Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the Government (a) spent on mine action and mine clearance in each of the last three financial years and (b) plans to spend on mine action and mine clearance in each of the next three financial years.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
From 2018 until 2020 the UK invested £124 million to help clear deadly explosive devices worldwide through the Global Mine Action Programme 2. In financial year 2018/19 we invested £28.8 million, in 2019/20 we invested £58.2 million and in 2020/21 we invested £37 million.
The Global Mine Action Programme 3 (GMAP3) is due to begin in 2022. It will involve landmine clearance and risk education to help affected communities keep safe, and capacity development for national authorities to help them manage their landmine contamination. We are working towards finalising funding and country allocation for GMAP3 for the next three years, as part of a broader effort to prioritise our aid to be more strategic and remain a force for good across the world.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation facing the Oromo people in Ethiopia.
Answered by James Duddridge
We are concerned by incidences of ethnic violence in Ethiopia including in the Oromia region, and especially on the Oromo border with the Amhara region. The Government of Ethiopia, regional governments and community leaders on all sides must be clear that they do not support ethnic-based violence and discrimination, and on the importance of respecting human rights and safeguarding human life. The Foreign Secretary and I have both raised the importance of respect for human rights - I did so most recently with the Minister of Peace in July. The elections of 21 June also took place in challenging and problematic conditions with a restricted political environment, including the detention of opposition members, harassment of media representatives and parties facing difficulties in freely campaigning. We call on the government and all stakeholders in Ethiopian society to ensure that a meaningful, broad-based national dialogue process takes place and to commit to peaceful solutions. This is needed to enable Ethiopia's democratic development and to reduce conflict across the country.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
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 recent reductions in UK aid on the use of donated medicines in developing countries.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK government continues to be a major donor to international health organisations and programmes, including Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, and COVAX, which fund essential medicines in developing countries. UK funded health programmes continue to strengthen health systems to deliver medicines to the most vulnerable people in some of the poorest countries in the world. Additionally, in June the Prime Minister pledged that the UK will share 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses with developing countries within the next year of which 30 million will be delivered by the end of 2021. Throughout our investments, we support the safe handling and use of donated medicines in line with UK legislation and regulatory requirements and the requirements of recipient country governments.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Nigeria.
Answered by James Duddridge
The UK Government follows developments on human rights in Nigeria closely. We are particularly concerned by the increase in criminal and terrorist violence across Nigeria, which is having an impact on the human rights of those affected, including the right to life. We are also concerned by allegations of serious human rights violations committed by the police and military, including those currently under investigation by the judicial panels of inquiry established following last year's #EndSARS protests. The Nigerian Government's recent decision to ban Twitter is also a troubling development, with an impact on Nigerians' freedom of expression.
Our position on human rights is firm: they are universal and must apply equally to all people. We regularly raise human rights with the Nigerian Government. I [Minister Duddridge] raised issues with the President's Chief of Staff, the Foreign Minister and the Governor of Lagos during my visit to Nigeria in April. We discussed rising insecurity and the importance of ensuring accountability for any human rights violations, including those being investigated by the #EndSARS judicial panels of inquiry. I [Minister Duddridge] have publicly expressed my concern about the recent Twitter ban. We will continue to stress the importance of protecting human rights for all Nigerians, and will continue to support efforts to improve human rights compliance and conditions in Nigeria.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether following the execution in Saudi Arabia of Mustafa Hashem al-Darwish who was sentenced to death for protest-related crimes committed as a child, he will make representations to the Saudi authorities on behalf of nine other young men facing execution for childhood crimes, including Abdullah al-Howaiti.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The United Kingdom strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. The Saudi authorities are aware of the UK Government's strong position on such cases. We reiterated our opposition to the death penalty in Saudi Arabia in a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 15 September 2020. On 24 May 2021, during my [Mr Cleverly] visit to Saudi Arabia, I discussed the death penalty, including those charged with conducting crimes as minors, with the President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission, Dr Awwad Alawwad. Our Embassy in Riyadh has raised our concern over the cases of Mustafa al Darwish and Abdullah al Howaiti.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
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 reported killings and human rights abuses in Oromo in Ethiopia.
Answered by James Duddridge
We are concerned by frequent incidences of ethnic violence and protests in Ethiopia including in the Oromia region, and especially on the Oromo border with the Amhara region. Regional Presidents and community leaders on all sides must be clear that they do not support ethnic-based violence and discrimination, and on the importance of respecting human rights and safeguarding human life. The Foreign Secretary and I have both raised the importance of respect for human rights and the need for political dialogue. Following the elections of 21 June, we must now see further steps in a transition to more democratic governance in which all of Ethiopia's diverse population can fully engage.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make urgent representations to the Government of Pakistan to halt the planned execution of Mr Abdul Rehman scheduled for 25 May 2021.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We understand that a stay of execution has been issued in Mr Rehman's case. We will continue to monitor the case closely.
It is our longstanding policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. The UK has raised at the highest level with the Government of Pakistan its concerns about specific cases and continues to urge Pakistan to ensure due process and adherence to international obligations.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the reported civilian casualties resulting from the recent airstrikes on Gaza.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Foreign Secretary delivered a message of de-escalation in his calls to Israeli Foreign Minister Ashkenazi on 11 and 16 May, and to Palestinian Prime Minister Shtayyeh on 12 May. I spoke to the Israeli Ambassador and Palestinian Head of Mission in London to urge them to de-escalate and restore calm.
All countries, including Israel, have a legitimate right to self-defence, and the right to defend their citizens from attack. In doing so, it is vital that all actions are proportionate, in line with International Humanitarian Law, and are calibrated to avoid civilian casualties. We continue to call upon Hamas and other terrorist groups to permanently end their incitement and rocket fire against Israel. Any attacks targeted against civilians are unlawful and unjustifiable. Our priority now must be an immediate de-escalation on all sides, and an end to the killing of civilians.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will review the Government's position on recognising the massacre of Armenian people in 1915 as genocide in response to the recent decision of the US Administration to make that recognition.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The events of 1915-1916 were a tragic episode in the history of the Armenian people and they must never be forgotten. The UK Government of the day condemned the massacres and this Government fully endorses that view. The longstanding policy of the UK Government is that any judgement on whether genocide has occurred is a matter for competent courts, rather than for governments.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
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 threat to Christians following killings in Nigeria.
Answered by James Duddridge
The UK Government condemns all violence against civilians in Nigeria, irrespective of religion. In the North East of the country, terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa, continue to cause immense suffering to both Muslim and Christian communities, including during recent attacks. These groups seek to undermine the right to freedom of religion or belief by indiscriminately attacking those of all faiths who do not subscribe to their extremist views. The UK Government is providing a comprehensive package of humanitarian and stabilisation assistance to support communities affected by the conflict.
Intercommunal violence across multiple states, including in the Middle Belt, also has a devastating impact on both Christian and Muslim communities. The underlying drivers of violence are complex, and frequently relate to competition over resources and increasing criminality. On 15 February, I [Minister Duddridge] tweeted my concerns about intercommunal violence and welcomed President Buhari's renewed commitment to protect all religious and ethnic groups in the country. On 26 and 27 April I [Minister Duddridge] met with a range of Nigerian interlocutors, including Governors from some of Nigeria's northern states, and Nigerian Government representatives, including the Foreign Minister. I [Minister Duddridge] raised the need for all communities to be protected amidst increasing insecurity. The British High Commissioner also regularly raises concerns over rising insecurity across Nigeria with the Federal Government. We will continue to encourage the Nigerian Government to take urgent action to protect all communities, and to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes of violence.