Asked by: James Daly (Conservative - Bury North)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government is taking to increase trade links with Azad Kashmir.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
HM Government continues to work with Pakistan to increase trade and improve the terms of our trading relationship. Pakistan benefits from the Enhanced Framework in our Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP) and total trade in goods and services (exports plus imports) between us was £2.4 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2020.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 9 March (HL13631), whether a representative from the British High Commission was invited to attend the diplomatic visit to Indian-administered Kashmir organised by the government of India in the week commencing 15 February.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The British High Commissioner was invited to attend the diplomatic visit to India-administered Kashmir organised by the Government of India in the week commencing 15 February. We regularly discuss the prospect of British High Commission officials visiting India-administered Kashmir and are working closely with the Government of India to identify a suitable opportunity to visit.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 9 March (HL13631), what assessment the British High Commission made of the diplomatic visit to Indian-administered Kashmir organised by the government of India in the week commencing 15 February.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
According to a statement on the Government of India's Ministry of External Affairs website, the itinerary for the two-day trip covered Srinagar, Budgam and Jammu. Participants met some local representatives, civil society groups and residents of India-administered Kashmir, and received a briefing on the local security situation. The UK did not participate in this visit. We continue to work closely with the Indian authorities to identify the best opportunity for British High Commission representatives to visit Kashmir.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 9 March (HL13631), which countries participated in the diplomatic visit to Indian-administered Kashmir organised by the government of India in the week commencing 15 February.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This is a matter for the Government of India. According to information on the Government of India's Ministry of External Affairs website (https://mea.gov.in/response-to-queries.htm?dtl/33544/Official_Spokespersons_response_to_media_queries_on_the_Visit_of_Foreign_Heads_of_Missions_to_Jammu_amp_Kashmir), Heads of Mission attended from Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cote d'Ivore, Cuba, Estonia, Finland, European Union, Eritrea, France, Ghana, Italy, Ireland, Kyrgyz Republic, Malaysia, Malawi, Netherlands, Portugal, Senegal, Spain, Sweden and Tajikistan.
Asked by: Debbie Abrahams (Labour - Oldham East and Saddleworth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy and (b) speed of the covid-19 vaccination roll out in Pakistan to Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK continues to monitor the response to Covid-19 globally, including in Kashmir. The FCDO is working with global institutions, including the World Health Organisation, to ensure supplies are directed to those in greatest need. We are monitoring information on supplies in both India-administered and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Asked by: Debbie Abrahams (Labour - Oldham East and Saddleworth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the (a) adequacy and (b) speed of the covid-19 vaccination roll out in India to Indian-administered Kashmir.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK continues to monitor the response to Covid-19 globally, including in Kashmir. The FCDO is working with global institutions, including the World Health Organisation, to ensure supplies are directed to those in greatest need. We are monitoring information on supplies in both India-administered and Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether a member of the British High Commission accompanied the reported "guided tours" of Kashmir given to envoys by the government of India; and if so, what conclusions were drawn.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of the diplomatic visit to India-administered Kashmir that was organised by the Government of India in the week commencing 15 February 2021. The UK did not participate in this visit. We continue to work closely with the Indian authorities to identify the best opportunity for British High Commission representatives to visit Kashmir.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the visit to Indian Occupied Kashmir by a delegation of MEPs on 17 February 2021, if he will make representations to his Indian counterpart on allowing the United Nations access to Indian Occupied Kashmir to assess the humanitarian situation in that region.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We encourage all states to ensure that domestic laws are in line with international standards and to co-operate with UN human rights officials. We continue to make representations to the Government of India to secure access to India-administered Kashmir for our High Commission staff.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take diplomatic steps to support the International People's Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice in Kashmir.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK remains concerned about the situation in Kashmir and we continue to follow developments there closely. The Foreign Secretary raised Kashmir with his counterpart, External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar, during his visit to India in December 2020. Officials at the British High Commission in New Delhi engage regularly with human rights organisations on the situation. Any allegation of human rights abuses is deeply concerning and must be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently. The UK's position remains that it is for India and Pakistan to identify a lasting political resolution to the situation, one that takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester, Gorton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussion he has had with human rights organisations on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK continues to follow the situation in Kashmir closely. Officials at the British High Commission in New Delhi engage regularly with human rights organisations on the situation. We continue to be in regular contact with the governments of India and Pakistan, both through our diplomatic networks in New Delhi and Islamabad, and in London. Any allegation of human rights violations or abuse is deeply concerning and must be investigated thoroughly, promptly, and transparently.