Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What support she is providing to marine habitat restoration projects in the developing world.
Answered by Vicky Ford
This Government is substantially increasing investment in protecting the ocean. Our Commonwealth Marine Economies Programme assists developing Caribbean and Pacific island nations to safeguard their marine habitats, which are essential for sustaining coastal economies. The new £500 million Blue Planet Fund was launched by the Prime Minister in June. It will support, for example, protecting coral reefs and mangroves.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
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 the hunger strike by Mrs Ambihai Selvakumar in protest at the issues facing the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK Government is aware of the hunger strike being carried out by Mrs Ambihai Selvakumar, and recognises the concerns she has raised regarding the issues faced by the Tamil community in Sri Lanka. We have highlighted similar concerns about the lack of progress towards post-conflict accountability and the wider human rights situation, including in statements to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in February, June and September 2020. The Minister of State for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, also set out our serious concerns about human rights in Sri Lanka in a statement at the UNHRC on 25 February. He has raised the importance of accountability, justice and reconciliation on several occasions with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, most recently during calls on 12 February and 22 January respectively.
The UK, alongside Core Group partner countries, is leading a new resolution on Sri Lanka at the current UNHRC session. The draft resolution provides a framework for continued international engagement on human rights and post-conflict accountability. It calls on the government of Sri Lanka to investigate and prosecute all allegations of gross human rights violations and serious violations of international law, and highlights concerns about the human rights situation, including particular concerns about the protection of minorities.
We will continue to press for a strong role for the UNHRC to help advance accountability, reconciliation and human rights in Sri Lanka. Lord Ahmad has also responded by letter to the organiser of a petition related to Mrs Ambihai Selvakumar's hunger strike.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make further representations for an international investigation into the ongoing issues faced by the Tamil community in Sri Lanka.
Answered by Nigel Adams
In March 2014, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted resolution 25/1, which was led by the UK and other members of the Core Group on Sri Lanka. This resolution established the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL), which reported in 2015. Since then, the UK has continued to lead efforts at the UNHRC to advance post-conflict accountability, reconciliation and human rights in successive UNHRC resolutions.
The UK government remains concerned about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, including the issues faced by the Tamil community. The Minister for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, set out our concerns in a statement at the UNHRC on 25 February. The UK, again alongside Core Group partner countries, has presented a new draft resolution at the UNHRC which aims to provide a framework for continued international engagement on human rights and post-conflict accountability in Sri Lanka. The draft text requests enhanced monitoring and reporting by OHCHR on the human rights situation and requests the UN to collect, preserve and analyse evidence which could be used in future accountability processes.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has received on the potential merits of a 180 day limit for visa free travel in the EU; and what position the EU taken on that matter.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The Government understands concerns about the impact of the 90 days in a rolling 180-day visa-free travel limit on British Citizens who travel to the EU for extended periods of time, as reflected in representations over recent months, including from British Citizens who own second homes in EU Member States and the yachting/sailing community.
The Government discussed arrangements with the EU for British Citizens travelling to the Schengen Area. Regrettably, the EU consistently maintained that British Citizens will be treated as Third Country Nationals under the Schengen Borders Code from 1 January 2021. This means that British Citizens will be able to travel visa-free for short stays for up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period. This is the standard length of stay that the EU offers to nationals of eligible third countries that offer visa-free travel for EU citizens, in line with existing EU legislation.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to negotiate an extension to the 180 day limit on visa-free access for UK visitors to the EU with (a) individual member states and (b) The European Commission.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The Government discussed arrangements with the EU for British Citizens travelling to the Schengen Area. Regrettably, the EU consistently maintained that British Citizens will be treated as Third Country Nationals under the Schengen Borders Code from 1 January 2021. This means that British Citizens will be able to travel visa-free for short stays for up to 90 days in a rolling 180-day period. This is the standard length of stay that the EU offers to nationals of eligible third countries that offer visa-free travel for EU citizens, in line with existing EU legislation. British Citizens planning to stay longer will need permission from the relevant Member State.
The UK's Trade and Cooperation Agreement with the EU confirms that both the UK and EU currently provide for visa-free travel for short-term visits for each other's nationals in accordance with their respective laws. The detail of those arrangements is set by domestic law. The Government does not typically enter into bilateral agreements on visa-free travel.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether it is his policy to amend international travel advice in line with the new quarantine restrictions being introduced on 15 December 2020.
Answered by Nigel Adams
From 5 November, the FCDO stopped advising against all travel worldwide and reverted to country-based advice. FCDO travel advice remains under constant review and considers both epidemiological and non-epidemiological risks in each destination. When the FCDO no longer assesses the risks to British nationals to be unacceptably high, travel advice is updated accordingly.
Asked by: Chris Grayling (Conservative - Epsom and Ewell)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
If he will provide additional aid funding for anti-poaching projects during the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The full extent of the impact of Covid 19 on the illegal wildlife trade is not currently known. However, it is a serious crime, often undertaken by organised criminal networks – and it decimates endangered species, undermines growth and deprives communities of resources. In 2018 the UK hosted the largest ever illegal wildlife trading Conference, at which 65 countries signed up to the London Declaration, committing to accelerating efforts to stopping the trade. Part of that involves significantly expanding the UK’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund which has already committed over £26 million to 85 projects since 2014. We also contribute £250 million to the Global Environment Facility which runs the world’s biggest programme tackling illegal wildlife trading.