Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if the Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific will declare the 2024 Safeguarding National Security Bill in Hong Kong to be a breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration following its first application in the case of Ma Chun-man in March 2024.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Following a series of breaches of the Sino-British Joint Declaration by China, including the imposition of the 2020 National Security Law (NSL) under which Ma Chun Man was originally prosecuted, the then Foreign Secretary declared China to be in continuous breach of the Joint Declaration. That view has not changed. The Foreign Secretary called for the NSL to be repealed and an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it on 17 December. The new Safeguarding National Security Ordinance was enacted by the Hong Kong government under Article 23 of Hong Kong's Basic Law. As The Foreign Secretary said on 19 March, its overall impact will be to further damage the rights and freedoms enjoyed in the city. It undermines Hong Kong's implementation of binding international obligations including the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. We are monitoring its implementation closely, including its swift application in this case.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether the Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific raised human rights concerns relating to the 2024 Safeguarding National Security Bill and the 2020 National Security Law while meeting the (a) Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and (b) Treasury Christopher Hui in Hong Kong.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
On 24 April I met with Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Christopher Hui during my six-day visit to China and Hong Kong. I raised concerns over the deterioration of rights and freedoms in the city precipitated by the 2020 National Security Law and the recent passage of legislation under Article 23. We will continue to raise areas of disagreement or concern, including human rights in Hong Kong with the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
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 Department's policies of recent legislative changes in Hong Kong that allow its Chief Executive to veto foreign lawyers from working on cases brought under its National Security Law.
Answered by David Rutley
We have made clear our strong opposition to China's imposition of the National Security Law, which represents a serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. The Foreign Secretary set out those views at the UN Human Rights Council on 27 February and with Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng on 5 May. In the latest Six-monthly Report, the Foreign Secretary stated that the recent legislative changes have transferred powers once vested in the judiciary to the Chief Executive. We will monitor closely how these changes will be implemented. As the Foreign Secretary said at Mansion House on 25 April, we will continue to speak out against the clear erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he held discussions with the Israeli Prime Minister on that country's proposed judicial reforms during the visit of the Prime Minister to the UK in March.
Answered by David Rutley
As set out in the Foreign Secretary's statement on 27 March, the UK welcomes the decision taken by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to pause legislation to reform Israel's judiciary. During his meeting with PM Netanyahu on 24 March in London, the Prime Minister made clear the importance of upholding the shared democratic values that underpin our relationship, including in relation to the proposed judicial reforms in Israel. The Foreign Secretary also raised judicial reform and the importance of seeking consensus on this sensitive issue, with Israel's Foreign Minister Cohen during his visit to London on 21 March. The UK enjoys a deep and historic relationship with Israel, and we continue to urge all parties to ensure that a robust system of checks and balances, and the independence of Israel's judiciary, are preserved.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the statement from the Canadian Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of 20 May 2022, whether she has asked her Canadian counterpart to share their assessment of the reasons for which Alexander Lebedev was deemed to have directly enabled Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and bore responsibility for the suffering of the people of Ukraine when imposing sanctions on him and 14 others on 18 May 2022.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
UK sanctions have been coordinated with international allies, including Canada, to impose severe cost on Putin and his regime. We are acting together, as our collective impact is greater than the sum of its parts. So far the UK has sanctioned over 1000 individuals, and over 100 businesses since Putin's invasion of Ukraine, including oligarchs worth £117 billion.
The Government does not comment on our internal assessment processes for sanctions, or speculate who may be designated under the sanctions regime in the future. To do this could reduce the impact of designations. We will continue to work with our international partners ratchet up the pressure on Putin until he withdraws his forces from Ukraine and stops his unjust war of aggression.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has received (a) any information and (b) a recommendation from the National Crime Agency on whether sanctions should be imposed on Alexander Lebedev.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
We do not speculate on future designations, or on cross-government discussions on potential targets. To do this could reduce the impact of designations. We have now sanctioned over 1000 individuals, and over 100 businesses since Putin's invasion of Ukraine including oligarchs worth £117 billion. We will not stop targeting Russia's economy until Ukraine prevails. The whole of the UK government, along with our international allies, is working to ensure that happens.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the process is for determining whether a person should face sanctions in connection with Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
The Government does not comment on our internal assessment processes for sanctions, or speculate who may be designated under the sanctions regime in the future. To do this could reduce the impact of designations.
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Indian counterpart on the use of pellet guns in Indian Administered Kashmir.
Answered by Mark Field
We welcome the reduction in the use of pellet guns since 2017 but are aware of, and concerned by, continued reports of their use and related injuries. We have raised this issue with the Indian Government. I discussed the situation in Kashmir with the Indian Foreign Secretary on my visit to India in March this year. The Permanent Under Secretary to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Sir Simon McDonald) also raised the situation in Kashmir with the Foreign Secretary during bilateral talks last month (May).
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Indian counterpart on Indian security forces upholding international human rights in Kashmir in the last 12 months.
Answered by Mark Field
We encourage both India and Pakistan to uphold their international human rights obligations. Any allegations of human rights violations or abuses is concerning and must be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently. I discussed the situation in Kashmir with the Indian Foreign Secretary on my visit to India in March this year. The Permanent Under Secretary to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office also raised the situation in Kashmir with the Foreign Secretary during bilateral talks last month (May).
Asked by: Holly Lynch (Labour - Halifax)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will he seek assurances from his Indian counterpart that Kashmiri activist Yasin Malik will receive a fair trial following his arrest in April 2019.
Answered by Mark Field
It is not for the UK to comment on or intervene in an independent judicial process in another country. However, the British Government does encourage all states, including India, to ensure that their domestic laws meet international standards for free and fair trials. We will continue to monitor the case.