Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Seema Malhotra and David Williams

Tuesday 2nd December 2025 Commons Chamber

[David Williams (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab)]

13. What steps her Department is taking to help improve the humanitarian situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (Seema Malhotra)]

The UK does not currently deliver direct humanitarian assistance in Pakistan-administered Kashmir or India-administered Kashmir, but we continue to monitor the humanitarian situation, as we do elsewhere in the region.

[David Williams]

Stoke-on-Trent is home to one of the largest Kashmiri communities in the UK, and many of my constituents are deeply worried by the continuing restrictions on civil liberties, arbitrary detentions and the ongoing denial of meaningful political determination in Jammu and Kashmir. Will the Minister please set out what specific human rights and self-determination concerns the UK has raised with the Indian Government, and what tangible progress my constituents can expect the Government to press for?

[Seema Malhotra]

We strongly support individuals’ rights to freedom of assembly and expression, and peaceful political protest. We have consistently emphasised that any human rights violations should be fully investigated in line with international human rights law. We continue to monitor human rights issues and, where we have concerns, raise those with the Government of India.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Seema Malhotra and David Williams

Monday 24th February 2025 Commons Chamber

[Seema Malhotra]

I am still quite flabbergasted by the questions that the Conservatives ask in the House. Their party saw net migration more than quadruple to record levels. The shadow Minister will know that the Prime Minister has also pledged a White Paper on reducing net migration—that was at the end of last year—and work is under way to consider a range of proposals, including how better to support the integration and employability of refugees.

[David Williams (Stoke-on-Trent North) (Lab)]

3. What recent progress her Department has made on tackling antisocial behaviour.