Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many people holding (a) Russian, (b) Kazakhstan, (c) Belarus, (d) Uzbekistan and (e) Turkmenistan citizenship have been sanctioned under the Magnitsky sanctions regime in each of the last 12 months.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Since the UK's Global Human Rights Sanctions regime was established in July 2020, we have designated 75 individuals and 6 entities under the Global Human Rights sanctions regime. We have also designated 27 individuals under the Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions regime since it was established in April 2021. The full UK Sanctions List is available on GOV.UK website (www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-uk-sanctions-list), which provides details of those individuals and entities designated under sanctions regulations made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what data her Department holds on how much funding the UK has invested in Kazakhstan's energy sector in each of the last ten years.
Answered by Mike Freer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Department for International Trade does not produce or hold data on how much funding the UK has invested in Kazakhstan’s energy sector. However, data on UK investment is published by the Office for National Statistics, and can be accessed via the Department for International Trade and Investment Factsheets: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/trade-and-investment-factsheets
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will (a) suspend UK military training with Kazakhstan and (b) apologise for UK military involvement in training with that country in the last three years, including as part of Exercise Steppe Eagle.
Answered by James Heappey
Her Majesty's Government has followed developments in Kazakhstan closely. We condemn the acts of violence and greatly regret the loss of life. We have been clear with the Kazakh Government that the right to peaceful protest should be protected. We will continue to monitor the conduct of the Kazakh Armed Forces and, if any breaches of international law are seen, we will raise these with the Kazakh Government. Our vision for Central Asia is of a peaceful and prosperous region underpinned by respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law. We are committed to engaging with Kazakhstan to build a stable and prosperous future on the basis of these principles.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when military officers from Kazakhstan last received training in the UK; and what the ranks of those officers were.
Answered by James Heappey
The UK Ministry of Defence last delivered training to the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan between 22-26 November 2021. The participants ranged in rank from Captain to Lieutenant Colonel with three non-commissioned participants; in total eighteen Kazakh servicepeople participated. The intention of this training was to prepare and evaluate participants' readiness to deploy on UN Peacekeeping Missions.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of links between members of the Kazakh elite and London's financial services.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Government has long recognised the corrosive risks of dirty money being laundered in the UK. We have consistently reinforced our ability to crack down on illicit finance in the UK whether through ground-breaking legislation or a strengthened law enforcement response. Serious criminals, corrupt elites and individuals who seek to threaten the security of the UK and allies are not welcome in the UK.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans the Government has to place sanctions on members of the Kazakh elite with assets in the UK following the civil unrest in that country.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. We will consider targets, guided by the objectives of the relevant sanctions regime and the evidence. It is not normally appropriate to speculate on who may be designated in the future, as to do so could reduce their impact.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help prevent human rights infringements against protestors in Kazakhstan; and what discussions the Government has had with authorities in that country since that unrest began.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs is following developments in Kazakhstan closely and is very concerned by the violent clashes witnessed in recent days. Protests should be peaceful and law enforcement responses proportionate and in line with Kazakhstan's international commitments. At the beginning of the protests, President Tokayev signalled his intention to engage with the legitimate demands of peaceful protestors, a fact that we welcomed. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon spoke to the Kazakh Ambassador to the UK on 6 January, and with Kazakhstan's Deputy Foreign Minister Alimbayev on 7 January. During these meetings, Lord Ahmad was that clear that the right to peaceful protest should be protected, that internet services should be restored, and that the Kazakh authorities should respect their commitments to freedom of speech and expression. Our Ambassador and her team in Nur-Sultan are in contact with the authorities in Kazakhstan and we will continue to engage in the coming days.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the security situation in Kazakhstan; and what advice she is providing to UK nationals present or planning to travel to that country.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs is following developments in Kazakhstan closely and is very concerned by the violent clashes witnessed in recent days. It is deeply regrettable that lives have been lost and many others injured. We have called for calm and condemned the acts of violence and destruction of property. Protests should be peaceful and law enforcement responses proportionate and in line with Kazakhstan's international commitments. We are also concerned by the withdrawal of internet services. At the beginning of the protests, President Tokayev signalled his intention to engage with the legitimate demands of peaceful protestors, a fact that we welcome. FCDO Ministers and the British Embassy team in Nur-Sultan are in contact with the Kazakhstan authorities to establish the latest information. The situation is changing quickly, so any British Nationals in Kazakhstan or planning to travel should check the latest advice on the FCDO website, which is kept under regular review. We will also continue to respond promptly to consular enquiries.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many full-time UK armed forces personnel are currently deployed overseas, by country of deployment.
Answered by James Heappey
In addition to the 7,025 at sea in Ships and Submarines around the globe, figures for those deployed overseas on 22 Jul 2021, including in Defence Sections of Embassies, International Headquarters, permanent deployments, on UN Duties, on Operations, participating in international exercises, or in support of other Defence activity, are listed in the table below. This represents a snapshot as numbers are continuously changing. Some of these details have been withheld due to operational sensitivity, including our current presence in Afghanistan.
COUNTRY | Personnel |
ALBANIA | 1 |
ALGERIA | 2 |
ARGENTINA | 2 |
AUSTRALIA | 200 |
AUSTRIA | 2 |
BAHRAIN | 193 |
BANGLADESH | 1 |
BARBADOS | 3 |
BELGIUM | 280 |
BELIZE | 67 |
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA | 3 |
BRAZIL | 2 |
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM | 734 |
BULGARIA | 1 |
CAMEROON | 17 |
CANADA | 295 |
CHAD | 1 |
CHILE | 2 |
CHINA | 5 |
COLOMBIA | 3 |
CROATIA | 5 |
CURACAO | 2 |
CYPRUS | 3,272 |
CZECH REPUBLIC | 18 |
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO | 4 |
DENMARK | 4 |
DIEGO GARCIA | 43 |
DJIBOUTI | 4 |
EGYPT | 4 |
ESTONIA | 716 |
ETHIOPIA | 2 |
FALKLAND ISLANDS | 843 |
FIJI | 1 |
FINLAND | 1 |
FRANCE | 83 |
GEORGIA | 34 |
GERMANY | 585 |
GHANA | 3 |
GIBRALTAR | 516 |
GREECE | 53 |
INDIA | 8 |
INDONESIA | 2 |
IRAQ | 152 |
IRELAND | 1 |
ISRAEL | 4 |
ITALY | 196 |
JAMAICA | 2 |
JAPAN | 5 |
JORDAN | 215 |
KAZAKHSTAN | 2 |
KENYA | 617 |
KOSOVO | 36 |
KUWAIT | 84 |
LATVIA | 19 |
LEBANON | 4 |
LITHUANIA | 2 |
MALAYSIA | 7 |
MALI | 442 |
MEXICO | 2 |
MOLDOVA | 1 |
MOROCCO | 2 |
NEPAL | 69 |
NETHERLANDS | 116 |
NEW ZEALAND | 6 |
NIGERIA | 53 |
NORTH MACEDONIA | 3 |
NORWAY | 49 |
OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES | 6 |
OMAN | 235 |
PAKISTAN | 13 |
POLAND | 164 |
PORTUGAL | 27 |
QATAR | 134 |
ROMANIA | 175 |
RUSSIAN FEDERATION | 1 |
SAINT HELENA, ASCENSION AND TRISTAN DA CUNHA | 23 |
SAUDI ARABIA | 142 |
SENEGAL | 6 |
SERBIA | 1 |
SEYCHELLES | 1 |
SIERRA LEONE | 2 |
SINGAPORE | 9 |
SLOVAKIA | 1 |
SLOVENIA | 11 |
SOMALIA | 63 |
SOUTH AFRICA | 2 |
SOUTH KOREA | 7 |
SOUTH SUDAN | 5 |
SPAIN | 37 |
SRI LANKA | 1 |
SWEDEN | 3 |
THAILAND | 2 |
TUNISIA | 4 |
TURKEY | 46 |
TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS | 15 |
UGANDA | 2 |
UKRAINE | 436 |
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | 141 |
UNITED STATES | 1,053 |
UZBEKISTAN | 1 |
VIETNAM | 2 |
ZAMBIA | 6 |
ZIMBABWE | 1 |
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the credibility of new evidence submitted to the International Criminal Court in June regarding alleged forced deportations of Uyghurs to China from other countries; and what plans they have to publicly oppose the deportation of Uyghurs to China from (1) Turkey, (2) Kazakhstan, (3) Tajikistan, and (4) other states.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to take a global leadership role in standing up for the rights of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. We have repeatedly called on countries to respect their obligations not to force persons to return to a country where there are substantial grounds for believing they would be in danger of fundamental rights violations.
British diplomats - working closely with likeminded partners - have intervened privately at senior levels with host governments on behalf of Uyghurs who have been at risk of refoulement to China. We also encourage all states, including Turkey, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, to uphold their international human rights obligations.