Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what financial assistance and logistical support they are providing and intend to provide to countries that have accepted Sudanese refugees, such as Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
On 4 May the UK announced an initial £5 million allocation which will help to provide urgent assistance to tens of thousands of refugees and returnees in South Sudan and Chad fleeing violence in Sudan. We will share details about implementing agencies in due course. Via the UK's diplomatic presence across Africa, we are working to assess the needs of those displaced by the violence in Sudan and who have sought safety in neighbouring countries. The UK is a committed donor in Sudan, having spent over £250 million in humanitarian aid in the last five years.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they are making to welcome those Sudanese refugees fleeing violence who want to come to the UK.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
There are no plans to create a country specific scheme for refugees fleeing Sudan.
The UK continues to welcome refugees through existing resettlement schemes which are global in scope, including the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship, the Mandate Resettlement Scheme and the Family Reunion Scheme.
Under these schemes, the UNHCR will refer refugees for resettlement after undertaking an assessment of people’s needs and vulnerabilities. The UK does not seek to influence which cases are referred by the UNHCR under these schemes.
The UK has provided sanctuary to almost 500,000 individuals since 2015. However, our resources are futile and we cannot provide resettlement to everyone.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prevalence of forced marriages and conversions of women and girls from religious minorities in Pakistan; and what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan regarding this practice.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Protecting women's rights is central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. I [Lord Ahmad] raised forced conversions in my meeting with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, on 14 October 2022. I also conducted a roundtable discussion in Pakistan with human rights stakeholders on 15 October, discussing gender-based violence. In December 2022, the UK announced sanctions against Mian Abdul Haq, a Pakistani cleric who is responsible for the forced religious conversions and forced marriages of non-Muslims and minors.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Pakistan regarding its Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2022, and the impact the legislation will have on religious minorities in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Protecting minority communities is a key part of the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. I [Lord Ahmad] discussed the need to safeguard the rights of religious minorities during my meeting with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada on 30 January, and raised proposed amendments to the blasphemy laws. I also discussed the importance of promoting respect for all religions during my meeting with Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on 14 December 2022.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the government of Pakistan’s rules regarding the registration and operation of international NGOs in that country and the impact that these rules have had on the work of NGOs that His Majesty’s Government supports.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
International Non-Government Organisations (INGOs) are important partners for the UK. They deliver relief to some of the poorest people in Pakistan. The UK government has raised the matter of forced closures of INGOs with the Government of Pakistan and continues to engage on this issue. We continue to urge a clear and transparent process to ensure INGOs can operate effectively in Pakistan.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to introducing an import ban on (1) all products produced by forced labour, and (2) on products produced by all Chinese companies listed as exploiting forced labour.
Answered by Viscount Younger of Leckie
The United Kingdom is at the forefront of global efforts to eradicate modern-day slavery, including forced labour. The UK’s approach to tackling forced labour in global supply chains is focused on transparency and companies with a turnover of £36m or more are required to publish modern slavery statements. The Government has concerns about allegations of forced labour in China and works with international partners to hold China to account for any violation of human rights. Import bans are one of a range of tools that could be used to tackle forced labour in global supply chains and we continue to keep this policy response under close review.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) freedom of religion or belief, (2) freedom of assembly, and (3) freedom of expression, in Pakistan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Pakistan is one of the FCDO's human rights priority countries and protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief is an integral part of our engagement. On 14 October, I (Lord Ahmad) met with Human Rights Minister Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, where he specifically raised Freedom of Religion or Belief. I (Lord Ahmad) also conducted a roundtable discussion in Pakistan with human rights stakeholders and civil society leaders on 15 October to discuss freedom of expression and assembly. On 20 October, the High Commissioner met with the Minister of Religious Affairs, Mufti Abdul Shakoor, where he highlighted the UK's commitment to free and open societies, of which the freedom to hold and express views without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction is crucial. The UK remains committed to working with Pakistan to protect these rights.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to (1) review, and (2) update, their (a) refugee resettlement programme, and (b) emergency migration contingency measures, in response to the shifting nature of the war in Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
As the war in Ukraine evolves, the Government will continue to monitor the situation and offer support, including through safe and legal pathways.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask His Majesty's Government what military assistance they are providing to the government of Ukraine to protect Ukraine’s (1) power plants, and (2) infrastructure, from Russian attack.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The UK remains committed to providing military assistance to Ukraine to defend its sovereignty from Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion.
So far, we have provided a variety of air defence systems, including Stormer vehicles fitted with Starstreak launchers, and hundreds of missiles for air defence systems. These missiles are helping to protect Ukraine's critical national infrastructure, including its power plants.
As the Defence Secretary announced on 13 October, the UK will donate AMRAAM to Ukraine, and hundreds of other air defence missiles, to help Ukraine defend itself against Russian missile strikes.
Asked by: Lord Bishop of Leeds (Bishops - Bishops)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what (1) financial, and (2) technical, assistance they are providing the government of Ukraine to repair (a) power plants, and (b) infrastructure, destroyed by Russia’s aerial assault.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is a leading donor in support of Ukraine, with support totalling approximately £3.8 billion. To date, that assistance includes £22 million of support in the energy sector: £7 million for over 850 generators to ensure vital facilities, such as hospitals, have power; £10 million to the Energy Community's support fund to help Ukraine's efforts to repair infrastructure and reconnect households and key facilities to electricity and gas supply; and £5 million for safety and security equipment for the civil nuclear sector.