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Written Question
Development Aid: Food
Friday 1st April 2022

Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West and Royton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make an assessment of the amount of funding required to fulfil the UN pledge to end hunger by 2030.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

Conflict, climate change and Covid-19 have caused food insecurity and acute hunger to reach record levels. Almost 1 billion people in 92 countries already did not have enough food to eat before Russia started its war of aggression against Ukraine, and 55 countries, mostly in Africa and Asia, were estimated to be in acute hunger crisis, emergency or famine conditions, with the likelihood for the situation to deteriorate further.

The amount of funding needed to achieve the Zero Hunger Sustainable Development Goal has been assessed in recent years by the relevant institutions, with significant variations. These figures are now likely to increase as a result of Russia's barbaric attack against Ukraine.

The UK is monitoring the situation closely and has encouraged key partners to focus on preventing a global food price crisis immediately. We anticipate that this will be through a combination of policy and programme responses, both humanitarian and longer-term assistance. We are also discussing through the relevant G7 fora and are encouraging the relevant multilateral institutions to prioritise rapid information, analysis, policy options and prevention and mitigation response.


Written Question
Kashmir: Politics and Government
Thursday 5th September 2019

Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West and Royton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the UK Government has made to the Indian Government on its revocation of Article 370, granting special status to Indian-administered Kashmir, from the Indian Constitution.

Answered by Heather Wheeler

We are following the serious situation in Kashmir closely. Events in Kashmir have regional and international implications and we urge calm and caution from all.

We are in regular contact with the Government of India. We are also in regular contact with the Government of Pakistan. The PM has spoken with both PM Modi of India and PM Imran Khan of Pakistan. He stressed to both that HMG's position on Kashmir remains unchanged (it is a bilateral issue for India and Pakistan to resolve, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people). He also underlined the importance of maintaining dialogue. In addition to this, the Foreign Secretary spoke with his Indian counterpart, Dr Jaishankar, on 7 August. He expressed concerns and called for calm. The continued use of detentions and restrictions on communications are worrying. It is important individual rights are fully respected and there should be constructive dialogue with affected communities.


Written Question
Kashmir: Human Rights
Thursday 6th June 2019

Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West and Royton)

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 Indian and Pakistani counterparts on human rights violations in Kashmir since the publication of the UN Human Rights Council's report on the situation in Kashmir in June 2018.

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. We regularly raise the issue of human rights and Kashmir with the Governments of India and Pakistan. I discussed the situation in Kashmir with the Indian Foreign Secretary on my most recent 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 Indian Foreign Secretary during bilateral talks last month (May). With the Pakistani Government, the Foreign Secretary discussed Kashmir with the Minister of Foreign Affairs in March and I raised the issue in a meeting with Pakistan's Special Assistant for Accountability in late May.


Written Question
Burma: Rohingya
Monday 5th November 2018

Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West and Royton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the Government held its most recent discussions with the Government of Myanmar on the Rohingya crisis and status of refugees in Bangladesh.

Answered by Mark Field

The Foreign Secretary met with Burmese State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on 20 September in Burma and raised the importance of the safe, voluntary and dignified return of refugees to Rakhine State, and ensuring those responsible for human rights violations are held to account. I spoke with the Burmese Minister for International Cooperation Kyaw Tin on 1 November and stressed the UK's serious concern at the 30 October announcement of the Governments of Burma and Bangladesh that refugee repatriation would commence in mid-November. I made clear the UK's assessment, that conditions in Rakhine State were not currently conducive to refugee returns.


Written Question
USA: Foreign Relations
Thursday 24th May 2018

Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West and Royton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his US counterpart on appropriate (a) behaviour and (b language of the US president for his visit to the UK.

Answered by Alan Duncan

The Foreign Secretary spoke to his US counterpart about the President’s upcoming visit to London during his visit to Washington on 7 May. The Foreign Secretary made clear that we looked forward to welcoming President Trump in July.


Written Question
Burma: Rohingya
Thursday 23rd November 2017

Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West and Royton)

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 Burmese counterpart on ethnic cleansing of Muslim refugees in Myanmar.

Answered by Mark Field

The Government is deeply concerned by the treatment of the Rohingya of Rakhine State, following the military's violent operation that prompted more than 600,000 Rohingya people to flee into Bangladesh. The Foreign Secretary has spoken to State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi three times since the start of the crisis, most recently on 21 October, to make clear this situation is completely unacceptable, and to call on her to resolve the crisis. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific pressed Burma's Defence Minister to ensure accountability for the perpetrators of human rights violations when they met on 20 November.


Written Question
Burma: Rohingya
Thursday 23rd November 2017

Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West and Royton)

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 counterpart in Bangladesh on offering Muslim refugees fleeing Myanmar secured settlement.

Answered by Mark Field

​The UK has consistently called on the Government of Bangladesh at official and Ministerial level to grant the Rohingya community in Bangladesh formal refugee status. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific raised this point when he met the Bangladesh High Commissioner Nazmul Quaunine and the B​angladesh Foreign Secretary Shahidul Haque on 2 November. He also visited Bangladesh on 27 and 28 September.


Written Question
Russia: Social Media
Thursday 23rd November 2017

Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West and Royton)

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 counterpart in Russia on social media propaganda targeted at the UK.

Answered by Alan Duncan

​The Russian authorities are well aware of our concerns, as set out by the Prime Minister on 13 November. I am travelling to Russia before the end of the year, where I will have the opportunity to raise this issues in person.


Written Question
Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Telephone Services
Wednesday 18th October 2017

Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West and Royton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many 0345 telephone numbers are in use by his Department; and how much revenue has been generated by each telephone number in each such year since 2010.

Answered by Alan Duncan

No 0345 telephone numbers have been used by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 2010.


Written Question
Kashmir: Human Rights
Monday 11th September 2017

Asked by: Jim McMahon (Labour (Co-op) - Oldham West and Royton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations the Government has made to the Indian Government on reported human rights abuses in Kashmir.

Answered by Mark Field

We recognise that there are human rights concerns in India-administered Kashmir. We encourage all States to ensure that their domestic laws are in line with international standards. Any allegations of human rights abuses must be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently. We have previously raised concerns, most recently by Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister of State the Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon with Indian Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar during Lord Ahmad's visit to India in August 2017.