Written Question
Thursday 21st July 2022
Asked by:
Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question
to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made a recent assessment of the impact of violence in Darfur on the Massaleit community.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The ongoing violence and destruction in West Darfur is very troubling. We issued a statement on 25 April, setting out our concerns and the need for the Sudanese authorities to deliver their responsibilities to protect civilians. We underscored the importance of an independent investigation into the violence at the UN Security Council (UNSC) on 27 April and helped to secure a UNSC statement condemning the violence on 29 April. We are in working with the UN to provide humanitarian assistance to those affected and have urged the military to allow humanitarian aid to flow without hindrance. We have raised our concerns over violence in Darfur with the Sudanese authorities, most recently during a visit to Khartoum by the UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan on 25-28 June. We will continue to raise these concerns, to press the Sudanese authorities to deliver their obligation to protect civilians, and push for accountability for any crimes committed.
The fragile security situation across Sudan has been exacerbated by the political crisis since the military coup on 25 October. We are therefore pushing all political actors to engage in dialogue and return to a civilian-led government. We are also calling for the implementation of the Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) and progress in wider peace talks.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 06 Jul 2022
Strategy for International Development
"I had the great privilege of serving for nearly four years as the International Development Secretary, and I worked with many people— including the right hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell), who it is a great pleasure to follow because he was a terrific Development Secretary—who were passionate about …..."Hilary Benn - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Wed 06 Jul 2022
Strategy for International Development
"The right approach is to consider an asylum application and to make a swift decision. As the right hon. Member for Sutton Coldfield pointed out, the large majority of those seeking to come to the country are found to have a perfectly valid claim for asylum.
If we do not …..."Hilary Benn - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 27 Jun 2022
Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
"I suspect that when the Foreign Secretary was campaigning for Britain to remain in the European Union, she never in a million years thought she would be standing here proposing a Bill of this sort. In light of the comment she just made about article 16, why are the Government …..."Hilary Benn - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 27 Jun 2022
Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
"The Bill is proof, if ever it were needed, that Brexit is not done. It was always going to be difficult to reconcile leaving the EU with the challenge of an open border and so it has proved. Let us be absolutely frank from the start: our relationship with the …..."Hilary Benn - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Mon 27 Jun 2022
Northern Ireland Protocol Bill
"I am not going to give way, as I want to keep to time.
Of course there are products where it can reasonably be argued that there is a potential risk. I wish we had spent the time talking about those products, one by one, because if there is a …..."Hilary Benn - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 21 Jun 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"7. What recent discussions she has with EU representatives on the adequacy of the Northern Ireland protocol. ..."Hilary Benn - View Speech
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Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 21 Jun 2022
Oral Answers to Questions
"I am grateful for that reply, but on the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill—which, we note with interest, has not yet found a date for its Second Reading—is there any precedent where the United Kingdom has cited the legal concept of necessity for overriding a treaty that it has freely entered …..."Hilary Benn - View Speech
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Written Question
Thursday 9th June 2022
Asked by:
Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds South)
Question
to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to the Government of Iraq on the case of Jim Fitton, a retired geologist and British citizen, who has been arrested and charged with offences relating to artefacts.
Answered by Amanda Milling
Following the verdict, consular officials in Iraq and the UK are continuing to provide consular assistance to Mr Fitton and his family. The British Ambassador in Baghdad has and will continue to, raise our interest in Mr Fitton's case with the Iraqi Government. This included raising with the authorities the UK's strong opposition to the death penalty - both the possibility of it being applied in Mr Fitton's case and in all circumstances as a matter of principle. Whilst he is detained, we will continue to register our interest in Mr Fitton's case and that the conditions of the prison are in line with international standards. Mr Fitton's safety and welfare remain of the upmost importance.
Speech in Commons Chamber - Tue 17 May 2022
Northern Ireland Protocol
"I agree that the Commission needs to move further to reduce unnecessary checks and paperwork on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland; a sandwich made in Yorkshire and sold in Belfast presents no threat whatsoever to the integrity of the European Union single market. However, why does the …..."Hilary Benn - View Speech
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