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 the average response time was for her Department to respond to an enquiry from an MP once an enquiry had been received by the MP (a) hotline and (b) account management team in (a) 2019, (b) 2020 and (c) 2021.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of correspondence from MPs, either directly or on behalf of their constituents.
The average speed to answer calls to the FCDO MP Consular hotline is consistently less than 30 seconds, with the exception of 2020, when the average increased to over two minutes, because of the COVID pandemic.
The FCDO does not have an account management team. However, data on the timeliness of responses to correspondence from MPs and Peers for 2019 and 2020 is published on Gov.uk here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/data-on-responses-to-correspondence-from-mps-and-peers. Data for 2021 will be published by the Cabinet Office in due course.
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 support is available to privately-contracted (non-LES) security workers in Afghanistan who face intimidation as a result of their employment supporting UK Government agencies.
Answered by Nigel Adams
It is for individual private security companies to fulfil fully their duty of care to those they employ. The UK Government requires private security contractors which work for us to ensure they have robust procedures to ensure the safety of all their staff.
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 representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on halting forced evictions of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem.
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 with Palestinian Prime Minister Shtayyeh on 12 May. I spoke to the Israeli Ambassador and to the Palestinian Head of Mission in London, to urge them to de-escalate, restore calm and to reiterate our position on this issue. On May 8 I [Mr Cleverly] publicised our concern over tensions in Jerusalem linked to the threatened eviction of Palestinian families from their homes in Sheikh Jarrah. We continue to urge Israel to cease such actions, which in all but the most exceptional cases are contrary to International Humanitarian Law.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Afghanistan.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The security situation throughout Afghanistan remains uncertain, and could change rapidly. On 14 April, NATO announced that its forces would leave Afghanistan within a few months. The Afghan Security Forces have been leading security provision for Afghanistan since 2014. The UK is working closely with the US and other Allies and partners to support an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbours. We urge all to seize the current opportunity to secure a political settlement, which is needed to bring about the lasting peace and stability that the people of Afghanistan want and deserve.
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 representations he has made to Afghan counterpart on the recent execution of Afghan interpreters who served alongside the UK's armed forces; and what assessment he has made of the ongoing security risks faced by interpreters still living in Afghanistan.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Her Majesty's Government regularly speaks to the Afghan authorities on a range of issues. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, the Minister for South Asia, discussed concerns around ongoing security issues and targeted killings with the Afghan Foreign Minister Atmar on 18 January.
We recognise the vital role local staff, including interpreters, have played in supporting the UK's activities in Afghanistan over the last decade. That is why, as well as offering a generous redundancy package in recognition of this service, we have a permanent expert team based in Kabul to thoroughly investigate claims of intimidation. They assist with relocations within Afghanistan and, where necessary, relocation to the UK. So far, Her Majesty's Government has supported over 1,300 Afghan interpreters and their families to build new lives in the UK. A further 350 staff have benefitted from our in-country finance and training packages. The UK government is constantly reviewing its policies in relation to local staff. Whilst I cannot provide details for operational security reasons, we take necessary measures to mitigate the risks to all our staff.
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 representations his Department has made to his Indian counterpart on (a) state-sanctioned acts of violence against protesting Punjabi farmers and (b) the suppression of the right to peaceful protest in that dispute.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Foreign Secretary discussed protests about agricultural reforms with his Indian counterpart during his visit to India in December, whilst making clear that the handling of protests is an internal matter for the Indian authorities. The right to gather lawfully and demonstrate a point of view is common to all democracies. Governments also have the power to enforce law and order if a protest crosses the line into illegality.
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 prevalence of human rights abuses against (a) Uighur Muslims and (b) Christians in China; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We have serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang including the extra-judicial detention of over a million Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in "political re-education camps", systematic restrictions on Uyghur culture and the practice of Islam, and extensive and invasive surveillance targeting minorities.
We also remain deeply concerned about the persecution of Christians and other religious groups on the grounds of their religion or belief in China. The freedom to practise, change or share ones faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a human right that all people should enjoy.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
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 Turkish counterparts on the detention and imprisonment of Kurdish politicians.
Answered by Alan Duncan
We have raised the detention of People's Democratic Party (HDP) Members of Parliament, most recently in January regarding the case of Ms Leyla Guven MP. We regularly discuss these issues with the HDP itself. We expect Turkey, as a modern democracy, to undertake legal processes against MPs fairly, transparently and with full respect for the rule of law. We will continue to monitor both the imprisionment of HDP MPs, and the wider Kurdish issue closely.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Turkish counterpart on Kurdish people on hunger strike throughout the world in protest to the isolation of Abdullah Ocalan in that country.
Answered by Alan Duncan
Our Embassy in Ankara raised the issue of hunger strikers with the Turkish authorities in mid-January, specifically highlighting our concerns over the case of Ms Leyla Guven MP, who we are pleased to note was recently released from prison. We urge Turkey to uphold the human rights of hunger striking prisoners, including ensuring they have access to medical treatment.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Turkish counterpart on the prison conditions and isolation of Abdullah Ocalan in Turkey.
Answered by Alan Duncan
British Embassy officials discussed Mr Öcalan’s case and the prison conditions with Turkish officials in mid-January. We note the concerns about isolation expressed by the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture in their report following their visit in 2016 to the prison where Mr Öcalan is held.