Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with reference to the decision of the International Parliamentary Union Governing Council on Case SWZ-COLL-01, published on 27 October 2023, what recent steps he has taken to support the rule of law and political space in Eswatini; and whether he has taken recent steps to support (a) trade union and (b) other civil society engagement between organisations based in the UK and Eswatini.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Since reopening our High Commission in Eswatini in 2019, the UK has been active in promoting good governance and the rule of law, through engagement with trade unions, political groups and civil society organisations as well as with the three branches of government. During the extended political transition this year, the High Commission supported efforts to promote peaceful and credible elections. The High Commission has also supported a series of media freedom events, and used International Programme Fund resources to promote a range of local initiatives in partnership with NGOs.
Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help secure the release of Evan Gershkovich from prison in Russia.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The detention of Evan Gershkovich illustrates Russia's disregard for media freedom. Both the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have called for his immediate release. As a US national, the US Government is providing Mr Gershkovich with consular support. The UK remains in close contact with the US and continues to assist their efforts to secure his release. The UK has raised his case at the OSCE, most recently on 2 November the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists. The UK has also condemned the Russian authorities' crackdown on non-government-controlled media at the UN Human Rights Council.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the sentencing of (a) Niloufar Hamedi and (b) Elaheh Mohammadi in Iran.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran remains an FCDO Human Rights Priority Country and we raise human rights issues with Iran at all appropriate opportunities. The sentencing of Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi demonstrates the brutal reality of life in Iran for journalists. As a Media Freedom Coalition member, we continue to stress the protection of journalists as a key pillar of human rights infrastructure, and to call for the immediate release of arbitrarily detained journalists. We continue to hold the Iranian authorities to account for their treatment of women. In September, we imposed sanctions on decision-makers responsible for drafting and implementing Iran's mandatory hijab law.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
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 implications for his policies of the report “Join Us or Die”: Rwanda’s Extraterritorial Repression, published by Human Rights Watch in October 2023; and whether he has had discussions with (a) the Home Secretary and (b) other Cabinet colleagues on the issues raised in that report.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Where we have concerns about the restrictions on political opposition, civil society and media freedom, we regularly express these to the Rwandan government. Most recently, I discussed these issues during my visit to Kigali in late August.
Asked by: Margaret Hodge (Labour - Barking)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to her Department's press release of 30 October 2023 entitled New plans to promote media freedom and protect journalists, whether her Department has plans to take steps to scrutinise (a) foreign (i) entities and (ii) individuals who may seek to gain control or significant influence over UK newspapers and (b) the potential impact of that on journalistic independence.
Answered by John Whittingdale
Under the Enterprise Act 2002, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has jurisdiction to intervene in a transaction involving a media company if they have reasonable grounds for suspecting that the transaction is or may amount to a ‘relevant merger situation’. A relevant merger situation is where two or more entities cease to be distinct, and at least one of the statutory thresholds around turnover and/or market share is met.
Where jurisdiction is established, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has discretion to intervene if they believe that it is or may be the case that one or more public interest considerations outlined under Section 58 of the Enterprise Act 2002 is relevant.
For transactions involving newspapers, these public interest considerations are: the need for accurate presentation of news; the need for free expression of opinion; and the need, in relation to every different audience in the United Kingdom or in a particular area or locality of the United Kingdom, for there to be a sufficient plurality of persons with control of the media enterprises serving that audience.
Further details of the process and grounds for intervention are set out in the Enterprise Act 2002 here.
Asked by: Lyn Brown (Labour - West Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to offer support to civil society organisations in Senegal for (a) election monitoring and (b) promoting democratic practices ahead of that country’s elections in 2024.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Peaceful, free and credible elections are essential to Senegal's stability. Our Ambassador and Embassy in Dakar regularly reinforce these messages, together with international partners, with the Senegalese Government and civil society groups. The Embassy will monitor the upcoming Presidential elections process closely. We are also exploring support to civil society groups through our International Programme Fund to reinforce democratic practices, specifically media freedom, during the elections period.
Asked by: Martyn Day (Scottish National Party - Linlithgow and East Falkirk)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 7 July 2023 to Question 191641 on Bahrain: Gulf Strategy Fund, what assessment his Department has made of the capacity of the (a) Bahraini civil societies and (b) Bahrain Journalist Association to (i) operate independently of and (ii) voice opposition to the Bahraini authorities.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO remains committed to supporting reform in Bahrain and working with civil society organisations and journalists, including through projects delivered via the Gulf Strategy Fund. We recognise there are challenges to freedom of expression in Bahrain and await the new media law, in which we have encouraged the Government of Bahrain to include improved protections for journalists and to enhance wider media freedoms.
Asked by: David Davis (Conservative - Haltemprice and Howden)
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the (a) adequacy of the work of the Counter Disinformation Unit and (b) impact of that work on freedom of speech.
Answered by John Whittingdale
The Counter Disinformation Unit (CDU), now called the National Security Online Information Team (NSOIT), is focused exclusively on risks to national security and public safety.
Preserving freedom of expression is an extremely important principle underpinning the team’s work. The Government believes that people must be allowed to discuss and debate issues freely.
The NSOIT does not monitor the social media accounts of individuals and does not take any action that could impact anyone’s ability to discuss and debate issues freely. When the NSOIT identifies content which is within one of the areas of focus ministers have agreed, is assessed to pose a risk to national security or public safety and which is assessed to breach the terms and conditions of the relevant platform it may share that content with the platform. No action is mandated by the Government, it is entirely up to the platform to determine whether or not to take any action in line with their terms of service. Under no circumstances is content from Parliamentarians or journalists ever referred to platforms. Ministers continue to keep the work of the NSOIT under review and the approach to sharing any content with platforms.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they will give the continuing imprisonment of British citizen Jimmy Lai and other democracy advocates in Hong Kong in deciding to resume discussions in the UK–China Joint Economic and Trade Commission.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Foreign Secretary outlined in the latest Six-Monthly Report on Hong Kong, Mr Lai and others have been targeted by the Hong Kong authorities under the guise of national security and his case is highly politicised. The Foreign Secretary raised Mr Lai's case and China's ongoing non-compliance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on 31 August during his visit to China. Senior officials have and will continue to raise cases such as Mr Lai's with the Hong Kong authorities. We continue to press for consular access to Mr Lai and diplomats at our Consulate-General in Hong Kong attend Mr Lai's court proceedings. We will continue to bring our international partners together to shine a light on the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, including on individual cases such as Mr Lai's. In September, the UK led a side event at the UN Human Rights Council on media freedom in Hong Kong, supported by 24 other countries. The UK Government has not made any decision on the UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of calls by the government of the USA, the EU Parliament and United Nations Special Rapporteurs for the release from prison in Hong Kong of the British citizen Jimmy Lai.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As the Foreign Secretary outlined in the latest Six-Monthly Report on Hong Kong, Mr Lai and others have been targeted by the Hong Kong authorities under the guise of national security and his case is highly politicised. The Foreign Secretary raised Mr Lai's case and China's ongoing non-compliance with the Sino-British Joint Declaration with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng on 31 August during his visit to China. Senior officials have and will continue to raise cases such as Mr Lai's with the Hong Kong authorities. We continue to press for consular access to Mr Lai and diplomats at our Consulate-General in Hong Kong attend Mr Lai's court proceedings. We will continue to bring our international partners together to shine a light on the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, including on individual cases such as Mr Lai's. In September, the UK led a side event at the UN Human Rights Council on media freedom in Hong Kong, supported by 24 other countries. The UK Government has not made any decision on the UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission.