Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the sources of funding and support for the M23 armed group and its role in the displacement of approximately one million people in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to monitor the security situation in eastern DRC. The consequences of the conflict are immediate and severe and are resulting in large scale human displacement and humanitarian suffering. We welcome the comprehensive reports issued by the UN Group of Experts (GoE) on the DRC - we stand behind the GoE and the critical work they do. We note the human rights abuses and the violations of international humanitarian law by armed groups, including M23, as documented in the report and we call for an end to all external support to armed groups. We continue to urge all parties to the conflict to honour commitments made during regional peace process meetings, including the cessation of hostilities and agreed withdrawal by M23. We are fully supportive of the work carried out by the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO and note their vital work in providing protection for many of those displaced. The UK firmly believes the regional Nairobi and Luanda diplomatic peace processes provide the best means by which to achieve a lasting peace in eastern DRC and offer them our full support.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have plans to increase funding to agencies charged with countering international corruption in order to deliver on the commitment in the Integrated Review Refresh to "close down London as a centre for corrupt elites to launder money and enhance their reputations".
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with UK media outlets about the importance of verifying reports before broadcast, particularly in a volatile war environment.
Answered by Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
Broadcasters have a duty to ensure that the news they provide are accurate and impartial. That is particularly important when it comes to coverage of highly sensitive events.
As the Prime Minister said at Prime Minister’s Questions on 18 October 2023, “it is incumbent on all of those in positions of responsibility in this House and outside in the media to recognise that the words we say will have an impact, and we should be careful with them”.
Ofcom’s Broadcasting Code ensures that all broadcast news are reported with due accuracy and impartiality. As the UK’s independent broadcasting regulator, it is for Ofcom to determine whether there has been a breach of the Broadcasting Code, and whether to take action.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to strengthen (1) support, and (2) protection, for (a) human rights defenders, and (b) civil society, in Zimbabwe.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Zimbabwe is one of the UK's 32 Human Rights Priority Countries. As the Minister of State for Africa and Development said to President Mnangagwa in May, the UK would like to see the Government of Zimbabwe meet its international and domestic obligations by respecting the rule of law and safeguarding human rights.
The UK has engaged with the Government of Zimbabwe on draft legislation including the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Bill and amendments to the criminal code that, if passed into law, could be used to undermine the operating capacity of civil society, and to silence and penalise critics of the state.
The UK continues to support the most vulnerable people in Zimbabwe. This financial year, we are providing £74 million in official development assistance, focused on education and livelihoods, promoting health, supporting governance and human rights as well as climate resilience.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that UK social care providers are selling certificates of sponsorship to social care workers in Zimbabwe.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office monitors sponsors through compliance checks to ensure they adhere to the requirements set for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the workers.
If anyone has reason to believe that abusive practices may be taking place, they should report this through our formal channels so that the information is placed in the hands of the relevant authorities for assessment and potential investigation. Full details of how to report information to the Home Office are available on our website at: www.gov.uk/report-immigration-crime.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take, if any, to investigate alleged discrepancies in the application that Uebert Angel, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador at Large, made for British citizenship.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Home Office takes allegations of immigration fraud seriously and thoroughly investigates allegations of deception with a view to removing status if appropriate.
We do not routinely comment on individual cases.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether British citizen Uebert Angel should retain diplomatic status as Zimbabwe’s Ambassador at Large.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We are aware of an Al Jazeera documentary investigating cases of alleged smuggling and fraud involving Uebert Angel, a dual British-Zimbabwean national and Presidential Envoy and Ambassador At Large for the country of Zimbabwe to Europe and the Americas. Whilst Mr Angel holds a diplomatic passport he is not diplomatically accredited to the UK - countries are free to determine for themselves who they grant these passports to, but the passport itself does not confer any diplomatic status on the holder. We cannot comment further on specific cases at this stage. The UK sees corruption as an important barrier to economic reform and inclusive growth in Zimbabwe. We engage with the Government of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission, civil society and other actors in the fight against corruption in Zimbabwe.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of allegations against British citizens made in the Al Jazeera documentary, Gold Mafia; and what steps they will take, if any, to investigate the activities of companies whose named directors are alleged to have been involved in conspiracy to commit financial crime.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We do not comment on individual cases, this is a matter for law enforcement.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of allegations of corruption and money laundering contained in the Al Jazeera documentary Gold Mafia, and what steps, if any, they will take to freeze assets held in the UK or dependent territories by those who have been (1) alleged to have engaged in, and (2) found guilty of, financial crime.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We do not comment on individual cases, this is a matter for law enforcement.
Asked by: Lord Oates (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take, if any, to address the allegations of criminal activity made against British citizens in the Al Jazeera documentary, Gold Mafia.
Answered by Lord Sharpe of Epsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office)
We do not comment on individual cases, this is a matter for law enforcement.