as long as they remain resident in their host country. They will be able to live, work, study, access healthcare and collect their pensions in their Member State of residence as they do now.
The agreement sets out a transition period until 31 December 2020. During the transition period, EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU will be able to live, work and travel broadly as they do now.
We are pursuing a relationship with the EU which is based on friendly cooperation between sovereign equals, and centred on free trade. The details, including on the mobility of citizens, are a matter for future negotiation.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance and support they have provided to the government of Colombia and relevant organisations to protect human rights defenders in Colombia; and what assessment they have made of protection measures for those defenders.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Through projects delivered by the British Embassy in Bogota, the UK has supported training in individual and collective protection measures for human rights defenders. The UK has also supported the work of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Colombia, which monitors the human rights situation and works closely with the civil society. On 20 December 2017, the Minister for Europe and the Americas announced that the OHCHR would benefit by £400,000 from a package of additional UK financial support to the Peace Process in Colombia.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Colombia about the increase of human rights defenders being killed in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned about the high number of attacks against human rights defenders and local community leaders in Colombia. The UK raised these concerns during the session on Colombia at the UN Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review in Geneva on 10 May. The Minister for Europe and the Americas also discussed the situation of human rights defenders with the Colombian Ambassador and visiting Colombian ministers.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have sent, or will send, observers to the criminal proceedings against former Colombian President, and current Colombian Senator, Alvaro Uribe Velez, including proceedings in the Colombian Supreme Court for alleged interference with witnesses; and whether they have offered assistance in investigations.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Through our advocacy and project work we support efforts by the Government of Colombia to strengthen the protection of vulnerable groups and individuals, including witnesses in judicial cases. On 25 April, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in London were briefed by a non-governmental organisation's supporting of witnesses in this case, about the threats against them and protection measures provided by the Colombian Government National Protection Unit. We currently have no plans to send observers to follow this specific case.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Colombia about the effectiveness of witness protection measures in connection with politically sensitive judicial proceedings in Colombia, including those involving former Colombian President, and current Colombian Senator, Alvaro Uribe Velez.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Through our advocacy and project work we support efforts by the Government of Colombia to strengthen the protection of vulnerable groups and individuals, including witnesses in judicial cases. On 25 April, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in London were briefed by a non-governmental organisation's supporting of witnesses in this case, about the threats against them and protection measures provided by the Colombian Government National Protection Unit. We currently have no plans to send observers to follow this specific case.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 March (HL6202), whether they have now made a decision on whether to attend the 2018 UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It remains hard to say at this stage whether the UN High Level Conference will lead to effective progress on nuclear disarmament. We are therefore planning to send a representative to attend the Organisational meeting of this Conference, with the aim of establishing a clearer view about the High Level Conference's aims and objectives. However the organisational meeting has been postponed once and it remains unclear if it, or the conference itself, will in fact take place in May.
We will take a considered approach to attendance of the High Level Conference, as and when the organisational aims become clear.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what their priorities are for the 2020 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to be held from 23 April to 4 May.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We will use the second Preparatory Committee for the 2020 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference to engage with a wide range of states on how we can tackle the challenges that we face on non-proliferation and disarmament, and on how to enable access to the peaceful use of nuclear technology. We will continue to press for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the start of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty in the Conference on Disarmament and increased transparency and trust between Nuclear Weapons States in order to develop the global conditions in which nuclear armed states feel confident enough to relinquish their weapons. We continue to urge all states that have not yet done so, to join the NPT as non-Nuclear Weapons States.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to attend the 2018 UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Mission to the UN in New York regularly discusses a broad range of foreign and security issues including nuclear disarmament with a broad range of partners including the UN, French and US Missions. As a responsible nuclear weapons state, the UK is committed to the long term goal of a world without nuclear weapons and we continue to work with our international partners to tackle proliferation and to make progress on nuclear disarmament. However, we do not believe the UN High Level Conference in May 2018 will lead to effective progress on nuclear disarmament. It will not address the serious threats to international peace and security posed by nuclear proliferation nor will it take account of the international security environment. We will consider our approach to the Conference closer to the time.
Asked by: Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions Karen Pierce, the UK Permanent Representative to the UN, has held with (1) the UN, (2) France, and (3) the US, with regard to the forthcoming UN High-Level Conference on Nuclear Disarmament.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Mission to the UN in New York regularly discusses a broad range of foreign and security issues including nuclear disarmament with a broad range of partners including the UN, French and US Missions. As a responsible nuclear weapons state, the UK is committed to the long term goal of a world without nuclear weapons and we continue to work with our international partners to tackle proliferation and to make progress on nuclear disarmament. However, we do not believe the UN High Level Conference in May 2018 will lead to effective progress on nuclear disarmament. It will not address the serious threats to international peace and security posed by nuclear proliferation nor will it take account of the international security environment. We will consider our approach to the Conference closer to the time.