Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what actions they are taking with international partners (1) to combat antisemitism within (a) the United Nations, and (b) other international organisations; and (2) to ensure that allegations of antisemitism by UN officials and mandate holders are appropriately addressed.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
The UK continues to value the role of UN agencies, mandate holders, special rapporteurs, and others who provide expertise, coordination and leadership in support of international-agreed objectives and issues of concern. However, it is vital that they do so in a way that is independent, objective, and maintains the confidence of Member States. For example, along with several other countries, the UK has raised concerns about a series of comments made by the Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and we have asked that the comments of the Special Rapporteur be urgently investigated against the Code of Conduct for her post, and for action to be taken to restore the confidence of the international community in the independence and objectivity of the Special Rapporteur system.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions the Foreign Secretary has had with the Iranian Ambassador since 28 April regarding Iranian linked proxy violence in the United Kingdom; and what assessment they have made of the impact of such activity on social cohesion and threats to the UK's Iranian and Jewish communities.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington
HMG regularly makes clear to Iran that the threats it poses to UK‑based citizens are unacceptable and must cease immediately. The Foreign Secretary raised this issue directly with her Iranian counterpart, FM Araghchi, on 8 May.
The police and security services continue to work tirelessly to protect Iranian dissidents, journalists and Jewish communities from the threat posed by Iran. It is vital that we also step up our support to protect social cohesion. On 30 April, the Government announced a further £25 million of immediate funding in 2026/27 to strengthen policing, protect Jewish communities and provide reassurance in response to the terrorist attack in Golders Green and recent spate of antisemitic attacks. In addition, £40 million is available for the Protective Security for Mosques Scheme, and £5 million is available to protect all other faiths groups through the Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has held with his international counterparts on securing the release of Druze hostages in Syria.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We condemn the killing and kidnapping of Syrians from the Druze community, including women and children, by Daesh in Sweida, southern Syria, in July 2018. Officials in London and at our Embassy in Beirut have met with members with the Druze community to discuss the attacks. As a leading member of the Global Coalition against Daesh, we remain strongly committed to the defeat of Daesh and to justice for its victims.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many and what proportion of his Department's staff have had days off sick because of mental illness or stress in each of the last three years; and how many days off that amounted to in each of those years.
Answered by Alan Duncan
In 2015, 2180 sick absence days were taken for mental health or stress by 65 members of staff, representing 1.5% of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) UK-based workforce.
In 2016, 2816 sick absence days were taken for mental health or stress by 79 members of staff, representing 1.7% of the FCO's UK-based workforce.
In 2017, 2845 sick absence days were taken for mental health or stress by 78 members of staff, representing 1.7% of the FCO's UK-based workforce.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many senior civil servants in his Department were on a leave of absence from work due to mental illness in each month of each year since the Department's creation.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The number of absences of this nature amongst our senior civil servants is low. We are unable to disclose figures broken down by category as it may be possible to identify individuals from the data.
Asked by: Baroness Berger (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he raised the issue of the death penalty and executions of mentally ill prisoners and those arrested for non-violent drug offences on his recent trip to Pakistan.
Answered by Lord Sharma
The UK remains firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances. Abolitionist work is high on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) agenda and is part of the day-to-day work of all diplomatic missions to countries that retain the death penalty. The FCO Human Rights and Democracy Report 2015 makes clear our views on the death penalty and the resumption of executions in Pakistan.
During his visit to Pakistan in November, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), raised our human rights concerns and the importance we attach to upholding the rule of law. We continue to raise our concerns about the death penalty with the government of Pakistan and urge compliance with its international obligations.