Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the level of Russian involvement in the attack by pro-Assad forces prior to the outbreak of violence on the west coast of Syria in March 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The events in Syria at the start of March 2025 were deeply concerning, and reports that large numbers of civilians have been killed are horrific. We are working as quickly as possible to establish from reliable sources of information what exactly happened and who was responsible.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 28 October 2024 to Question 10916 on Chelsea Football Club: Sales, for what reason the Government is unable to access these funds.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The proceeds from the sale of Chelsea Football Club are currently frozen in a UK bank account. A licence from the Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) is needed to move or use the proceeds, but they are not Government funds.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
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 potential impact of (a) North Korean troops in Ukraine and (b) transactional support with Russia for those troops on the security of (i) Japan and (ii) South Korea.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The direct participation of DPRK troops in combat operations is another dangerous expansion of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, with serious consequences for European and Indo-Pacific security. This is a grave error by DPRK, who have already begun to suffer significant casualties. In return, Russia's deepening cooperation with DPRK and increased political, military, and economic support further exacerbates tensions on the Korean Peninsula and poses a greater risk to stability in the region and beyond. The Government will continue to consult and coordinate with our close partners in response to this dangerous development, including Japan and South Korea.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help protect the safety and wellbeing of all Syrians including (a) religious minorities, (b) women and (c) ethnic minorities following the fall of the Assad regime.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO has consistently underlined the importance of protecting all civilians, including religious and ethnic minorities, publicly and in our engagement with regional and international partners. The UK joined talks in Aqaba on 14 December, hosted by Jordan, with Arab, US, UN and EU partners during which we collectively expressed commitment to supporting a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political transition process based on the principles of UN Security Council Resolution 2254, and leading to an inclusive, non-sectarian and representative government. We also underlined the importance of respect for human rights, including for women and minorities. Senior FCDO officials recently travelled to Damascus, where they discussed the importance of an inclusive transitional political process, protecting the rights of all Syrians.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to convene an inaugural meeting in London to support civil society in Israel-Palestine in working towards a two-state solution.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister has pledged his support for the establishment of an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace. Speaking on December 2, 2024, he announced plans for the Foreign Secretary to convene an "inaugural meeting in London to support civil society in the region, as part of that work to negotiate a two-state solution." This government has been clear; we are committed to pursuing a lasting solution to the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict, including through achieving a two-state solution. We continue to support efforts to this end through our aid programmes, which assist civil society in Israel and Palestine on a range of issues, including peacebuilding and conflict resolution. In June 2024, the G7 Heads of Government included milestone new language in their communiqué, committing to "working together and with other international partners to closely coordinate and institutionalize our support for civil society peacebuilding efforts, ensuring that such efforts are part of a larger strategy to build the foundation necessary for a negotiated and lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace."
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government plans to take in response to the July 2024 Atrocity Crimes report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the Special Rapporteur's report relating to "atrocity crimes" of the 1980s, including the summary, arbitrary and extra-judicial execution of dissidents. The execution of dissidents and political opponents is a deliberate attempt to instil fear and stifle dissent. We will continue to support UN Special Procedures including the Special Rapporteur in their mandate to highlight the Islamic Republic's historic and current human rights violations. The UK was proud to help deliver the Iran Human Rights Resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November, which called for Iran to establish a moratorium on executions and to end the persecution of political opponents.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
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 potential implications for his policies of the report by the UN Special Rapporteur entitled Atrocity Crimes and grave violations of human rights committed by the Islamic Republic of Iran (1981–1982 and 1988), published on 17 July 2024.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the Special Rapporteur's report relating to "atrocity crimes" of the 1980s, including the summary, arbitrary and extra-judicial execution of dissidents. The execution of dissidents and political opponents is a deliberate attempt to instil fear and stifle dissent. We will continue to support UN Special Procedures including the Special Rapporteur in their mandate to highlight the Islamic Republic's historic and current human rights violations. The UK was proud to help deliver the Iran Human Rights Resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November, which called for Iran to establish a moratorium on executions and to end the persecution of political opponents.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking as penholder on Sudan to help find a diplomatic solution to the conflict in that country.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK uses its position as penholder on Sudan at the UN Security Council to call for coordinated, international action to bring an end to the conflict. On 18 September, the UK called an urgent council session to address escalation in El Fasher, where we called on the Rapid Support Forces to halt its siege of the area and reiterated our calls to both warring parties to return to negotiations in good faith. The UK will have the Security Council Presidency in November where Sudan will feature on the agenda. We look forward to the Secretary-General's recommendations on Protection of Civilians and will work closely with the UN, Council Members, and international partners to build momentum towards their implementation.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
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 potential implications for his policies of Russia's policies on the (a) granting of Russian citizenship to Ukrainian children and (b) placement of Ukrainian children in foster families.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is appalled by reports that Ukrainian children living under Russian occupation and Ukrainian children who have been forcibly deported to Russia are being forced to take Russian citizenship, as well as subsequent reports that these children are being adopted into Russian families. The UK was pleased to participate in the most recent meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children on 1 October. We will continue to raise Russia's attempts to erase the Ukrainian identity of these children at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the UN and the Human Rights Council.
Asked by: David Taylor (Labour - Hemel Hempstead)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on returning Ukrainian children forcibly deported to Russia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to track Russia's deportation of Ukrainian children, which is a clear violation of international law. We were pleased to see another group of children returned via Qatari mediation in September, and are grateful for Qatar's continued engagement on this issue. The UK participated in the most recent meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children on 1 October and continues to work closely with the Ukrainian government on this issue. We have also raised Russia's deportation of Ukrainian children at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the UN and the Human Rights Council.