Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with international partners, including the governments of the US and Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority, on post-war scenarios for the administration of Gaza.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since Hamas' abhorrent terror attacks on 7 October, the Prime Minister and former Foreign Secretary have spoken with counterparts from over 20 countries, including the US and Jordan, as part of extensive diplomatic efforts to sustain the prospect of peace and stability in the Middle East. As the Prime Minister has said, there is no scenario where Hamas can be allowed to control Gaza again and we agree with the US that a long-term presence of Israeli security forces within Gaza would not be a good outcome for either Israelis or Palestinians. We want to see moves toward a peaceful Palestinian leadership as part of a negotiated settlement between Israel and Palestine, based on 1967 borders. We believe that negotiations will only succeed when they are conducted between Israelis and Palestinians, supported by the international community.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the security and humanitarian situation in northern Myanmar, in particular in Shan State.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the escalation of the conflict in Myanmar's Northern Shan, which has now expanded to the Northwest, Southeast, and Rakhine State. UK humanitarian funds are supporting local civil society organisations in Myanmar, including Shan State to help people who have been affected by the conflict, primarily through cash assistance. We are monitoring the situation closely and have amended our travel advice accordingly to advise against all travel to these areas.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current security situation in the South China Sea, following the recent shipping incident between a Chinese and a Philippine vessel in the Spratly Islands; and what steps they are taking to help to defuse tensions and prevent escalation in the area.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK opposes actions which raise tensions and increase the risk of miscalculation in the South China Sea. Minister Trevelyan made the UK's position clear in her speech at the South China Sea conference in Vietnam in October, where she raised the serious risks posed by recent instances of unsafe conduct against Filipino vessels. Senior officials have raised the risks of miscalculation directly with China, and our Ambassador in Manila has raised the UK's objection to the harassment of Filipino vessels around Second Thomas Shoal and reiterated our support for United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The UK will continue to support regional partners through an enhanced programme of maritime capacity building in Southeast Asia which provides training and funding to strengthen regional capacity on maritime law and security.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of China about the punishments given to those who took part in the Hong Kong protest movement of 2019–20, and the continued harassment of protesters and their families.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The right to peaceful protest and freedom of assembly were both promised to Hong Kongers under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and enshrined in the Basic Law. Thousands who were arrested following the protests in 2019-2020 are still awaiting trial. Attempts by the authorities to harass or intimidate individuals or their families for exercising their right to freedom to peaceful protest and assembly is unacceptable. We continue to urge the Hong Kong authorities to provide certainty to those awaiting trial and for China to act in accordance to the international obligations it freely entered into.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to avert a regional escalation of the hostilities in Israel and Gaza.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since Hamas' abhorrent terrorist attacks on 7 October, the Prime Minister, the former Foreign Secretary and myself as Minister of State; Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, have all visited the region and spoken to counterparts from more than 20 countries as part of extensive diplomatic efforts to prevent regional escalation and to sustain the prospect of peace and stability in the Middle East. This includes the former Foreign Secretary's travel to the region in October where he met leaders in Egypt, Turkey and Qatar, his calls with counterparts from Jordan, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Brazil, and Australia and his meetings with regional counterparts in Riyadh on 9 November.
The UK is seized with the increasing the scale and delivery of life saving humanitarian aid to Gaza and continues to work with our regional partners on preventing the conflict spreading in the region, and oppose any attempts by malign actors to cause further escalation. As part of our close engagement with Israel, the UK has urged the government to take tangible steps to stop settler violence against Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank, which we strongly condemn. We are also clear that to prevent further conflict and terrorism, there must be a political solution to the conflict: the delivery of a two-state solution which provides justice and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what practical steps they intend to take to strengthen bilateral relations with Ecuador, and in particular whether they intend to arrange UK ministerial meetings with new president-elect Daniel Noboa.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK and Ecuador have an excellent bilateral relationship, and we work closely on issues including the environment and climate, their fight against drugs and organised crime, and on the United Nations Security Council. Our Ambassador to Ecuador has talked with President-elect Noboa about our relationship and the opportunities it affords. We will continue to work to strengthen our relationship with Ecuador with the new President and his government once in place, including through ministerial meetings as appropriate.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their understanding of the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, following the series of strong earthquakes in Herat province since 7 October; and what aid they are providing following the World Food Program in Afghanistan’s appeal for $19 million to assist the more than 100,000 people affected.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development 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: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Human Rights 75 initiative, on 10 December.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development 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: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why the Prime Minister did not lead the UK delegation at the UN General Assembly High Level Week in New York from 19 to 23 September; why he did not attend the Sustainable Development Goals Summit on 18 and 19 September; and what assessment they have made of the implications this has for UK leadership in the UN.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK delegation to the UN General Assembly High Level Week, including the Sustainable Development Goals Summit, was led by the Deputy Prime Minister, accompanied by the Foreign Secretary, Secretary of State for Environment, Minister Stuart, Minister Quince, Minister Mitchell, and myself [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon]. The UK delegation built on the significant announcements made by the PM at the G20 in New Delhi, demonstrating how UK priorities can be advanced through multilateralism. In recent decades it has not been uncommon for the UK delegation to be led by someone other than the Prime Minister. Between 2001 and 2013, the UK delegation was frequently led by the Deputy Prime Minister (2010, 2013) or Foreign Secretary (2001-4, 2006, 2007).
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, following the massacre of 50 civilians on 30 August and the subsequent request by Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula for the UN Security Council to accelerate the plan for the withdrawal of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in 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 high levels of violence in east Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including the incident in Goma on 30 August. We continue to engage at the highest levels with DRC and remain committed to supporting efforts to reduce violence in DRC, including through the UN Peacekeeping Mission MONUSCO. I [Lord Ahmad] met with Foreign Minister Lutundula during the UN General Assembly to discuss the DRC's request for early MONUSCO withdrawal and we will continue to monitor this ahead of this year's MONUSCO mandate renewal in December.