Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the progress made towards a renewed nuclear deal with Iran during the Vienna talks.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We are in the final stage of talks in Vienna to restore the nuclear deal. This is the decision point. E3 negotiators are ready to return to Vienna and conclude the deal on the table.
We have worked intensively with JCPoA participants and the US to reach this stage.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in the context of the latest Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Palestinian Authority (PA), whether her Department has made representations to representatives of the PA on the broadcasting of songs with lyrics inciting violence on official PA TV News on 3, 10, 11 and 13 July 2021.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Our partnership with the Palestinian Authority includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle any language and actions that could incite violence or hatred. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, any type of action and language that makes it more difficult to achieve a negotiated solution to the conflict.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the latest Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and the Palestinian Authority (PA), whether her Department has made representations to representatives of the Palestinian Authority on reports in the official PA newspaper Al-Hayat Al-Jadida on 13 June 2021 celebrating the naming of a Palestinian baby after Adolf Eichmann.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Our partnership with the Palestinian Authority includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle any language and actions that could incite violence or hatred. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, any type of action and language that makes it more difficult to achieve a negotiated solution to the conflict.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to help support food supply in Afghanistan.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
On 28 January, the Foreign Secretary announced £97 million humanitarian assistance, delivering on the UK's promise to double UK aid to Afghanistan to £286 million in 2021-22. Afghanistan is now the world's most severe food security crisis and UK Aid will provide emergency food assistance for 4.47 million people. We are working closely with the World Food Programme to ensure that food insecure adults and children receive the support they need. We have now disbursed over £176 million to Afghanistan and for Afghan refugees in the region to address the most urgent humanitarian needs.
The UK also played a key role in pressing for a resolution establishing a humanitarian exception under the UN Afghanistan sanctions regime. On 27 January 2022, the UK government laid legislation to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2615. This will save lives and reduce the impediments faced by humanitarian agencies.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 25 March 2020 to Question 31567 on Palestinians: Schools, what representations the Government made to the Palestinian Authority on concerns over school naming; and what assessment she has made of the impact of those representations on the decision not to rename those schools.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK Government is clear that incitement to hatred or violence is unacceptable from all parties and should have no place in education. Our partnership with the Palestinian Authority includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle any language and actions that could incite violence or hatred. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, any type of action and language that makes it more difficult to achieve a negotiated solution to the conflict.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 23 July 2019 to Question 277622 on Dalal Mughrabi and Omar Abu Laila, what representations the Government has made to the Palestinian Authority on the naming of youth summer camps after Dalal Moughrabi and Omar Abu Laila; and what assessment she has made of the impact of those representations on the decision not to rename those youth summer camps.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Our partnership with the Palestinian Authority includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle any language and actions that could incite violence or hatred. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, any type of action and language that makes it more difficult to achieve a negotiated solution to the conflict.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 11 July 2017 to Question 3584 on Karim and Maher Younes, what representations the Government has made to the Palestinian Authority the naming of town squares in Jenin and Tulkarem after Karim Younes and Maher Younes respectively; and what assessment she has made of the impact of those representations on the decision not to rename those town squares.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Our partnership with the Palestinian Authority includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle any language and actions that could incite violence or hatred. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leaderships to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, any type of action and language that makes it more difficult to achieve a negotiated solution to the conflict.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to support the efforts of the Israeli government in respect of building confidence in the Palestinian Authority.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK welcomes continued engagement between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA), including direct meetings between Israeli Defence Minister Gantz and President Abbas, as well as discussions between the Ministries of Finance aimed at improving economic cooperation. I attended the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) in October 2021 where I held meetings with Prime Minister Shtayyeh, Israeli Regional Minister Frej and the wider international community to urge the parties to accelerate efforts to improve the financial situation of the PA and the economic conditions in the OPTs.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of whether the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran amounts to (a) crime against humanity and (b) genocide.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
It is the long-standing policy of the UK Government that any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent court. The UK Government takes any allegations of extrajudicial killings seriously, and we have always been clear that Iran must uphold its international legal obligations, including conducting thorough and independent investigations into suspected human rights violations, both past and present. We strongly support the work done by the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran and urge Iran to allow him access to the country, so that he can also conduct research and investigations into human rights concerns reported there, including the events of 1988. We call on President Raisi to set Iran on a different course, which includes committing to improving human rights in Iran.
Asked by: Steve McCabe (Labour - Birmingham, Selly Oak)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of an international investigation into the 1988 massacre of political prisoners in Iran.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK Government takes any allegations of extrajudicial killings seriously, and we have always been clear that Iran must uphold its international legal obligations, including conducting thorough and independent investigations into suspected human rights violations, both past and present. We strongly support the work done by the Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Iran and urge Iran to allow him access to the country, so that he can also conduct research and investigations into human rights concerns reported there, including the events of 1988. We call on President Raisi to set Iran on a different course, which includes committing to improving human rights in Iran.