Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has received the report from William Shawcross on UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK is committed to supporting the victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism. That is why in March 2019 the former Foreign Secretary appointed William Shawcross as the UK's Special Representative on UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism. Mr Shawcross has now submitted his report. Ministers will consider the report in detail once the current need to focus on the Covid-19 crisis has abated.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
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 Israeli counterparts on the decision to close the first-aid centre in Ibziq.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We raised our concerns about the demolition of the health centre in Ibziq at the UN Security Council remote meeting on the Middle East on 23 April. In all but the most exceptional of circumstances demolitions are contrary to International Humanitarian Law. The practice is harmful to the peace process. We are particularly concerned that demolitions are continuing at this time.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure British citizens on MS Zaandam receive (a) a medical assessment, (b) reimbursement for medical care (c) continuous communication with (i) the FCO and (ii) their families and (d) travel home to the UK; and if he will make representations to his counterparts in countries near the cruise ship to ensure the safe care of those citizens during a covid-19 quarantine period.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Following the change to date for answer of this PQ, I submitted a response by email on 27 March, with the following response. The Table Office have agreed this approach.
We are monitoring the situation of MS Zaandam. We have engaged with the relevant authorities to request permission to allow the transfer of goods and medical equipment, and to offload asymptomatic passengers, and fly them out on charter flights. We have asked cruise companies to arrange flights if successful. On 26 March, Minister Morton raised our concerns with the Chairman of the cruise company.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
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 Indonesian counterpart on the status of displaced Ahmadi Muslims who have spent over a decade at the Wisma Transito refugee camp.
Answered by Nigel Adams
In January 2018, Minister of State (Minister for South Asia and the Commonwealth) Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon met Indonesian Ambassador Rizal Sukma where he raised our concerns. In October 2018, Lord Ahmad visited Jakarta in his capacity as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief (FORB). He met representatives of the Ahmadi Muslim community to discuss minority rights, underlining the UK's close interest in their welfare and protection of their rights. He also underlined UK support for FORB in Indonesia and raised concerns on the use of blasphemy laws. HMG officials regularly discuss minority rights with senior members of all six official faiths in Indonesia and meet with leaders of the Ahmadi community.
Freedom of Religion and Belief is a core aspect of the Embassy's work under the Human Rights strand. In December 2019, the British Embassy ran a workshop on media freedom in Jakarta. This included a discussion on reporting on FORB. Embassy officials regularly attend 'Friends of FORB' meetings, and in January of this year embassy officials met with an Ahmadi spokesperson.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Pakistani counterpart on the (a) right to vote and (b) other civil rights of the Ahmadi Muslim community in that country.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We engage at a senior level with the Pakistani Government on our concerns about the mistreatment of religious and ethnic groups, including Pakistanis from the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the fundamental rights of all its citizens, as laid down in the constitution of Pakistan and in accordance with international standards. It is vital that Pakistan guarantees the rights of all its citizens, regardless of gender, ethnicity or belief. The Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, who is also the Minister responsible for human rights, raised our concerns about Freedom of Religion or Belief and the protection of the Ahmadiyya community in a letter to Pakistan's Human Rights Minister, Dr Shireen Mazari, on 27 February.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to ensure UK businesses can trade with the Palestinian territories following the restrictions placed on the export of Palestinian agricultural goods by Israel.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK is concerned about the impact of recent Israeli trade restrictions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We are committed to supporting Palestinian economic development, and strongly support the principle of free trade. Businesses should be free to import Palestinian products without barriers. Her Majesty's Ambassador to Israel has raised this issue with the Government of Israel, most recently on 12 February. We welcome the agreement reached by the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, on 20 February, to lift their respective trade restrictions. We urge both sides to ensure the continued implementation of this agreement and will monitor the situation.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
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 Israeli counterpart on Israel's imposition of restrictions on the export of Palestinian agricultural products.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK is concerned about the impact of recent Israeli trade restrictions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We are committed to supporting Palestinian economic development, and strongly support the principle of free trade. Businesses should be free to import Palestinian products without barriers. Her Majesty's Ambassador to Israel has raised this issue with the Government of Israel, most recently on 12 February. We welcome the agreement reached by the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, on 20 February, to lift their respective trade restrictions. We urge both sides to ensure the continued implementation of this agreement and will monitor the situation.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the UK Government plans to take to ensure that (a) alleged human rights abuses in South Cameroon are fully investigated and (b) the perpetrators of any such abuses are held to account.
Answered by James Duddridge
The UK Government remains deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon. These regions suffer from high levels of violence, which have driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes. We have consistently called for an end to the violence, and for investigations into all reports of human rights violations. On 19 February, I issued a statement about the appalling attacks on 14 February and called for an urgent and transparent investigation so that the perpetrators can be held accountable.
We continue to shine a spotlight on the crisis and raise our concerns on human rights in Cameroon at the highest levels, including with the Government of Cameroon, in multinational fora and with international partners including the US and France. At the UN Security Council (UNSC) on 6 December 2019, the UK expressed concern over the crisis, calling for an end to human rights abuses, and for humanitarian access to affected people. At the UNSC on 12 February, the UK highlighted the significant impact of the crisis on children.
The UK continues to support all credible peacebuilding initiatives and remains ready to work with the Government of Cameroon, and international partners, to bring peace to the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
What recent diplomatic steps he has taken to help pursue a resolution to the conflict in Yemen.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The situation in Yemen is of great concern to the government and the UK remains at the forefront of the diplomatic response. Most recently, the Foreign Secretary co-hosted the Yemen Ministeral Quad with US Secretary of State Pompeo on 13 Februrary in Warsaw. At this meeting, we highlighted our continued commitment to progress on Yemen, which is at a critical juncture.
Asked by: Louise Haigh (Labour - Sheffield, Heeley)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Israeli counterpart on the (a) forceable removal of shepherding families in Ibzik, in the Jordan Valley (b) destruction of those communities' land by large-scale tank manoeuvres and (c) demolition of a school classroom serving those communities.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Whist we have not raised these specific issues, we regularly make clear our serious concerns about the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to the Israeli authorities, both bilaterally and in co-operation with EU partners. These concerns include the evictions of Palestinians and demolition of Palestinian property, which cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians, calls into question Israel’s commitment to a viable two-state solution, and, in all but the most exceptional cases, are contrary to International Humanitarian Law.