Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Pakistani counterpart on (a) ending the persecution of Ahmadi Muslims and (b) the failure of authorities to stop violent attacks on Ahmadis in that country.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Protecting freedom of religion or belief for minority communities continues to be central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. The Minister of State for South Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised the treatment of Ahmadi Muslims with Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights, Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, on 30 January. On 9 January, Minister of State for Development Andrew Mitchell raised this issue with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The British High Commission in Islamabad continues to engage at a senior level with government representatives and civil society, including on recent attacks on Ahmadi mosques.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Turkish counterpart on ensuring that (a) Kurdish, (b) Alevi and (c) other minority communities receive equal access to emergency support in Turkey.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are closely monitoring events in Turkey and we are working in close coordination with the Turkish authorities, the United Nations and NGO partners to ensure that aid makes it to those who are most in need, including vulnerable and minority communities in Turkey and Syria.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Turkish counterpart on ensuring that emergency aid for victims of the recent earthquakes is able to (a) pass safely through national borders and (b) reach predominately ethnic and religious minority areas.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Prime Minister spoke to President Erdogan on 7 February, noting the humanitarian situation over the border in North-West Syria, where Turkey plays an important coordinating role. The UK is one of the top donors to the Syria Cross-border Humanitarian Fund and welcomes the UN-brokered agreement to open additional border crossings into North-West Syria for an initial period of three months.
The UK has sent thousands of life-saving items to Turkey and Syria, including tents and thermal blankets and is working in coordination with Turkish authorities, United Nations and NGO partners to ensure aid reaches those who are most in need.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his American counterparts on recent reports of deepening (a) defence and (b) economic ties between South Africa and Russia.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are committed to working with international partners to mitigate the impact of Russia's actions globally. The UK regularly engages with international counterparts, including the US and South Africa, across a range of defence and economic interests in the region. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on 17 January to discuss how we can best support Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. The Minister for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell also discussed a range of issues, including the Ukraine conflict, with South African Deputy Foreign Minister Botes on 19 January. Our High Commission in Pretoria regularly engages South African counterparts on Russia-related matters, and keeps in close touch with US colleagues.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what proportion of UK overseas aid funding is distributed to each Commonwealth country in Africa.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Table 1 below provides the volume and proportion of UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) provided for the benefit of each Commonwealth country in Africa in 2021, the latest year for which data is published. Bilateral ODA is aid that has been earmarked, usually for specific countries, regions, or programmes.
The UK also spends ODA in the form of unearmarked contributions to multilateral organisations and bilaterally to programmes which benefit multiple countries/regions, some of which may also benefit Commonwealth countries in Africa.
Table 1: Volume and proportion of UK bilateral ODA provided for the benefit of Commonwealth countries in Africa, 2021
Commonwealth Countries in Africa | 2021 Bilateral ODA | % of UK Bilateral ODA |
Botswana | 2,356 | 0.14% |
Cameroon | 8,030 | 0.47% |
Eswatini | 399 | 0.02% |
Gabon | - | 0.00% |
Gambia | 17,991 | 1.04% |
Ghana | 25,002 | 1.45% |
Kenya | 71,993 | 4.17% |
Lesotho | 899 | 0.05% |
Malawi | 42,298 | 2.45% |
Mauritius | 892 | 0.05% |
Mozambique | 37,493 | 2.171% |
Namibia | 1,449 | 0.08% |
Nigeria | 140,146 | 8.12% |
Rwanda | 34,946 | 2.02% |
Sierra Leone | 50,048 | 2.90% |
South Africa | 102,251 | 5.92% |
Tanzania | 60,605 | 3.51% |
Togo | - | 0.00% |
Uganda | 64,352 | 3.73% |
Zambia | 27,921 | 1.62% |
| Source: Statistics on International Development |
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Chinese counterpart on reports of the repression of the country's Christian community through surveillance, censorship and disinformation.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The environment for freedom of religion or belief across China is restrictive, including the persecution of Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners and others on the grounds of their religion or belief.
We regularly raise the human rights situation in China directly with the Chinese authorities at the highest levels. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting with his Chinese counterpart on 20 September.
We also work within the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance and other international organisations and networks to promote and protect freedom of religion or belief for all where it is threatened.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the report by Open Doors entitled World Watch List 2023, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the finding that North Korea is the most dangerous country in the world to be a Christian; and if he will hold discussions with his international counterparts on this.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains engaged in addressing the appalling human rights situation in North Korea. The right to freedom of religion or belief for all is an FCDO policy priority and a key strand of our DPRK human rights strategy. We regularly raise this with the North Korean authorities and at the UN, and have discussed North Korea's human rights situation during closed consultations at the UN Security Council on 9 December 2022.
The UK co-sponsored the resolution on DPRK human rights, adopted by consensus at the UN General Assembly Third Committee on 16 November 2022. The resolution sends an unequivocal message to the DPRK Government and reiterates long-held demands of the international community for the regime to take concrete action to end the systemic and widespread human rights violations in the country, and to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Nigerian counterpart on the prevalence of deadly attacks on the country's Christian population.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK Government condemns all incidents of violence across Nigeria and is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all communities. I [Minister Mitchell] raised the effect of insecurity on communities in my engagements with leading Nigerian presidential candidates in December 2022 and January 2023. Additionally, at the UK's Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in July 2022, the Nigerian High Commissioner reiterated his Government's commitment to freedom of religion or belief. We will continue to call on the Nigerian Government to assist affected communities and implement long-term solutions.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
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 consequences for his policies of the South African government's decision to undertake naval exercises with Russian and Chinese forces.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is aware of reports that in February 2023, South Africa will undertake a joint naval exercise with China and Russia. As part of delivering and shaping the UK Government's response to the Ukraine conflict the UK regularly engages South African counterparts on Russia-related matters. On 19 January, I [Minister Mitchell] raised Russia's illegal actions in Ukraine with South African Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Botes. We are committed to working with international partners to mitigate the impact of Russia's actions.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
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 Israeli counterparts on recent deaths of activists and civilians in Hebron.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have called upon the Government of Israel to fully respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of human rights defenders and organisations and to allow them to freely operate in Israel and Occupied Palestinian Territories. We regularly raise the issue of the high numbers of Palestinians killed and injured by Israeli Defence Forces in the West Bank and Gaza with the Israeli authorities. We encourage them to carry out swift, transparent and thorough investigations and, if wrongdoing is found, that those responsible be held to account. We will continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population and urge restraint in the use of live fire. The UK remains committed to a two-state solution, as the Minister for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, made clear during his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories on 10-13 January.