Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Rwanda concerning its record on (1) freedom of expression, (2) political debate, and (3) the right for women and girls to safely access abortion, in that country.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK Government firmly believes that freedom of expression, a strong opposition and vibrant civil society is vital for a healthy and well-functioning democracy in Rwanda and that civil society and opposition parties must be able to operate freely, holding the Government to account and contributing to the debate on how the country should be governed. We remain concerned about some restrictions on the space for opposition voices in Rwanda. The UK remains strongly committed to championing comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights globally, including in Rwanda.
We regularly discuss a range of issues with the Government of Rwanda through our High Commission in Kigali and at Ministerial level. The Prime Minster met President Kagame in Kigali during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in June, and the Minister for Africa met Foreign Minister Biruta in London on 18 May.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Statement by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 18 January (HLWS712), who are the members of the Commission of Inquiry led by the Rt Hon. Sir Gary Hickinbottom.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Governor of the British Virgin Islands appointed the Right Honourable Sir Gary Hickinbottom as a sole commissioner on 19 January 2021. The commissioner will be supported by a Secretary and additional team members.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their latest assessment of the situation in Afghanistan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to assess that there is no military solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. Only a political settlement negotiated between Afghans can bring lasting peace and stability to their country. The UK, therefore, strongly welcomes and supports the start of negotiations between the Afghan Government and the Taliban, currently taking place in Doha. We hope this historic opportunity leads to progress, and eventually to an inclusive political settlement and an end to the violence in Afghanistan.
However, we remain deeply concerned by continuing high levels of violence in Afghanistan, most notably the recent Taliban offensive in the southern province of Helmand. Thousands of families have been forced to flee their homes. The UK reiterates the urgent need for all sides to find a way to reduce violence. After decades of conflict, the people of Afghanistan want and deserve peace.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region; and what representations they are making, and to whom, in response.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
The Government is deeply concerned by the recent military escalation along the Line of Contact in Nagorno-Karabakh, and increasing impact on civilians through reported shelling of cities and the resulting humanitarian situation. The Foreign Secretary and Canadian Foreign Minister have delivered two joint statements calling for urgent de-escalation and a return to dialogue on 28 September and 6 October.
The Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas spoke to the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers on 28 September. She raised UK concerns over civilian casualties and fatalities, urged immediate de-escalation and reinforced the importance of engagement with the OSCE Minsk Group. The Prime Minister discussed the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh with Turkish President Erdogan on 28 September. On 29 September the UK delivered statements at both the OSCE Permanent Council and the UN Security Council calling for immediate de-escalation and resumption of dialogue. We will continue to make representations to both the Armenian and Azerbaijani Governments and international partners.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that no one is discriminated against when booking goods and services online from companies based in the UK on the basis of their name.
Answered by Baroness Berridge
Domestic anti-discrimination law is contained in the Equality Act 2010 (“the Act”).
A person’s name may be indicative of their sex and/or their race, both of which are grounds for discrimination covered by the Act.
If a provider of goods or services treats someone unfairly because of their name, for instance because it indicates that they are of a certain colour, nationality or ethnic origin, that may constitute unlawful discrimination under the Act.
If someone believes that they have suffered discrimination for this reason they can contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service, which provides free help and advice to the public. The service can be contacted by a range of means, including by telephone (0808 800 0082) or via its website: https://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com/.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Yemen regarding gender inequality in that country.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Yemen and continue to raise the importance of respect for human rights with all parties to the conflict.
We also acknowledge that the conflict has had a disproportionate impact on women and girls. The incidence of gender based violence has risen by 60% since the start of the conflict. Women and girls bear the disproportionate brunt of obstacles caused by protracted displacement, including lack of access to services and civil documentation.
In the 2018 Foreign and Commonwealth Office human rights report, we highlighted our concerns over women's rights including girls' education, and attacks on freedom of religion or belief and on freedom of speech and association. The UK is a global leader on the Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda and penholder at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). We are prioritising strengthening the implementation of UNSCR 1325 on WPS by increasing women's meaningful participation in peace processes. Through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF), we support UN Women initiatives, such as the Yemeni Women Pact. We also support the work of UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths, who is actively engaging women in the peace process. We recognise there is more to do to support the Special Envoy and are funding advisers on gender and inclusion within his office.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of China regarding the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary spoke to his Chinese counterpart on 28 January about the coronavirus. The British Government is liaising directly with our international partners and the Chinese authorities through our Embassy in Beijing.
To date there have been no cases of British nationals confirmed with the virus. We are liaising directly with Public Health England, who currently assess the threat to the UK to be low. Based on the emerging evidence regarding case numbers, potential sources, and human to human transmission, we have advised against all travel to Hubei Province.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Rwanda concerning the detention of Jackie Umuhoza.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by Jackie Umuhoza's continued detention without charge and urge the Government of Rwanda to abide by its international human rights obligations and international norms on arrest and detention. The Prime Minister raised human rights and the importance of adhering to Commonwealth values when he met President Kagame during the UK-Africa Investment Summit on 20 January. The British High Commission in Kigali regularly raises human rights concerns with the Government of Rwanda.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Equatorial Guinea concerning the detention of Joaquin Elo Ayeto.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains concerned by the human rights situation in Equatorial Guinea and reports of arbitrary detention. We have no diplomatic mission or resident diplomatic staff in Equatorial Guinea. We use regular visits by our non-resident Ambassador (based in Cameroon) and discussions with the Chargé in London to raise human rights concerns. The British Ambassador raised human rights during his most recent visit in January.
Asked by: Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they are giving to British Overseas Territories in the Caribbean to help them diversify from sugar production.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Each of the UK's Caribbean Overseas Territories has its own unique constitution setting out the responsibilities of the local government and the UK Government. The UK supports the economic diversification of the OTs, recognising that it is for the Governments of the OTs to determine policies to support their economies.