Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement targeted sanctions against military-owned enterprises in Burma.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is looking at a range of measures to ensure the democratic wishes of the people of Myanmar are respected. On 18 February, we announced the immediate imposition of asset freezes and travel bans against three members of the Myanmar military regime for their role in serious human rights violations during the coup. Prior to this, the UK had already imposed targeted sanctions on 16 individuals responsible for human rights violations in Myanmar. This includes the Commander-in-Chief and his Deputy.
The military's influence is pervasive across Myanmar's economy and we have long been clear that Myanmar needs responsible investors. Her Majesty's Government works closely with UK businesses to ensure that they conduct thorough due diligence to try and avoid exposure to military businesses. We will continue to work closely with international partners on next steps, this includes exploring further sanctions.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the BBC World Service in expanding (a) its reach to additional countries, (b) the number of its language services broadcast and (c) the overall size of its global audience; what recent assessment has has made of the contribution of the World Service to global understanding of major developments in (i) Burma, (ii) China and (iii) Russia; what plans his Department has to restored ring-fenced funding of the BBC World Service for 2021-22; what plans he has to make an assessment of the role of the BBC World Service as part of the Integrated Review; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The FCDO strongly values the work of the BBC World Service in promoting UK values globally through its independent and impartial broadcasting, which is vital especially in places where media freedom is limited or otherwise curtailed.
We have provided the World Service with over £378m over 5 years (2016-21) through the World2020 programme, in order to fund enhancements to existing language services and 12 new language services. The World Service now reaches a record breaking 351m people weekly, an over 40% increase since the programme began in 2016, demonstrating the impact of FCDO investment. Future funding for the World Service is being considered alongside other FCDO spending priorities at SR20 and the role of the BBC World Service, and other soft power assets, is being considered as part of the Integrated Review.
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 Burma Campaign's "Dirty List"; and what plans they have to impose sanctions on any firm which supports Myanmar's military.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The military's influence is pervasive across Myanmar's economy. Burma Campaign's "Dirty List" is one valuable input into our thinking on the military economy. We are clear that Myanmar needs responsible investors. Her Majesty's Government works closely with UK businesses to ensure that they conduct thorough due diligence to try and avoid exposure to military businesses. Between 2018 and 2020 the UK imposed targeted sanctions on 16 individuals responsible for human rights violations in Myanmar. We played a leading role in securing EU sanctions on 14 individuals. These have all been transitioned into UK law. In July 2020, we sanctioned the Commander-in-Chief and his Deputy, in our first tranche of designations under the Global Human Rights Sanctions regime. We have now sanctioned all six individuals named in the UN Fact Finding Mission Report.
We are working closely with international partners to ensure a coordinated and impactful response to the coup of 1 February. The UK will consider all the tools at its disposal, including sanctions.
Asked by: Jonathan Edwards (Independent - Carmarthen East and Dinefwr)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to impose restrictions on the direct and indirect sale of weapons to Myanmar following the military coup in that country.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
There are sanctions against Myanmar (Burma) already, including an arms embargo and a ban on the export of equipment that might be used for internal repression.
HM Government will not issue export licences for items prohibited by these sanctions.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the report by the Shan Human Rights Foundation Blackening our future: Burma Army-linked coal mining expansion in war-torn northern Shan State, published on 27 January, what representations they have made to the government of Myanmar about (1) the expansion of coal-mining operations by their army and Ngwe Yi Pale in Shan State, and (2) any resulting (a) destruction of property, and (b) forced displacement of people, resulting from such expansion.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is aware of the recent displacements caused by the expansion of the coal-mining operations in Shan State, and mounted a response through its partners within the first week. Initially, 82 houses were destroyed, resulting in 3,891 people being displaced. UK humanitarian assistance targeted and is reaching 2,325 of those displaced with emergency food and medical support. Since 22 January, there are 1,073 people who remain displaced, with the rest now staying with host families or returning to Ngwe Yi Pale.
Asked by: Emma Lewell-Buck (Labour - South Shields)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many times the Government has suspended or revoked an existing Arms Export licence in the last five years; what the grounds were for those actions; and which countries those licences were for.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Since 2015, we have taken revocation action 74 times on individual licences; and suspended licences, pending further investigations, four times.
I have provided the Hon. Lady with instances below where a licence was revoked in full; where a country was removed; where goods were removed; or where goods for a country were removed.
In seeking to be open with the Hon. Lady, this data is provided from management information and may, therefore, not align with published official statistics. My department has identified some instances where revocations were not reported. For example, following the introduction of EU restrictive measures in 2017, we revoked Venezuela from 13 OIELs, but five were not reported. My department has identified the cause of this and put in place measures to ensure there is no re-occurrence. The data will align with the next official statistics update and the official estimates will be revised.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 25 November that they will be “spending the equivalent of 0.5 per cent of our national income on overseas aid in 2021” (HC Deb, col 830), which 20 countries have been the biggest recipients of UK bilateral aid since 2015; and what criteria will be used to determine reductions in (1) multilateral, and (2) bilateral, aid.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The top twenty recipients of UK bilateral aid between 2015 and 2019 are:
Pakistan | Democratic Republic of Congo |
Ethiopia | Kenya |
Nigeria | Sierra Leone |
Syria | Uganda |
Afghanistan | Lebanon |
Bangladesh | India |
Somalia | Jordan |
South Sudan | Burma |
Tanzania | Zimbabwe |
Yemen | Nepal |
The Government is introducing a new strategic approach which will allow us to drive greater impact from our ODA spending around a set of strategic objectives. First, tackling climate change, protecting biodiversity and financing low-carbon and climate-resilient technologies in poor and emerging economies. Second, tackling COVID-19, and promoting wider international health security. Third, prioritising girls' education. Fourth, resolving conflict, alleviating humanitarian crises, defending open societies, and promoting trade and investment, including by increasing UK partnerships in science research and technology. Finally, improving delivery of aid in order to increase the impact that we have on the ground, in the countries and the communities that they are designed to benefit and help. We will do this by strengthening accountability, value for money and in-house capability.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his recent correspondence with Burma Campaign UK, whether the Commonwealth Development Commission has been instructed to withdraw its financial support for Frontiir.
Answered by Nigel Adams
CDC Group's (CDC) investment in Frontiir has helped connect over one million people in Myanmar to the internet at affordable prices, thereby increasing access to information, boosting businesses, supporting education and tackling poverty. We support CDC's ongoing commitment to this investment.
CDC carries out due diligence in every investment it makes, including Frontiir. Frontiir has at all times adhered to international best practice and the company has become an observer of the Global Network Initiative at CDC's request. The UK remains committed to our efforts with partners to strengthen due diligence processes and raise any concerns, whilst continuing to support investment to benefit the people of Myanmar.
Asked by: Stephen Kinnock (Labour - Aberavon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which of the 16 people from Burma who appear on the UK Government’s sanctions list have had their assets frozen by the UK Government.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Across two financial sanctions regimes, the UK has targeted sanctions in place on 16 individuals from Myanmar for their role in atrocities against Rohingya and other minorities. These sanctions place obligations on those who hold or control assets to freeze the assets in place. Funds and economic resources must be frozen immediately by the person in possession or control of them. An asset freeze does not involve a change in ownership of frozen funds or economic resources, nor are they confiscated by the UK Government.
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), part of HM Treasury, publishes details of frozen assets reported to it in its Annual Review. However this figure is provided on an aggregate basis so as not to disclose the value of funds held by particular individuals, in compliance with data protection law.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Burma Campaign’s response to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation Annual review April 2019 to March 2020, published on 9 October, in particular, the concerns of that Campaign that sanctions targeting 16 individuals from the Burmese military and security services have not resulted in any reported assets being frozen; whether they intend to publish details of any assets frozen as the result of those sanctions; and if not, why not.
Answered by Lord Agnew of Oulton
HM Treasury received correspondence from Burma Campaign UK regarding the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI)’s Annual Review on 13 October 2020, and will respond directly to the Campaign in due course.