Asked by: Alex Norris (Labour (Co-op) - Nottingham North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to his Department's press release entitled Foreign Secretary announces free speech funding, published on 2 November 2017, how many applications for the funding announced in that press release have been (a) received and (b) decided on.
Answered by Mark Field
On 2 November 2017, the former Foreign Secretary announced that the UK would spend £1m "over the next financial year" on projects to support media freedom, in countries where it is under significant pressure. The FCO issued a call for bids for projects on Media Freedom through the Magna Carta Fund on www.Gov.uk in May 2018. Selected Posts around the network have also put out separate, country-specific calls for bids.
The criteria was for projects which addressed restrictions on media freedom, for example through legislation or policy, and/or supported the training and protection of journalists. Projects needed to offer good value for money and demonstrate potential for impact, sustainability and replication. Posts also took into account specific local criteria. Decisions on funding were made by officials within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and by officers at Posts around the network.
30 applications were received in relation to the call for bids on www.Gov.uk. A number of other bids have been received directly by our network of Posts. We have allocated over£1.5m for media freedom and freedom of expression projects this financial year under the Magna Carta Fund. We are funding 15 projects in 14 countries. Expenditure is ongoing as we have not reached the end of this financial year. Further programme funding is available for press freedom work through the Good Governance Fund which covers Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Georgia, Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia and Ukraine, and through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF).
Asked by: Anne Main (Conservative - St Albans)
Question to the Department for International Development:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the terms and conditions are for the provision of aid to Bangladesh to promote human rights and freedom of expression; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure compliance with those terms and conditions.
Answered by Alistair Burt
DFID Bangladesh funds programmes that support civil society to hold the government to account, protect civic space and promote rights, particularly for marginalised or vulnerable groups. These programmes comply with DFID programme management requirements, including thorough due diligence assessments and robust monitoring and evaluation.
Where appropriate, programmes that provide funding directly through government systems or work in the security and justices sectors are assessed against DFID Partnership Principles or Overseas Justice and Security Assessment (OSJA) criteria respectively. These ensure programming is human rights compliant. DFID programmes complement FCO Magna Carta human rights funding and FCO diplomatic engagement.
Details of DFID Bangladesh programmes are available on the Devtracker website.
I was deeply concerned by the violence in Dhaka in response to peaceful road safety protests by students and the subsequent arrest of journalist Shahidul Alam. I expressed UK concern regarding the response to the road safety protests, and raised Dr Alam's case, with the Government of Bangladesh, during my visit to Bangladesh 28-31 August. The Foreign Secretary also raised Dr Alam’s case with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when they met on 24 September in New York.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government in what ways, if any, they plan to mark the International Day for Freedom of Religion or Belief on 27 October; and whether they will issue guidance to all embassies and overseas missions on the UK policy on such freedom.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Prime Minister demonstrated the British Government's commitment to promoting freedom of religion or belief when in July this year she appointed me as her special envoy. The British Government sees International Religious Freedom Day on 27 October as an opportunity to reflect on the persecution suffered around the world by people due to their religion or beliefs; and to promote respect between communities. The British Government will mark the day on social media, and through an event jointly hosted by myself and Lord Bates on 7 November to mark the occasion. We will also use the occasion to re-issue the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's toolkit on Freedom of Religion or Belief to all of our overseas embassies and missions across our global network, and encourage them to promote and defend this important human right. Finally we are pleased that almost £1 million of funding has been allocated to pursue our freedom of religion or belief policy objectives through the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy.
Asked by: Jo Swinson (Liberal Democrat - East Dunbartonshire)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which projects on business and human rights his Department has funded in each of the last five years; and what the total spend of each such project was in each of those years.
Answered by Mark Field
For the 2018-19 financial year, the department intends to spend through the Magna Carta Fund a total of £107,000 supporting business and human rights projects. Information for projects relating to business and human rights in previous financial years is not readily available; we will write to the Hon Member in due course.
Asked by: Madeleine Moon (Labour - Bridgend)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) support and (b) protect human rights defenders in the UK’s human rights priority countries.
Answered by Mark Field
In November 2017 the then Foreign Secretary issued a revised version of the UK Guidelines on Working with Human Rights Defenders to the diplomatic network, giving it advice on how best to support human rights defenders. Depending on the local context, this might involve making public statements, attending trials, or working privately with the host government. In addition, posts in all Human Rights Priority Countries are required to have a Human Rights Strategy which includes working with human rights defenders. Funding for projects through the Magna Carta Fund further supports the work of the diplomatic network in supporting human rights defenders. Working at the multilateral level, in November 2017 we helped secure consensus on the UN General Assembly Resolution on Human Rights Defenders to support and protect human rights defenders.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help prevent the (a) mis-treatment, (b) imprisonment and (c) execution of (i) human rights defenders and (i) environmental defenders throughout the world; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Field
In 2017 the then Foreign Secretary issued a revised version of the UK Guidelines on Working with Human Rights Defenders to the diplomatic network. In addition, all Human Rights Priority Countries are required to have a Human Rights Strategy, that includes support for human rights defenders working on the range of human rights, including those related to the environment. Depending on the local context, this might involve making public statements, attending trials, or working privately with the host government. Funding for projects through the Magna Carta Fund, further supports the work of the diplomatic network in supporting human rights defenders. The UK also works through the multilateral system, to develop consensus among members for the protection of all human rights defenders, including protection against reprisals, arbitrary detention and violence. It is the long-standing policy of the UK, to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, as a matter of principle.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to help prevent the (a) mis-treatment, (b) imprisonment and (c) execution of (i) human rights defenders and (i) environmental defenders throughout the world; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Field
In 2017 the then Foreign Secretary issued a revised version of the UK Guidelines on Working with Human Rights Defenders to the diplomatic network. In addition, all Human Rights Priority Countries are required to have a Human Rights Strategy, that includes support for human rights defenders working on the range of human rights, including those related to the environment. Depending on the local context, this might involve making public statements, attending trials, or working privately with the host government. Funding for projects through the Magna Carta Fund, further supports the work of the diplomatic network in supporting human rights defenders. The UK also works through the multilateral system, to develop consensus among members for the protection of all human rights defenders, including protection against reprisals, arbitrary detention and violence. It is the long-standing policy of the UK, to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances, as a matter of principle.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to promote and support human rights internationally.
Answered by Mark Field
Promoting and defending human rights is an essential aim of the foreign policy of "Global Britain". The Foreign Office's 2017 "Human Rights & Democracy" report demonstrates the breadth of the issues that we campaign on and how we mobilise the diplomatic network to champion universal rights.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office ministers and officials defend and promote human rights in bilateral engagements, in multilateral fora, and by funding projects through the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy.
Asked by: Roger Godsiff (Labour - Birmingham, Hall Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 13 July 2018 to Question 161195, whether the Government has made representations to the Government of Pakistan on the murder of Mr Muhammed Shoban on the 25 June 2018; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Mark Field
We regularly raise the importance of religious tolerance with the government of Pakistan. We raise few individual cases. We focus on urging the government of Pakistan to fulfil its duty to uphold the rights of all Pakistan's citizens irrespective of religious identity. This includes raising concerns about discrimination and violence against Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan. I raised the treatment of religious minorities, including the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, with the Ministry of Human Rights during my visit to Pakistan in November 2017. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon discussed the issue of freedom of religion or belief, and the protection of religious minorities with Pakistan's Interior Minister in February 2018.
At the UN Periodic Review of Pakistan's human rights record in 2017, the UK urged Pakistan to strengthen protection of minorities, including by establishing an independent National Commission for Minorities. The UK Government is supporting projects in Pakistan to promote greater tolerance and religious freedom through our Magna Carta Fund.
The appointment of Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon as the Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief affirms our commitment to stand up for this key global freedom.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, whether she has held discussions with Foreign and Commonwealth Office Ministers on appointing an LGBT special envoy as part of the Government's LGBT Action Plan 2018: Improving the lives of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Victoria Atkins - Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
The promotion and protection of LGBT rights is a UK priority. We work to promote tolerance and non-discrimination against LGBT people and to address discriminatory laws, in particular those that criminalise same sex relations. My Ministerial colleagues and I, and every one of our Ambassadors and High Commissioners worldwide act as envoys on this issue.
We consider that it is more effective to promote the rights of LGBT people as part of a broader approach to equality and non-discrimination, and through the regular engagement of FCO Ministers and officials at our Embassies and High Commissions overseas. We have no current plans to appoint a Special Envoy to work exclusively on LGBT rights.
We announced in the action plan published recently, that we will continue to promote LGBT rights internationally through our overseas missions and through international organisations, including the UN, European institutions and the Commonwealth. We also provide funding to promote LGBT equality. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy has committed £1.1 million to support LGBT rights projects worldwide in 2018 and 2019, and the Department for International Development will provide up to £12 million over four years, from 2018 to 2022, for a consortium of organisations to work together to promote LGBT inclusion.