Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of recent violence in Kenya.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK regrets the loss of life and destruction of property during recent demonstrations in Kenya. The UK is following events closely and continues to urge all parties to engage in dialogue and resolve their differences peacefully.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the Iranian government on respect for the (a) burial rites for deceased Baha’is and (b) rights of their families to bury them and mark their graves in accordance with their beliefs.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Baha'i community in Iran is systematically discriminated against, harassed and targeted by Iranian authorities. The UK Government agrees with the UN Special Rapporteur for Iran Human Rights' latest assessment that destruction of Baha'i cemeteries and prevention of proper burial for Baha'i is representative of Iran's deeply unjust judicial system. We raise human rights issues with Iran at all appropriate opportunities, including freedom of religion or belief (FORB).
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Written Statement entitled FCDO Programme Allocations of 30 March 2023, HCWS705, how much funding will be provided to each country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The FCDO is committed to transparency with the public and predictability with our partners. My (Minister Mitchell) Written Ministerial Statement of 30 March sets out how we have allocated Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2022-23 and for 2023-24. We plan to publish full breakdowns of the 2023-24 allocations, including by country in the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts 2022 to 2023 on 13 July.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Department's Human Rights and Democracy report 2021, for what reason his Department has not continued with the practice of annual reporting of the number of allegations of torture by foreign authorities made by British citizens to his Department.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO remains committed to transparency in line with the Ministerial Code and publishes monthly and annual consolidated consular management data on GOV.UK. Published data includes the number of cases where assistance has been provided to British nationals around the world, including the number of cases where British nationals report allegations of torture and mistreatment overseas. We will also reconsider including information on the number of open allegations of torture and mistreatment made to consular officials by British nationals overseas in future Human Rights and Democracy Reports.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how the annual data on the number of allegations of torture by foreign authorities made by British citizens to his Department will be reported to Parliament.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO remains committed to transparency in line with the Ministerial Code and publishes monthly and annual consolidated consular management data on GOV.UK. Published data includes the number of cases where assistance has been provided to British nationals around the world, including the number of cases where British nationals report allegations of torture and mistreatment overseas. We will also reconsider including information on the number of open allegations of torture and mistreatment made to consular officials by British nationals overseas in future Human Rights and Democracy Reports.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many of the open torture cases reviewed in the 2022 review related to the abuse of British citizens in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2022, as part of the FCDO's internal annual review of torture and mistreatment cases reported to consular staff by British nationals overseas, the FCDO reviewed all 131 torture and mistreatment cases that were open on 31 December 2021. 32 of these were from the Middle East region.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many cases were reviewed as part of his Department's annual review of open torture cases in 2022.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2022, as part of the FCDO's internal annual review of torture and mistreatment cases reported to consular staff by British nationals overseas, the FCDO reviewed all 131 torture and mistreatment cases that were open on 31 December 2021. 32 of these were from the Middle East region.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Parliamentary Under Secretary's letter of correction to the Official Report on 2 December 2022 following an Urgent Question on 28 November 2022, for what reason the correction was made.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I corrected my answer to clarify that I misspoke, and that the reports of torture in the case of al-Kheir were allegations, as set out in my initial response to the Urgent Question. The FCDO and British Embassy Riyadh have frequent discussions with counterparts in Saudi Arabia. The Urgent Question was raised with our Embassy in Riyadh, but there was no discussion of correcting the Official Report. HMG has raised al-Kheir's case with the Saudi authorities on several occasions, and has reiterated the UK's principled opposition to the use of the death penalty.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) he and (b) his Department had discussions with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia prior to the submission of the letter of correction to the Official Report on 2 December 2022.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I corrected my answer to clarify that I misspoke, and that the reports of torture in the case of al-Kheir were allegations, as set out in my initial response to the Urgent Question. The FCDO and British Embassy Riyadh have frequent discussions with counterparts in Saudi Arabia. The Urgent Question was raised with our Embassy in Riyadh, but there was no discussion of correcting the Official Report. HMG has raised al-Kheir's case with the Saudi authorities on several occasions, and has reiterated the UK's principled opposition to the use of the death penalty.
Asked by: Bambos Charalambous (Labour - Enfield, Southgate)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment the Government has made of the economic situation in Lebanon.
Answered by Gillian Keegan - Secretary of State for Education
Lebanon is experiencing a severe economic crisis. The Lebanese government must deliver economic reforms as the only way to rebuild the confidence of the international community and set the country on a more sustainable path to long-term economic stability. The economic crisis has been exacerbated by COVID-19, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion of August 2020.
This crisis has had a severe impact, in particular on healthcare provision and poverty rates in the country, for both Lebanese citizens and the vulnerable refugee populations. The UK and members of the UN-led International Support Group for Lebanon are clear that Lebanon's leaders need to implement credible economic reforms as the only sustainable way to address this crisis and alleviate the suffering of the Lebanese people.