Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Argentinian counterpart on lithium supply to the UK.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Securing a sustainable supply of lithium globally is crucial to delivering Net Zero. Cooperation on lithium therefore forms an important part of our engagement with Argentina. During my visit to Argentina in February, I (Minister Rutley) discussed the UK's role as a key scientific, academic, and economic partner in lithium exploration in meetings with the then Argentine Vice-Foreign Minister, building on exchanges at senior official and expert level. We look forward to working with the Milei government on the many areas in which our countries stand to gain through cooperation, including the global supply of lithium.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will hold discussions with his US counterpart on taking steps to ensure that all parties originally committed to the New START Treaty comply with their obligations under that treaty.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK has long valued New START (Strategic Arms Reductions Treaties) for its contribution to strategic stability, transparency and building trust. Russia's unilateral suspension undermines this. We urge Russia to return to full Treaty compliance.
We regularly discuss nuclear arms control issues with the US and will continue to support their efforts to secure a successor to the Treaty when it expires in 2026. We welcome the United States' commitment to engage Russia now to manage nuclear risks and develop a post-2026 arms control framework.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what information his Department holds on trends in the level of financial support provided by Iran to the Hizballah organisation in the last six months.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government regularly assesses Iran's political, financial and military support to several militant and proscribed groups, including Hezbollah. Such activity compromises the region's security and Iran must bear responsibility for the actions of the groups it has long supported. We currently sanction more than 350 Iranian individuals and entities, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in its entirety. As the former Foreign Secretary announced, a new sanctions regime will be in place by the end of the year, giving greater powers to make designations for destabilising Iranian activity in the region.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Nicaraguan counterpart on reinstating the legal status of the Nicaraguan Red Cross Association.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The unjustified decision of 10 May 2023 by Nicaragua's National Assembly to rescind the legal status of the Nicaraguan Red Cross Association and confiscate its assets is deeply regrettable. This closure is part of a wider set of actions by the Nicaraguan authorities directed against non-profit organisations and charitable institutions, through which more than 3,000 institutions have been closed since 2018. In a statement released on 19 April 2023, the UK underlined its deep concern at these closures and at the wider political situation in Nicaragua, which is shared by the international community.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what funding his Department has provided to the Global Disinformation Index to assess media markets overseas in this financial year.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The FCDO has not provided any funding to the Global Disinformation Index this financial year.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will raise with the UN the issue of the failure of the Indian Government to respond to the letter of 16 August 2023 from the UN Rapporteurs for Freedom of Religion or Belief and for Minority Issues on religious persecution in that country.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government remains committed to championing human rights around the world and we work with the UN and other multilateral fora to promote Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB). For India's 2022 Universal Periodic Review, we recommended India reinforce efforts to protect the rights of all minorities as enshrined in the Indian Constitution. We have a broad and deep partnership with the Government of India, and discuss all elements of our relationship, including human rights and FoRB, and raise concerns where we have them, including at Ministerial level.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will hold discussions with the Malaysian authorities on the forthcoming trial relating to the abduction and disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh in 2017.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. We work with the UN, G7, and other multilateral fora to promote FoRB. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for FoRB, Fiona Bruce MP, has written to the Malaysian High Commissioner to the UK about the disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh, lodging her interest on this issue.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any Hong Kong national legally resident in Northern Ireland is the subject of an arrest warrant application from China.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO does not hold this information. The UK does not have an extradition treaty with China. We suspended the UK-Hong Kong extradition treaty indefinitely on 20 July 2020 following China's imposition of the National Security Law (NSL) in Hong Kong.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with Government representatives in the DRC on recent incidents in Oicha, North Kivu province where Christians were killed by Islamic State affiliates.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Recent attacks by Islamic State affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) are alarming and we are saddened by the loss of life from such attacks. The ADF is already under UK and UN sanctions. The protection of civilians, promotion of respect between different religious and non-religious groups, and human rights is a priority for the UK. We continue to work through the UN General Assembly Third Committee, UN Security Council and UN Human Rights Council to promote and protect these rights in the DRC. We regularly engage with the Government of DRC at all levels, including through Ministers in London and the British Embassy in Kinshasa. The UK is committed to supporting efforts to build stability and reduce violence in the DRC. We firmly believe the regional peace processes provide the best means by which to achieve a lasting peace and offer them our full support.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
As per the Integrated Review Refresh (2023), the United Kingdom is developing "new levers to adapt to the changing threat environment", to increase the costs of aggression by hostile actors. The Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) is one such lever and will promote greater transparency and assurance around the activities of foreign powers or entities. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office officials will work with the Home Office and other government departments on its implementation, which I [Minister Docherty] follow with interest, as I will its operation once live next year.