Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Argentina on greater support for the teaching of Welsh in the Chubut Province.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Council has delivered the Welsh Language Project (WLP), which promotes and develops the Welsh language in the Chubut region of Patagonia, Argentina, since 1997. Each year, Language Development Officers from Wales spend a full academic year teaching in Patagonia. They develop the language in the Welsh-speaking communities through both formal teaching and informal social activities. His Majesty's Ambassador to Argentina and the British Council Director for Argentina last discussed the programme with the Government of Argentina in mid-March.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Pakistan regarding attacks on Ahmadiyya Muslim mosques.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK condemns the continued persecution of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan and this is regularly raised in our meetings with the Pakistani authorities. On 22 March I met with Pakistan's newly-appointed Foreign Secretary Ishaq Dar to discuss the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan. I raised attacks on Ahmadiyya Muslim mosques with Pakistan's caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani on 13 September and in a letter of 5 October in 2023. On 7 March, the UK formally registered concerns with the Pakistan High Commission, condemning all incidents of hate speech directed towards Ahmadi Muslims, the desecration of Ahmadi mosques, and violence against Ahmadi individuals. In my letter to the newly-appointed Human Rights Minister in March, I underlined the UK's commitment to protecting religious minorities and urged the government of Pakistan to condemn any instances of hate directed towards Ahmadi Muslims and other marginalised religious communities.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Argentina on the future security of the Falkland Islands.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As fellow G20 members, we look forward to developing a strong and constructive relationship under the Presidency of Javier Milei. When the Minister for the Americas met President Milei at his inauguration, he made clear that the UK has no doubt about our sovereignty over the Falkland Islands and surrounding maritime areas. We are committed to defending proactively the Falkland Islanders' right of self-determination; this is not something we will ever be prepared to negotiate on.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Tanzania concerning the forced eviction of the Maasai people from their ancestral lands.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK is aware of the complex issue involving the alleged eviction of Maasai communities in Loliondo and Ngorongoro in northern Tanzania, and the Tanzanian Government's voluntary relocation scheme. Whilst recognising that this issue is an internal Tanzanian matter, the British High Commission in Dar es Salaam has met the Government of Tanzania and other stakeholders locally, including Maasai community leaders and civil society representatives, to better understand the challenges posed to all parties by the current situation. We understand that many people have expressed concerns on this issue. We will continue to encourage all stakeholders to engage in meaningful dialogue.Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to appoint a nominated person or persons to have responsibility for communicating with the Governments of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in every UK overseas embassy, if those governments so wish.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
While international relations are a matter reserved to the UK Government (UKG) and Westminster Parliament, the UKG recognises the legitimate interest the devolved Governments have on international activity, especially where this has impact on matters of devolved competence, or in their responsibility to implement aspects of international agreements.
Each of the devolved governments has a presence at various locations overseas and often their staff are co-located within UK embassies. FCDO staff in our overseas network already work closely together with officials from each of the devolved governments. The FCDO also has regular engagement with officials from the devolved governments in the UK, including through a recently instituted Director-level forum which held its first meeting in March 2022, with another anticipated in summer 2022. That forum is underpinned by frequent official level engagement across all levels. The FCDO is eager to maintain and develop this engagement further, and identify where closer collaboration and cooperation will continue to bring benefits to every part of the UK, drawing on our extensive diplomatic network overseas.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have (1) to review their decision to allow oil from Russia to enter the UK for the remainder of 2022, and (2) to implement an earlier ban.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK will phase out imports of Russian oil through the course of 2022. It is important that we give ourselves enough time to adjust our supply chains. This comes on top of the largest and most severe sanctions package the UK has ever imposed, which is already impacting President Putin and the Russian economy.Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they are giving to (1) ministers, and (2) civil servants, on visiting Italy on official business or as private individuals.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
We have amended our travel advice to recommend against all but essential travel to Italy and this advice applies to all British nationals including ministers and civil servants.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Spain about ensuring that adequate safety standards are maintained in Spanish hotels and similar accommodation used by British holidaymakers.
Answered by Baroness Sugg
Our Embassy and network of Consulates in Spain is in regular contact with the relevant authorities, hoteliers' associations and tourism trade bodies in Spain to ensure British nationals can enjoy their holidays safely and responsibly. We work in close partnership with these bodies on our safety campaigns. For example, the Consulate in Mallorca are part of a working group of authorities and tourism sector bodies looking at safety issues.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey in relation to the Kurdish hunger strikers who are campaigning for the end of the solitary confinement in which the Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan is being held on the island of Imrali in contravention of European and international law.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British Government has raised Mr Öcalan’s case with the Turkish authorities a number of times. The Minister for Europe and the Americas raised the issue most recently with the Turkish Ambassador on 13 May. While strongly condemning the ongoing violence perpetrated by the PKK, a proscribed terrorist organisation in the UK, we have encouraged the Turkish authorities to implement the recommendations made by the Committee for the Prevention of Torture following their visit to Imrali prison. In this regard, I welcome the fact that Mr Öcalan was granted access to two lawyers on 2 May. I also note the comment made by Mr Öcalan, via his lawyers, that individuals should not pursue these hunger strikes to the point of serious illness or death.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of Spain concerning judicial independence in Spain in relation to the rights of citizens in Catalonia, including those who also have UK citizenship.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
We have not made any representations to the Spanish government on this issue. The UK is clear that questions related to Catalonia are a matter for the Government and people of Spain, and there needs to be respect for the laws and Constitution of Spain. As for UK citizens in Catalonia, they enjoy the same constitutional rights as UK citizens in any other autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain.