Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what support her Department provides to Afghans with UK visas in travelling to the UK.
Answered by Kevin Foster
The Government responded swiftly to the fast-moving and challenging events in Afghanistan, including supporting the largest and fastest evacuation in recent history. We can be proud as a country that we helped over 15,000 people to safety from Afghanistan in August 2021 and we continue to do all we can to enable those who are eligible to relocate to the UK.
We have continued to bring people to the UK, with 1,500 people helped to enter since the evacuation, including people under the Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme, LGBT+ Afghans, female judges and human rights defenders.
People in these groups who were evacuated to the UK will now be granted indefinite leave to remain; where such people were called forward for evacuation but did not make it out of Afghanistan they will be prioritised for inclusion in the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
The UK is working with international partners to secure safe routes out of Afghanistan as soon as they become available.
Those who were not called forward, and who hold a UK visa, are expected to make their own arrangements to travel to the UK.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool, Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will hold discussions with the government of Guinea on the penalties in place in that country against LGBT people.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK stands with LGBT+ individuals globally to affirm our commitment to the principle of non-discrimination on all grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. We work through our Embassy in Conakry, as well as international organisations, to promote non-discrimination towards LGBT+ people in Guinea, and to address discriminatory laws. The UK encourages Guinea to oppose all forms of discrimination and uphold the obligations in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the principles of the African Charter.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding has been allocated to Stonewall over the last four years; and what his policy is on funding allocations to that charity in 2022 and beyond.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The FCDO works closely with a range of civil society organisations, including Stonewall, to defend the human rights of LGBT+ people around the world. Most recently this included work with Stonewall to evacuate LGBT+ people from Afghanistan under threat from the Taliban. Any future funding to Stonewall would be allocated in keeping with FCDO policies. Please refer to the answer of 17 November 2021 to question 72342 for a detailed breakdown of funding provided to Stonewall since 2018.
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, when she last made an assessment of (a) the legal rights and status of LGBT+ people in the UK Overseas Territories and (b) any potential differences from UK domestic law and commitments under the European Convention on Human Rights.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The inhabited Overseas Territories are separate, largely self-governing jurisdictions with their own democratically-elected representatives. Our relationship with the Territories is based on partnership and we are working together to put in place arrangements to protect the legal status and rights of LGBT+ people. Nine of the Overseas Territories have legal recognition and protection for LGBT+ people, six have also introduced legislation to introduce civil partnerships or legalise same-sex marriage.
We continue to assess and engage with all the Overseas Territories to ensure that their legislation is compliant with their international obligations.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Safe To Be Me conference will provide opportunities to platform UK Government funded aid mechanisms, including the Global Fund To Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, that support marginalised groups in accessing healthcare.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
With the risk of acquiring HIV globally 25 times higher amongst men who have sex with men, and 34 times higher for transgender women, it is clear that this remains one of the greatest healthcare challenges for LGBT+ people. The UK Government continues to be a major donor to international health organisations and programmes, including the Global Fund.
'Safe To Be Me: A Global Equality Conference' will take place 29 June-1 July 2022, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the first official London Pride marches. The global event will be the first of its kind in the UK, bringing together governments, policy experts and international organisations who advocate for human rights in every corner of the globe, as well as representatives from business who are leading the way in their respective sectors. It will provide many opportunities to highlight the amazing work that the UK government and our partners are doing to improve the lives of LGBT+ people around the world, including in accessing healthcare and other services.
Asked by: Tim Loughton (Conservative - East Worthing and Shoreham)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will recognise at-risk cultural heritage workers from Afghanistan who have been threatened for their work with international bodies under her Department's refugee programme; and whether those individuals need to be outside of Afghanistan to be processed for re-settlement in the UK.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme will provide up to 20,000 women, children and others at risk with a safe and legal route to resettle in the UK.
The scheme will prioritise those who have assisted UK efforts in Afghanistan and stood up for UK values such as democracy, women’s rights, freedom of speech and rule of law; and vulnerable people such as women and girls at risk, and members of minority groups (including ethnic / religious minorities and LGBT+).
Those we resettle will be prioritised according to risk and protection need. Further details on referral for resettlement can be found in the recent statement to Parliament on 6 January: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/oral-statement-on-the-afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme
The capacity of the UK to resettle people is not unlimited, and therefore difficult decisions about who will be prioritised for resettlement will have to be made.
The UK is committed to working with our international partners to protect and promote the human rights of those in Afghanistan including cultural heritage workers, and encourage the international community to share our long-term interest in providing homes for those whose lives are at risk in Afghanistan.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what specific issues in relation to LGBT rights in Brunei were raised between the Minister of State and the Foreign Minister of Brunei in their meeting of 9 December 2021; and what the response from Foreign Minister II Erywan was.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK is committed to the principle of non-discrimination on any grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people. We continue to raise human rights and respect of individual freedoms as part of our bilateral discussions with Brunei. In my meeting with the Foreign Minister of Brunei on 9 December I discussed LGBT+ issues, including in the context of the implementation of Brunei's Sharia Penal Code Order. The Foreign Minister of Brunei welcomed discussions on these areas.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will hold discussions with the Government of Brunei on the penalties in place in that country against LGBT people.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK is committed to the principle of non-discrimination on any grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Human rights are universal and should apply equally to all people. We continue to raise human rights and respect of individual freedoms as part of our bilateral discussions with Brunei. I discussed LGBT rights in my meeting with Foreign Minister II Erywan on 9 December.
Asked by: Baroness Cox (Crossbench - Life peer)
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 (HL13390), what further steps they will take to ensure the democratic wishes of the people of Myanmar are respected.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and their call for democracy. To this end the UK is working to ensure a strong and coordinated international response. As well as sanctions, the UK has secured strong statements through the G7 and UN Security Council. Most recently we secured a UN Security Council Press Statement on 10 November urging the military to end violence, protect civilians and ensure full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access. We worked to secure G7 Statements and a UN General Assembly Resolution on preventing the flow of arms to Myanmar and continue to work with partners to put pressure on those selling arms to the military. We are engaging with pro-democracy voices, including the NUG who the Minister for Asia met on 4 November. We are bolstering support to human rights monitoring and evidence gathering, including providing £500,000 to the UN Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar, to ensure that there is a spotlight on human rights violations by the military. The UK has provided humanitarian assistance to over 500,000 people since the coup. Our humanitarian assistance includes water and sanitation, nutrition and lifesaving food. Our work on livelihoods, financial inclusion and food security continues to focus on reaching the most vulnerable and in the first half of 2021 has reached over 3 million households. The UK is supporting diverse civil society and pro-democracy voices, including women's rights organisations, LGBT+ groups and youth, to enable them to contribute to peacebuilding and to build a common vision for the future. We will continue to work closely with partners, particularly in ASEAN, to seek a resolution to the crisis in Myanmar.
Asked by: Ben Bradshaw (Labour - Exeter)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her counterpart in Ghana on the proposed Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill which would further criminalise LGBT+ people.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK stands firm with LGBT+ individuals globally to affirm our commitment to the principle of non-discrimination on all grounds, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. We make regular representations about LGBT+ rights, including to the Government of Ghana. We work through our High Commission in Accra, as well as international organisations, to promote non-discrimination towards LGBT+ people, and to address discriminatory laws.
The UK acknowledges Ghana's democratic reputation and respects Ghana's Parliamentary process. However, we fully support the position of the United Nations Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights in condemning the discriminatory nature of the draft Private Members Bill on the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values.
Ghana has historically been a champion of tolerance, inclusion and human rights. The UK encourages Ghana to reaffirm its opposition to all forms of discrimination and uphold the human rights provisions enshrined in Ghana's Constitution, the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the principles of both the African and Commonwealth Charters.