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 well-being and whereabouts of Bishop James Su Zhimin; and what response they received when they last raised his incarceration with the government of China.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The environment for freedom of religion or belief across China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Christians such as Bishop Su.
This Government will champion freedom of religion or belief for all overseas. We will work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora, and through bilateral engagement.
The UK Government last raised Bishop Su's case with the Chinese authorities in 2015. We urged the authorities to provide information on Su's whereabouts and his health condition. Given the absence of any charges ever having been brought against him and his age , we urged the authorities to remove all restrictions on his freedom of movement and to allow access by members of his family.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they last raised the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai with the Chinese authorities; and what response they received.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary raised British national Jimmy Lai's case in his first meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the ASEAN Summit on 26 July. We call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and immediately release Jimmy Lai.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mark the upcoming 10th anniversary of the Yazidi genocide (on 3 August); and what practical assistance they are offering to the Yazidi people, in the context of the cessation of the work of the UN investigation team to promote accountability for crimes committed by Da'esh/ISIL, and of reports that Yazidis are being forced out of internally displaced persons camps.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In August 2023, the UK Government acknowledged that acts of genocide were committed by Daesh against the Yazidis in 2014. In the lead up to the 10th anniversary, both the British Embassy Baghdad and the British Consulate General Erbil are continuing to highlight the importance of supporting all survivors of Daesh-perpetrated sexual violence. We will also be joining events in Iraq to mark the Anniversary.
The UK advocated for the passing of the Yazidi Survivor's Law (YSL) in 2021 and is supporting the Government of Iraq to implement the YSL. We continue to advocate for durable solutions for internally displaced people and for voluntary and safe returns. The UK continues to work with Iraq and international partners to ensure that the UN investigative team's evidence collected to promote accountability for crimes committed by Da'esh/ISIL (UNITAD) remains available for criminal prosecutions after its closure.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their latest estimate of the number of people killed, injured or displaced during the war in Sudan; and what progress is being made to secure a settlement.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The limited access environment and ongoing internet and telecommunication disruptions in Sudan means that reporting on the ground is extremely restricted, so there is no accurate estimate of the number of people killed or injured. We know people are in desperate need. With an estimated 7.7 million people internally displaced and a further 2.3 million having fled to neighbouring countries, Sudan is now the world's largest displacement crisis. We urge both the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces to agree to a sustainable ceasefire and ensure that it is upheld. The UK engages regularly with Ramtane Lamamra, the UN Secretary-General Personal Envoy on Sudan to push for coordinated mediation tracks and efforts to press the warring parties to agree a sustained and meaningful peace process.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the UK address to the UN Security Council on 19 April, what is their assessment of progress being made in reaching people at risk of starvation in Sudan.
Answered by Lord Benyon
On 19th April, the UK called an open briefing on the situation in Sudan at the UN Security Council, where we reiterated our calls for the warring parties to facilitate unimpeded cross-border and crossline humanitarian access. However, the continued lack of humanitarian access across Sudan makes it extremely difficult for humanitarian organisations to provide the necessary levels of assistance. Nearly five million people in Sudan are currently at risk of famine. We are working with the UN, other donors and humanitarian agencies to improve and increase the delivery of aid into and across Sudan. We will continue to urge the warring parties to achieve a ceasefire, protect civilians and increase much-needed humanitarian assistance and access.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to make representations to the government of Rwanda about the denial of entry into that country of a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, who is a British citizen, at Kigali airport on 13 May.
Answered by Lord Benyon
The FCDO recognises the importance of organisations like Human Rights Watch and the work that they do. Our High Commissioner in Rwanda has spoken with the individual concerned and, along with other international partners, discussed the incident with the Rwandan government. The Monitoring Committee, agreed as part of the UK-Rwanda Treaty, will have the power to set its own priority areas for monitoring and have unfettered access for the purposes of completing assessments and reports.
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 implications of the government of Rwanda’s apparent refusal to allow staff of Human Rights Watch into the country for (1) UK-Rwanda relations, and (2) the UK-Rwanda asylum partnership.
Answered by Lord Benyon
The FCDO recognises the importance of organisations like Human Rights Watch and the work that they do. Our High Commissioner in Rwanda has spoken with the individual concerned and, along with other international partners, discussed the incident with the Rwandan government. The Monitoring Committee, agreed as part of the UK-Rwanda Treaty, will have the power to set its own priority areas for monitoring and have unfettered access for the purposes of completing assessments and reports.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in using the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club for the benefit of the people of Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
I refer the noble Lord to the answer to Question HL2826 given on 13 March 2024, which can be found on the Q&A web pages (https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2024-02-28/hl2826). The Government is working hard to reach an arrangement that delivers this money for humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of Pakistan concerning the desecration of mosques and graves by police in Pakistan; and what response they have received, if any.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We are aware of credible reports of police overseeing and taking part in the desecration of Ahmadi mosques and graves in Pakistan. The UK Government condemns all instances of hate and discrimination directed towards minority religious communities, including Ahmadi Muslims. I [Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia] raised my concerns about the persecution of religious minorities and the protection of minority faith communities with Pakistan's Human Rights and Law Minister, Azam Tarar, on 15 April. The Foreign Secretary highlighted the need for the UK and Pakistan to work together to pursue freedom of religion and belief in his introductory letter to Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar in March. On 7 March, the UK formally registered UK concerns about the treatment of Ahmadi Muslims with the Pakistan High Commission, condemning all incidents of hate speech, the desecration of Ahmadi mosques and violence against Ahmadi individuals. We will continue to urge the government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in Pakistan as laid down in the Constitution of Pakistan and in accordance with international standards.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to use proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club to help fund the creation of an international tribunal for crimes against international humanitarian law in Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The proceeds are not held by the UK Government. They are currently frozen in a UK bank account. In a statement announcing the sale, Roman Abramovich stated the proceeds would be donated to a new charitable foundation. A licence from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation will be needed to move the funds to the foundation, once established. We will only issue a licence which ensures the proceeds are used for humanitarian purposes in Ukraine. Separately, we continue to engage in the Core Group established to explore options for a special tribunal on the crime of aggression.