Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
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 the Pakistan government on (a) freedom of protest and (b) the (i) safety and (ii) rights of protestors.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly supports individuals' rights to expression without censorship, intimidation or unnecessary restriction, and we will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people as laid down in Pakistan's Constitution and in accordance with international standards. I raised the importance of upholding civil and political rights with senior Ministers, including the Minister for Human Rights and Interior Minister, on my visit to Pakistan last month. The British High Commission also regularly raises these issues with the Pakistani authorities at a senior level.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the potential risk of transnational repression for British Pakistani critics of the Pakistan government.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government continually assesses potential threats and takes the protection of individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously, including in relation to Pakistan. Any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK will not be tolerated. Wherever we identify such threats, we will use all measures, including through our world-class police and intelligence services, to mitigate risk to individuals.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
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 help protect British Pakistanis critical of the Pakistan government from transnational repression.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government continually assesses potential threats and takes the protection of individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously, including in relation to Pakistan. Any attempt by any foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK will not be tolerated. Wherever we identify such threats, we will use all measures, including through our world-class police and intelligence services, to mitigate risk to individuals.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We recognise that there are human rights concerns in both India-administered-Kashmir and Pakistan-administered-Kashmir. We encourage all states to ensure domestic laws are in line with international standards. Any allegation of human rights violations or abuse is deeply concerning and must be investigated thoroughly and transparently.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) medical relief and (b) humanitarian aid his Department has provided to Sudan in the context of recent trends in the number of Cholera related deaths.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Sudan conflict has created the worst humanitarian crisis in the world with 24.8 million people in need of assistance. The UK is extremely concerned about the increasing cases of cholera in Sudan with death rates from the outbreak surging up to three times the global average. The UK is responding though our humanitarian programmes in Sudan. The UK has spent £113.5 million this year in response to the conflict in Sudan and the resulting regional refugee crisis. As part of this funding, we support the Sudan Humanitarian Fund which provides flexible, muti-sector support to NGOs, including medical relief for the cholera outbreak.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his oral statement of 19 July 2024 on Israel and Gaza, Official Report, column 301, what his planned timetable is for (a) the completion of his Department's comprehensive review of Israel’s compliance with international humanitarian law and (b) updating the House when that process is complete.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As soon as the Foreign Secretary came into office, he commissioned new advice on Israel's compliance with International Humanitarian Law, in the context of the war. This is an important and complex process, requiring detailed analysis of evidence, and close co-operation with other Government Departments, and is being undertaken urgently. The Foreign Secretary's decision, and the Government's decision on the related issue of arms exports, will be made public when the process is complete.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in Bangladesh on (a) ending violence and unrest and (b) ensuring that (i) the right to peacefully protest is upheld and (ii) independent investigations will take place.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary and I have publicly called for an immediate end to the violence and unrest in Bangladesh, and for all sides to find a peaceful way forward. I discussed the situation with the Bangladesh High Commissioner to London on 19 and 23 July and stressed the need for democratic freedoms and the rule of law to be protected. The British High Commissioner to Bangladesh has engaged with Bangladesh government ministers reinforcing messages on de-escalation and the need for constructive dialogue to reduce tensions. We are monitoring the situation closely and will continue to engage with counterparts.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in Bangladesh on (a) possible human rights violations against protestors and (b) future protection of students.
Answered by Catherine West - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I discussed my concerns regarding the violence in Bangladesh following protests with the Bangladesh High Commissioner to London on 19 and 23 July. The British High Commissioner has engaged with key ministers in the Bangladesh government to reinforce messages on de-escalation and the need for constructive dialogue to reduce tensions. The rights to protest, to peacefully assemble and to express different political views are rights the UK holds dear and must be protected. We will continue to raise the importance of respect for human rights and the rule of law with the Bangladesh government.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps the Government took to mark United Nations International Mother Language Day.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
In liaison with other government departments and the UK National Commission for UNESCO (UKNC), the FCDO partnered with the Bangladesh High Commission and High Commissioner for the 6th year to celebrate International Mother Language Day (IMLD) in London. IMLD was supported by the UK's Permanent Delegation to UNESCO, with UKNC, focussing on the theme of International Mother Language Day celebration for 2024 which is "Multilingual education is a pillar of intergenerational learning". The UK Permanent Delegate to UNESCO also promoted IMLD through e-communications and social channels, including support for IMLD related activities taking place around the UK, for example celebrating local musicians performing in their mother language in Wales.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to help ensure more of the global population have access to education in their native language.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK prioritises foundational learning (literacy, numeracy and socio-emotional skills) for all children across our education programmes. This recognises that foundational learning is crucial to achieving higher order skills and reaping the full benefits of education. We are focused on delivering evidence-based interventions. A key part of the evidence on what works in literacy is ensuring that children learn in their mother tongue. We therefore advocate for the teaching of basic early education in children's native language. We encourage countries to delay the transition to another language of instruction to later in children's education once they have secured foundational learning.