Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what representations (a) she and (b) officials in her Department have made to the Government of India on the human rights of Christian and Muslim minorities in that country in the context of forthcoming trade negotiations; and if she will include clauses recognising the centrality of human rights, including those of freedom of religion or belief, in any future trade agreement with India.

Answered by Ranil Jayawardena - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for International Trade)

In May, the United Kingdom and India announced our intent to negotiate a free trade agreement. Since then, the Department of International Trade has launched a public consultation about our approach to negotiations.

HM Government has a history of promoting British values globally, including freedom of religion, and we are clear that upholding rights and responsibilities go hand-in-hand with our trading ambitions. We engage with the Government of India on a range of matters.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what communications (a) she and (b) officials in her Department have had with her Nigerian counterpart on the need to locate and rescue Leah Sharibu.

Answered by Vicky Ford - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are deeply concerned by the abduction and continued captivity of children by Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) and Boko Haram in North East Nigeria. We have routinely raised the case of Leah Sharibu with the Government of Nigeria since she was abducted by ISWA in 2018. Most recently, in June this year, officials at the British High Commission in Abuja raised Leah's case with the Nigerian authorities.

My predecessor visited Nigeria in April where he discussed insecurity, including kidnaps, with the Foreign Minister and the President's Chief of Staff, and raised the importance of protecting all communities. The Nigerian Government has provided assurances it is doing all it can to secure the release of all those kidnapped. We have also provided support to Nigerian Police Force units to improve their anti-kidnap capacity, to help reduce harm to victims and to hold those responsible to account.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has conducted an (a) impact and (b) risk assessment on removing the requirement for specific car and trailer training.

Answered by Trudy Harrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) takes its commitment to road safety extremely seriously and it will work with the industry and stakeholders to drive forward the importance of safe driving and safe towing.

The vocational test changes will not affect the standard of driving required to drive a heavy goods vehicle (HGV), with road safety continuing to be of paramount importance. Any driver who does not demonstrate utmost competence will not be granted a licence.

Legislative changes are usually subject to a post implementation review which gives the opportunity to review and potentially update the changes made. The Department will keep these changes under review to ensure they are effective and help increase HGV testing capacity to meet demand whilst ensuring road safety is not compromised in the process.

The DVSA is exploring options for an industry-led accreditation that could offer a standardised non-statutory testing approach, and is engaging with key stakeholders, trainers and insurers, to discuss this issue.

The DVSA is also in discussions with the training industry to understand their capacity to deliver the off-road manoeuvres element of the vocational test and will work with them to develop a robust and clear process by which to assess, accredit and audit any trainers who wish to assess the manoeuvres element of the test.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many assets of people belonging to the Daesh terror organisation have been frozen in the UK; what is being done with those assets; and what assessment he has made of the potential to repurpose the Daesh's frozen assets for reparations for victims of the Daesh atrocities.

Answered by John Glen - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

There is currently around £85,000 worth of funds frozen in the UK belonging to individuals and organisations associated with ISIL and Al-Qaida. The majority of these individuals and organisations are sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council and appear on its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List. As this List concerns individuals and organisations with both ISIL and Al-Qaida affiliation, the UK has not attempted to make this delineation when reporting the value of frozen funds under this sanctions regime in the UK.

An asset freeze does not involve any change in ownership of funds or economic resources, or require funds or economic resources to be seized by the Government or Police. Accordingly, HM Treasury does not hold or own the assets of any sanctioned persons.

Instead, an asset freeze operates by preventing sanctioned persons from accessing either their own funds or receiving funds from others. HM Treasury alerts financial and other relevant institutions when individuals or organisations are sanctioned by the UN or the UK, and those institutions must then freeze the assets they hold. Anybody who contravenes these sanctions risks committing a criminal offence. The result is that the assets of sanctioned individuals and organisations are ‘frozen’.

The United Nations counter-terrorism sanctions regime was created by UN Security Council Resolution 1267 (1999) and first imposed sanctions on the Taliban. It has been amended and extended on numerous occasions, most notably to include Al-Qaida in 2000 (Resolution 1333(2000)), and ISIL (Da’esh) in 2015 (Resolution 2253(2015)), and is now governed by Resolution 2368 (2017). The aim of Resolution 2368 (2017) is to apply financial sanctions in order to prevent terrorists from raising, moving and using funds, and therefore to prevent and suppress the financing of terrorist acts. The UK is required to comply with its obligations pursuant to UN Security Council Resolutions as a matter of international law and therefore to implement all UN sanctions.

Once the conditions for delisting or unfreezing assets set out in UN Security Council Resolution 2368 of 2017 are met, relevant assets would no longer be frozen in the UK.

Financial sanctions legislation does not enable the Government to seize frozen ISIL assets, refuse the release of frozen assets or use ISIL assets frozen in the UK to provide reparations for victims of the Daesh atrocities.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the 19 May 2021 decision adopted by the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) that the ongoing detention of death row inmates Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa in Bahrain (a) is arbitrary under four of the five categories of the WGAD’s methods of work (b) contravenes nine articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and (c) contravenes nine articles of the International Covenant for Civil and Political Rights, what representations the Government plans to make to the Government of Bahrain on rescinding those death sentences and urgently bringing their detention in line with international law.

Answered by James Cleverly - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Ministers including myself and our officials have consistently reiterated the UK's opposition to the use of the death penalty, in all circumstances. We continue to monitor and raise the cases of Husain Moosa, Mohammed Ramadhan and others, with the Bahraini Government as well as with the Oversight bodies. We understand that the Bahraini Government is in contact with the UN regarding its human rights reform efforts.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he plans to provide financial support for driving instructors that specify in car and trailer training (B+E training) in response to that training being made non-mandatory.

Answered by Trudy Harrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Department for Transport and Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) are working across government to establish the impact on the trainer market from the regulatory changes relating to B+E testing.

DVSA will continue to encourage people who want to drive a car and trailer to get professional training to promote road safety. We are exploring options for an industry-led accreditation that could offer a standardised non-statutory testing approach and plan to meet with key stakeholders including trainers and insurers to discuss this further.

DVSA will be extensively promoting the importance of professional car and trailer training for all motorists, will encourage motorists to access online guidance on towing safely and will continue to remind motorists of the need to carry out trailer safety checks.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will implement a compulsory accreditation scheme to replace the DVLA's car and trailer training (B+E), similar to the CBT training that motorcycle drivers must undertake.

Answered by Trudy Harrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will continue to encourage people who want to drive a car and trailer to get professional training to promote road safety. We are exploring options for an industry-led accreditation that could offer a standardised non-statutory testing approach and plan to meet with key stakeholders including trainers and insurers to discuss this further.

DVSA will be extensively promoting the importance of professional car and trailer training for all motorists, will encourage motorists to access online guidance on towing safely and will continue to remind motorists of the need to carry out trailer safety checks.

Car drivers towing trailers and caravans will continue to be subject to roadside enforcement checks by DVSA.

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 reports further to reports that (a) Bahraini people living in exile in London were named in the Pegasus project leak as targets for Israeli NSO Group, including human rights defender Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei and (b) at least two Bahraini activists in London, Moosa Mohammed and Yusuf Al-Jamri had their devices hacked by Pegasus spyware; and what steps he plans to take to prevent cyber attacks on Bahraini people living in the UK.

Answered by James Cleverly - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

While we do not comment on the use of Pegasus against individuals, it is vital that all cyber actors use capabilities in a way that is legal, responsible and proportionate to ensure cyberspace remains a safe and prosperous place for everyone. The National Cyber Security Strategy, supported by £1.9 billion funding, has transformed the UK's fight against the cyber threat since 2016.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will raise the situation of Christian and Muslim minorities in India with her Indian counterpart in any upcoming discussions.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Where we have concerns over discrimination because of religion or belief, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at ministerial level. We also raise issues relevant to religious minorities in our wider engagement with Union and State authorities. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, discussed UK Parliamentary interest in human rights in India with Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla on 23 July.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will support the formation of an international commission to assess reports of violence and other human rights violations against religious minorities in India.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We look to the government of India to assess and address any concerns in line with India's strong constitution. We will continue to work with both Union and State authorities to support freedom of religion in India, raising concerns where we have them.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the net expenditure of the Gulf Strategy Fund by beneficiary state for the financial year 2020-21.

Answered by James Cleverly - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Gulf Strategy Fund spend by programme is listed in the published summary: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/official-development-assistance-oda-fcdo-international-programme-spend-objectives-2020-to-2021/gulf-strategy-fund-programme-summary.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the hunger strike by the academic imprisoned in Bahrain, Dr Abuljalil Al Singace, starting on 8 July 2021, if he will make representations to his counterpart in Bahrain on the (a) release from prison of and (b) return of confiscated research to Dr Al Singace.

Answered by James Cleverly - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We continue to monitor and raise the case of Dr Abduljalil al-Singace and others as necessary, with the Bahraini Government as well as with the oversight bodies.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to her Department's report Human Rights and Democracy: 2020 report published on 8 July 2021 whether the Government provided assistance for the development of the integrated National Human Rights Action Plan through the Gulf Strategy Fund; if the Government will support Bahrain in the implementation of that Plan; and what reforms the NHRAP expected to deliver.

Answered by James Cleverly - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The FCDO's International Programme (IP), and within it the Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF), is a vital tool in promoting positive change and reforms across the world, including in the Gulf. Our programmes help our partners to continue their human rights reform, address key climate change and green growth opportunities and challenges, tackle illicit finance, improve marine conservation, promote economic diversification, promote diversity and inclusion including on LGBTQ+ rights, and develop their institutions

All cooperation through the IP, including the GSF, is subject to rigorous risk assessments to ensure all work meets our human rights obligations and our values. The Government does not shy away from raising legitimate human rights concerns, and encourage other states to respect international law.

We now publish an annual summary of the GSF's work on gov.uk. We will not publish further information where doing so presents risks to our staff, programme suppliers and beneficiaries, or which may impact our relationships with our international partners, and therefore our ability to influence their reform efforts.

We will provide updates on an annual basis.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will name the bodies that implemented the Gulf Strategy Fund-funded assistance received by the National Intelligence Agency Ombudsman in the financial year 2020-2021.

Answered by James Cleverly - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The FCDO's International Programme (IP), and within it the Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF), is a vital tool in promoting positive change and reforms across the world, including in the Gulf. Our programmes help our partners to continue their human rights reform, address key climate change and green growth opportunities and challenges, tackle illicit finance, improve marine conservation, promote economic diversification, promote diversity and inclusion including on LGBTQ+ rights, and develop their institutions

All cooperation through the IP, including the GSF, is subject to rigorous risk assessments to ensure all work meets our human rights obligations and our values. The Government does not shy away from raising legitimate human rights concerns, and encourage other states to respect international law.

We now publish an annual summary of the GSF's work on gov.uk. We will not publish further information where doing so presents risks to our staff, programme suppliers and beneficiaries, or which may impact our relationships with our international partners, and therefore our ability to influence their reform efforts.

We will provide updates on an annual basis.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to reports that medical negligence may have contributed to the death of 35 year old Bahraini prisoner, Hasan Abdulnabi Mansoor, on 25 July 2021, and representations from Amnesty International and the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy for an independent impartial investigation into his death, what assessment the Government has made of the implications for its policies of the reports of the death of Hasan Abdulnabi Mansoor.

Answered by James Cleverly - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are aware of reports regarding the death of Hasan Abdulnabi Mansoor. The Government of Bahrain has been clear in its public statements that access to medical care for those in detention is guaranteed by the constitution of Bahrain. We encourage those with concerns about treatment in detention to report them to the appropriate human rights oversight body and we continue to urge the oversight bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations into any claims made.

Proscribing of Palestinian human rights organisations

Gordon Reid and Alfie Hewett

Over 100 days of Dr AlSingace’s hunger strike in Bahrain

Forced Conversions and Forced Marriages

Scottish Interfaith Week 2021 and COP26 vigil

Delays in the administration of the State Pension

Death and recognition of Walter Smith OBE

Baby Loss Awareness Week 2021

Clarkston gas explosion of 21 October 1971