Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Julian Huppert and Hugh Robertson

Tuesday 21st January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge) (LD)]

4. What recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Bahrain.

[The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Hugh Robertson)]

The most recent assessment of the human rights situation in Bahrain is in the FCO’s update to its annual human rights report, published last September. The report noted the positive steps taken by the Bahraini Government to improve the human rights situation and highlighted areas where more needed to be done.

[Dr Huppert]

The Select Committee on Foreign Affairs recommended that if Bahrain’s human rights record did not substantially improve by this January, the Foreign Office should designate it as a country of concern. Today, Human Rights Watch launched its world report and stated:

“Bahrain’s human rights record regressed further in key areas in 2013”,

from, I have to say, a fairly low base. Will the Minister accept the recommendation of the Select Committee and designate Bahrain as a country of concern?

[Hugh Robertson]

Clearly, we follow events in Bahrain very carefully and the Foreign Secretary spoke to the Crown Prince about the situation recently. With the full backing of the King, the Crown Prince has begun a set of meetings to start a political dialogue process. We very much hope that that will see concrete steps taken to improve the situation.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Julian Huppert and Hugh Robertson

Thursday 20th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge) (LD)]

What support is the Department giving to the Tour de France next year in the Yorkshire stages and the stage from my Cambridge constituency down to London?

[Hugh Robertson]

I think, in the nicest possible way, that the hon. Gentleman may wish he had not asked me that question. The Government have provided a considerable amount of underwriting. They have underwritten the whole event and provided the balance to make up a budget of £21 million. Unfortunately, Cambridge has yet to contribute at all, and that is one of the issues we will address in the weeks ahead.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Julian Huppert and Hugh Robertson

Thursday 28th April 2011 Commons Chamber

[Hugh Robertson]

In theory, yes, of course I would. However, the important thing is that these funding decisions are made, very properly, by the sport’s national governing bodies. That was the central point of the whole sport plan: they are given a sum of money that is measured against a set of direct objectives, and it is up to those bodies to decide how to spend it. So in theory, yes, I am prepared to meet the hon. Gentleman, but I would need extraordinarily good evidence to try to contradict a professional judgment made by a sport about where best to spend its money to drive up participation.

[Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge) (LD)]

T2. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.