Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The UK's longstanding position is that there is no military solution to this conflict, and that parties to the conflict must engage in substantive negotiations, without preconditions, to secure a sustainable and peaceful settlement. I [Minister for Europe] underlined this message when I visited Baku in February, and the UK Government will continue to support constructive dialogue in further contacts with the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments in the coming months. I am planning to travel to Yerevan in the coming months. We continue to support internationally facilitated negotiations to settle all outstanding matters between the parties.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Iran on religious freedom in that country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran has a track record of systematic discrimination, harassment and targeting of minority religious and ethnic communities. We continue to raise human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, with Iran at all appropriate opportunities. The UK is committed to working with our partners to hold Iran to account for its dire human rights record.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
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 Tunisian counterpart on the detention of Said Ferjani; and if he will take steps with international counterparts to request the release of all political prisoners in that country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for North Africa, raised the recent wave of arrests directly with Tunisian Chargé d'Affaires on 23 February, underlining the importance of due legal process and respect for freedom of expression and association. His Majesty's Ambassador to Tunisia also raised UK concerns regarding the arrests with Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar on 23 February. Officials and Ministers have regular discussions with the Tunisian authorities and international counterparts to reiterate the UK's belief in the importance of space for legitimate political opposition, civil society, strengthening human rights and including all voices in building resilient and successful democracies. We will continue to engage the Tunisian authorities on these issues.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the people of Myanmar.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since the coup in Myanmar, the UK has provided £100 million to support those in need of humanitarian assistance, to deliver healthcare and education for the most vulnerable, and to protect civic space. On 31st January we announced our fourteenth tranche of sanctions, targeting companies and individuals who are responsible for supplying aviation fuel to the Myanmar Air Force. On 21 December 2022 the UN Security Council passed the first ever resolution, which was led by the UK, on the situation in Myanmar.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on the administrative detention of Palestinian citizens in Israel.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Israel's use of administrative detention, according to international law, should be used only when security makes this absolutely necessary. We ask the Israeli authorities to comply with their obligations under international law and either charge or release detainees. We remain committed to working with Israel to secure improvements to the practices surrounding children in detention in Israel. We have made clear our objections about the continued reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention. We also raise the continued transfer of Palestinian detainees to prisons inside Israel in violation of the Geneva convention.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of whether the Turkish government is distributing aid without discrimination against ethnicity and religion.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is working to ensure that aid reaches those who are most in need as quickly and efficiently as possible. 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.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what long-term plans his Department has to provide (a) financial aid and (b) rescue equipment to regions affected by the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is a committed humanitarian donor globally and responded quickly to the devastating earthquakes to provide life-saving support to the people of Turkey and Syria. As we move out of the emergency response phase, the UK will continue to stand in solidarity with Turkey and to look at what more we can do to support the longer term recovery effort. For the people of Syria, the additional support the UK is providing will supplement our existing support. Since 2012, the UK has provided over £3.8 billion to the regional Syria Crisis, our largest response to a single humanitarian crisis. Our response to the earthquake in Syria will continue to focus on providing urgent life-saving and life-sustaining assistance to those in need.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to provide (a) financial aid and (b) rescue equipment to regions affected by the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK responded immediately to provide live-saving support to Turkey and Syria. In Turkey, a UK International Search and Rescue team arrived in Gaziantep on 7 February and commenced operations within the critical 72-hour rescue window. From 14 February, we deployed a world-class UK medical team, field clinic and field hospital to Turkey, which continues to treat patients. In Syria, the UK-aid-funded White Helmets mobilised a major search and rescue effort. We have dispatched thousands of vital items including tents and blankets to Turkey and Syria. The Disasters Emergency Committee appeal, now exceeding £93 million, includes £5 million of the UK Aid Match. The UK has committed a significant package of aid, totalling over £43 million to date.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to restrict the provision of legal services to Russia in the context of the case of Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The Government does not comment on its plans for future sanctions, however we keep all sanctions measures under constant review.
Asked by: Rupa Huq (Labour - Ealing Central and Acton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to ban the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government takes its strategic export control responsibilities very seriously. The Government will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard.