Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that, despite protests, minarets and domes are to be removed from two mosques in Yunnan province, China; and what discussions they have had, or intend to have, with the government of China concerning threats to the freedom of all religions.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The environment for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) across China is restrictive, including the persecution of Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and Falun Gong practitioners. We are aware of reports of religious sites being altered or destroyed, against the wishes of worshippers.

We work within international organisations and networks to promote and protect freedom of religion or belief for all where it is threatened, including the UN, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe, and the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance.

For example, in October 2022 we raised China's severe restrictions on religious practice in a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) alongside 49 other countries. At last month's UN HRC we made a statement urging China to reverse its ongoing, serious, and systematic human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet.

More generally, we regularly raise the human rights situation in China directly with the Chinese authorities at the highest levels. The Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting with the Chinese Vice President in May 2023.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the compatibility with human rights of the reported "sinicization" of mosques and churches in China.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The environment for Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) across China is restrictive, including the persecution of Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, and Falun Gong practitioners. We are aware of reports of religious sites being altered or destroyed, against the wishes of worshippers.

We work within international organisations and networks to promote and protect freedom of religion or belief for all where it is threatened, including the UN, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council of Europe, and the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance.

For example, in October 2022 we raised China's severe restrictions on religious practice in a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) alongside 49 other countries. At last month's UN HRC we made a statement urging China to reverse its ongoing, serious, and systematic human rights violations in Xinjiang and Tibet.

More generally, we regularly raise the human rights situation in China directly with the Chinese authorities at the highest levels. The Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting with the Chinese Vice President in May 2023.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government how tall the proposed structure for the Holocaust Memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens will be; and whether it will exceed the height of the existing Buxton Memorial.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Page 66 of the Design and Access Statement Part 1, which was submitted to the public inquiry and is available on the Westminster City Council website, shows that the memorial will be 10 metres high; and lower than the Buxton Memorial, which is 13.5 metres high, westminster.gov.uk.

No existing large trees will have to be felled to make way for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many existing large trees would have to be felled to make way for the proposed Holocaust Memorial in Victoria Tower Gardens.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Page 66 of the Design and Access Statement Part 1, which was submitted to the public inquiry and is available on the Westminster City Council website, shows that the memorial will be 10 metres high; and lower than the Buxton Memorial, which is 13.5 metres high, westminster.gov.uk.

No existing large trees will have to be felled to make way for the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what practical steps they are taking to achieve the closure of migrant detention centres in Libya and the repatriation of detainees.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The UK Government consistently urges all states to uphold international law and international human rights standards and to avoid any action that may endanger human life. We continue to monitor the abuse of migrants and refugees in Libya and the inhumane conditions in detention centres. The UK supported the mandate for the Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Libya to asses human rights abuses, including violations in detention centres. We continue to urge the interim Government of National Unity to take steps to end the exploitation and abuse of migrants and to implement a better functioning system that respects human rights. We support the UN's call for detention centres across Libya to be closed, and call on all parties to engage with the UN and the humanitarian community so that all migrants and refugees can be evacuated safely in accordance with international human rights law.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) recent moves by the EU to seek to resolve tensions in northern Kosovo, and (2) the response by the Prime Minister of Kosovo to those efforts.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

We are working actively with partners to de-escalate tensions in northern Kosovo, and to encourage a return to the EU-facilitated Dialogue aimed at securing a conclusive and sustainable normalisation agreement between Serbia and Kosovo. The Foreign Secretary emphasised this message to Kosovo Prime Minister Kurti and to Serbia Prime Minister Brnabic last month. We welcome Kosovo's agreement with the EU on next steps for de-escalation, as announced by Prime Minister Kurti on 12 July.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the recent restoration of diplomatic relations between several Middle Eastern states.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

We welcome the recent agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran if it leads to a de-escalation of tension. The onus is on Iran to honour its commitments. We also welcome the Abraham Accords as a historic milestone bringing us closer to the goal of shared prosperity and peace throughout the region. The UK is working with regional partners to ensure the Abraham Accords are an enduring success, and we continue to encourage other countries who have not yet normalised their relations with Israel to do so. We continue to support efforts to ensure normalisation also delivers benefits for the Palestinians.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will consult the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees on ways to prevent compulsory deportations of Syrians from Turkey and Lebanon.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

We are in regular contact with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on the full range of issues relating to Syrian refugees in not just Turkey and Lebanon, but also across the region. Whilst we hope that Syrian refugees will ultimately be able to return home, we agree with the UN judgement that conditions in Syria do not currently allow this. The UK continues to work with UNHCR to ensure that any returns adhere to international standards and are safe, voluntary and dignified.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to help prevent the potential suspension from September of all United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) services to registered Palestinian refugees, because of financial pressures on its budget; and what is their assessment of the capacity of other United Nations agencies to sustain essential services.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The UK is a longstanding supporter of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) voting to renew the agency's mandate until June 2026, providing essential humanitarian support to Palestinian refugees across its five zones of operation. Our annual contribution to their programme budget helps UNRWA provide education to over 533,000 children a year (half of them girls), and access to health services for 3.5 million Palestinian refugees. Given the impact of the global pandemic on the economy and public finances, the UK moved to a target of spending 0.5 per cent of GNI on Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2021. This was a difficult - but temporary - decision and the then Chancellor indicated during his budget speech on 27th October 2021 that the UK is currently on track to return to 0.7 per cent of GNI spend on ODA by financial year 2024/25. We are aware of UNRWA's immediate financial challenges and have pledged £10 million to UNRWA for this financial year. I, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon as The Minister of State for the Middle East, frequently raise UNRWA's financial situation with Middle East and North Africa regional partners at ministerial level, and the Minister of State for Development and Africa has also raised this with with Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Supervisor General of KSRelief at the Riyadh humanitarian forum in February. To that end, the UK government is working with UNRWA and other international donors to help ensure its continued financial viability.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will place a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Cooperation between the President of the Council of the Ministers of the Italian Republic and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, dated 27 April 2023, in the Library of the House.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

There are no plans to place a copy of the Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral Cooperation between the UK and Italy in the Library of the House. The document was published on the gov.uk website on 27 April 2023.

[https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/memorandum-of-understanding-between-the-uk-and-italy]

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the prospects for détente between Greece and Turkey.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

Greece and Turkey are close friends and allies to the UK and we are pleased to see continued high-level contact between the two countries, including Prime Minister Mitsotakis and President Erdoğan's meeting on 12 July, and commitment to hold a bilateral High-Level Cooperation Council in Thessaloniki in the Autumn. We hope this engagement can pave the way towards a long term reduction in tensions. We encourage both countries to resolve issues through dialogue and we support de-confliction measures aimed at de-escalation and reduction of tensions, including existing deconfliction mechanisms within NATO structures. The UK will continue to work with all parties in support of this.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have provided funds amounting to £20 million for a prison in north-east Syria to contain, amongst others, 25 British families.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

As said in the counter-Daesh statement to the House on 4 March 2021, as part of the Global Coalition's collective stabilisation efforts in the region, the UK has provided technical advice and funding for the improvement of detention facilities for Daesh fighters in north-east Syria.

It would not be appropriate to comment further for reasons of operational security.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of how many unaccompanied children seeking asylum remain in hotels, prior to placement with Local Authorities.

Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth - Shadow Minister (Home Office)

The data requested cannot be provided as it comes from live operational databases that have not been quality assured.

There has been a significant increase in the numbers of young people making unnecessary and dangerous journeys to the UK. The Home Office has had no alternative but to temporarily use hotels in order to give some unaccompanied asylum seeking children (UASC) emergency accommodation and support while permanent accommodation with a local authority is identified.

We are determined to end the use of hotels for these young people and Home Office officials work tirelessly with local authorities to move children into care placements through the National Transfer Scheme (NTS).

To help achieve this, we have provided local authorities with children’s services £15,000 for every eligible young person taken into their care from a Home Office-run hotel dedicated to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children or the Kent Reception and Safe Care Service by the end of February 2023.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to have discussions with NATO concerning a potential investigation into the military activities of Turkey, particularly regarding activities in (1) northern Syria, and (2) north-west Iraq; and what discussions they plan to have with the (a) Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and (b) the Council of Europe, about compliance with international norms for military action and any violation of existing agreements on water-flows in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

The UK recognises Turkey's legitimate security interests in Syria and Iraq. We engage regularly with Turkey, a NATO ally, on regional security issues and encourage restraint from any activity that leads to further regional instability. The UK is monitoring water supply issues in north east Syria; we have raised the humanitarian issue of water availability bilaterally with all parties in the region, including Turkey. We do not have plans for formal discussions on this issue at NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) or the Council of Europe (CoE).

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to re-nationalise public utilities to provide water, electricity and gas in instances where there are, in effect, natural monopolies and limited choice or representation for consumers.

Answered by Earl of Minto - Shadow Minister (Defence)

The government has no plans to re-nationalise the water, electricity, or gas industries. Properly regulated markets, which incentivise private capital to invest in the energy and water systems, provide the best outcome for consumers and promote market competition as the best driver of efficiency, innovation, and value.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the resolutions adopted by the European Parliament on 15 September 2022, and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on 27 June relating to the treatment of Bishop Rolando Álvarez; and what discussions they have had with the government of Nicaragua concerning the re-arrest and imprisonment in that country of Bishop Rolando Álvarez and three other priests, and the holding of two others under house arrest.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon

On 28 June, the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief and Chair of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance, Fiona Bruce MP, called for the immediate and unconditional release of Bishop Alvarez and all others wrongly deprived of their freedom in Nicaragua, naming Bishop Álvarez as a prisoner of conscience. The UK continues to call for the release of Bishop Álvarez and all political prisoners in Nicaragua, including in conversations with the Nicaraguan authorities in Managua. The increasing suppression of political rights and the detention and expulsion of opposition politicians, activists and members of the clergy are further evidence of the serious democratic crisis in Nicaragua.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to respond to the letter from Lord Hylton to the Prime Minister dated 11 July, calling for a UN inquiry into the conditions in which Mr Abdullah Ocalan is being held in Turkey, and in particular into threats to his life.

Answered by Baroness Neville-Rolfe - Shadow Minister (Treasury)

The Prime Minister's office has no record of receiving this correspondence. If Lord Hylton would kindly like to supply a further copy, a reply will be sent.

Found: Debate Pack , 12 December 2023 5 PQs China: Religious Buildings 20 Jul 2023 | HL9076 Asked by: Lord

Found: 8 September 2023 5 Parliamentary questions Rolando Álvarez 31 Jul 2023 | HL9398 Asked by: Lord