Asked by: Caroline Spelman (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of religious freedom in Kazakhstan; and what steps the Government is taking to promote and protect the right to freedom of religion or belief in that country.
Answered by Alan Duncan
Kazakhstan has a relatively tolerant environment and constitutionally does not single out or allow preference for any particular religion.
Groups such as the Ahmadiyya and Jehovah's Witnesses have experienced some problems with the Kazakh authorities over registration and taxation issues. A recent draft law on religious activity has imposed a further regulatory burden on religious organisations.
During my visit to Kazakhstan in August 2017 I encouraged respect for human rights, and publicly addressed a Kazakh audience on the importance of human rights and equality of all citizens.
Asked by: Caroline Spelman (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress his Department is making on supporting religious leaders to promote community cohesion and reconciliation through its Conflict, Security and Stability Fund; in which countries religious leaders are being supported by that fund; and which religious communities those leaders represent.
Answered by Lord Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
Through the Conflict Stability and Security Fund, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) delivers projects to help prevent violent extremism, promote human rights, and support community peace-building in Africa, the Middle East, South and Central Asia and Eastern Europe. This includes working with religious leaders as well as other stakeholders. Separately, through the FCO's Magna Carta Fund, we fund various projects to support community cohesion and freedom of religion or belief across the world. Examples include: supporting human rights defenders in South Asia, promoting legal and social protection of Freedom of Religion or Belief in secondary school curricula in the Middle East and North Africa, and support for de-radicalisation and the re-integration of young people in Nigeria who have been exposed to violent extremist groups. In October 2016, the FCO hosted a groundbreaking conference to consider how protecting Freedom of Religion or Belief can help to combat violent extremism by building more inclusive societies. A range of faith leaders were invited to attend this event.
Asked by: Caroline Spelman (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will direct the UK's representatives at the UN to call for an investigation of the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Sudanese armed forces in the Jebel Marra region of Darfur.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We are very concerned by the allegations of chemical weapons use in Sudan and have raised our concern during UN Security Council consultations and directly with the Government of Sudan. We are aware that the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is looking into the allegations and has asked the Government of Sudan to share all relevant information. The UK condemns any use of chemical weapons, by anyone anywhere.
Asked by: Caroline Spelman (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to Scorched Earth, Poisoned Air, published by Amnesty International on 29 September 2016, if he will comment on the alleged destruction of 170 villages in the Jebel Marra region of Darfur by the Sudanese armed forces since January 2016.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We are very concerned by the alleged destruction of villages as well as the other allegations of human rights and International Humanitarian Law violations in Jebel Marra. We are deeply troubled about the humanitarian situation in Darfur, which was made more acute by a renewed outbreak of hostilities in January and which has displaced at least 80,000 civilians; adding to the 2.6 million people long term displaced in Darfur. We continue to believe that urgent humanitarian access and a lasting cessation of hostilities leading to a permanent ceasefire are crucial to ending the conflict in Darfur and have made this point directly to the Government of Sudan, most recently during high–level discussions on 10-11 October.
Asked by: Caroline Spelman (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, on what occasions British consular officials in Indonesia have visited Rebecca Prosser since her detention on 28 May 2015; how long each such visit lasted; and when the next such visit will take place.
Answered by Lord Swire
Members of the consular team in Jakarta have visited Rebecca Prosser twice. The first visit took place on 2 June, shortly after her arrest, and lasted 30 minutes. The second, which lasted over two hours, took place on 10 September when she was moved from house arrest into a detention facility. Normal practice is to visit detainees in Indonesia every three months.
Consular staff are in regular contact with Ms Prosser’s employer’s representatives, her legal team and her family. Since court proceedings began, we have provided a weekly written update to Ms Prosser, her family and their MPs. Our most recent contact with Ms Prosser’s family was on 21 October.
Asked by: Caroline Spelman (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, at which court hearings in Indonesia for Rebecca Prosser, Consular officials in his Department attended.
Answered by Lord Swire
It is not our general policy to send consular officials, who are not legally trained, to attend court hearings. Consular officials have not therefore attended the court hearings. Consular staff remain in regular contact with Ms Prosser’s employer’s representatives, her legal team and her family.
Asked by: Caroline Spelman (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last raised the detention in Indonesia of Rebecca Prosser; and with whom he raised that issue.
Answered by Lord Swire
In consultation with Ms Prosser’s legal team and advisors, the case has been raised at senior level on ten separate occasions. I personally raised it with the Indonesian Foreign Minister in September at the UN General Assembly and it was last raised on 9 October by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Director General Economic & Consular with the Indonesian Director General of Protocol and Consular Affairs. We plan to raise the case again on 29 October during a meeting in London with the representatives of the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Asked by: Caroline Spelman (Conservative - Meriden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when his Department last had contact with (a) Rebecca Prosser and (b) her family.
Answered by Lord Swire
Members of the consular team in Jakarta have visited Rebecca Prosser twice. The first visit took place on 2 June, shortly after her arrest, and lasted 30 minutes. The second, which lasted over two hours, took place on 10 September when she was moved from house arrest into a detention facility. Normal practice is to visit detainees in Indonesia every three months.
Consular staff are in regular contact with Ms Prosser’s employer’s representatives, her legal team and her family. Since court proceedings began, we have provided a weekly written update to Ms Prosser, her family and their MPs. Our most recent contact with Ms Prosser’s family was on 21 October.