Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what consultation his Department has undertaken with local communities prior to activities being (a) finalised and (b) implemented under her Department's Pakistan Economic Corridors Programme.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Local communities are consulted prior to road projects being finalised. Asian Development Bank (ADB) consultants engage communities in preparing Land Acquisition and Resettlement Plans which ensure compensation for displacement and loss of livelihoods. During implementation ADB experts continue to consult communities and ensure the activities are delivered using the ADB’s environmental and social policies. Local communities are also consulted on design and implementation of community centres constructed along improved roads.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many (a) dual and (b) UK-only UK nationals have had their UK citizenship revoked in the last 10 years.
Answered by Caroline Nokes
Under section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981, as amended in 2006 and 2014, the Secretary of State is empowered to deprive, by order, any person of any form of British nationality if satisfied that:
Under Section 40(3) of the British Nationality Act, the Secretary of State may by order deprive a person of a citizenship status which results from his registration or naturalisation if the Secretary of State is satisfied that citizenship was obtained by means of fraud, false representation or concealment of a material fact
When seeking to deprive on the basis that to do so is conducive to the public good, the law requires that this action proceed only if the individual concerned would not be left stateless, unless action is taken under the specific provisions in 4A,. In that case, deprivation will only occur if the person is able, under the laws of another country, to obtain another citizenship. No such requirements exist in cases where the citizenship was obtained fraudulently.
Since November 2015 the Government has regularly published statistics relating to deprivation of citizenship under section 40 subsection (4A) of the British Nationality Act 1981 and section 40 subsection (2):
Data relating to the deprivation of citizenship under section 40 subsection (3) is not yet currently published. As part of ongoing Home Office transparency arrangements it is anticipated this additional data will be published in November 2018.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his counterpart in Colombia on the recent disappearance of four Afro-Colombian leaders from communities along the Naya River in Colombia and ongoing threats to and displacements of communities in that area.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office understands that 4 local leaders from communities along the Naya river were kidnapped, three in April and one in May. The criminal group responsible has reportedly issued a video claiming the victims have been killed.
I am concerned about reports of increasing violence against human rights defenders and social activists in Colombia. Illegal armed groups are responsible for the majority of these attacks. The Naya region has seen an increase in fighting in recent weeks between illegal armed groups, including dissident former members of the FARC. It is vital that the security and protection of civilians is ensured and the British Ambassador in Bogota raised these concerns with the Colombian Defence Minister on 11 May.
The UK also raised concerns about violence against human rights defenders during the Universal Periodic Review of Colombia's human rights on 10 May in Geneva. During the review, Colombia also accepted UK recommendations to improve protective measures for human rights defenders.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Iraq (a) Government bodies, (b) non-Governmental organisations, (c) parliamentary bodies and (i) UK and (ii) Iraq (d) research foundations and (e) training entities have contracts with the UK Government for the provision of services in Iraq (A) currently and (B) which were signed in the last two years; what sums have been made available for each such contract; and what the purpose is of each contract.
Answered by Oliver Dowden - Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster
This information is not held centrally.
Since January 2011, details of central government contracts above the value of £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder. Contracts published prior to 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://data.gov.uk/data/contracts-finder-archive. Those published after 26 February 2015 can be viewed at: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Guatemala on the killing of human rights defenders and community leaders Luis Marroquin, Jose Can Xol and Mateo Chaman Paau this month.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Government unequivocally condemns attacks on human rights defenders. Our Embassy in Guatemala City monitors the human rights situation in Guatemala closely and embassy staff regularly engage with human rights defenders. Officials participate in the EU's informal human rights monitoring mechanism, the Filter Group, which reviews threats and attacks against human rights defenders and raises concerns with the Guatemalan authorities collectively. They will discuss these cases at the next opportunity.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role his Department has in ensuring that UK arms exports to Israel are not being used in contravention of UK National Arms Export Licensing Criteria.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We assess all applications very carefully against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. Human rights and international humanitarian law considerations are important parts of that assessment. We keep the situation under constant review.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role his Department plans to play in reviewing UK arms exports to Israel as a result of the events in Gaza of 14 May 2018.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We assess all applications very carefully against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria and human rights and international humanitarian law considerations are important parts of that assessment. We have no information to suggest that UK supplied equipment has been used in contravention of the Criteria. We continue to keep the situation under constant review.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the use of live ammunition against Palestinian protesters.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Foreign Secretary discussed the use of live ammunition against protestors in Gaza with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on 16 May. I also raised concerns regarding this issue with my Israeli counterpart on 13 May and with the Israeli ambassador to the UK on 17 May. As I said in my statement of 14 May, we continue to implore Israel to show greater restraint in its use of live fire.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to investigate allegations of Israel’s contravention of UK national arms licensing criteria.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Government takes its defence exports responsibilities extremely seriously. We operate some of the most robust export controls in the world. We have no information to suggest that UK supplied equipment has been used in contravention of UK arms licensing criteria.
Asked by: Ann Clwyd (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information he has received from the Iranian Government on consular cases involving British nationals and residents which have arisen in Iran since March 2018.
Answered by Alistair Burt
I raised all our dual national cases with Deputy Foreign Minister Araghchi when I visited Tehran on 29 April. However, we will not be providing a running commentary. We judge this will not be helpful, or in the best interest of each case. We will continue to take action in line with what we believe will produce the best outcomes in their cases.