Bahrain: Human Rights Abuses
Debate between Baroness Northover and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Baroness Northover (LD)
My Lords, with the permission of my noble friend Lord Scriven, and at his request, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in his name on the Order Paper.
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
The Prime Minister and the Crown Prince discussed a wide range of measures, as outlined on the GOV.UK website. We regularly raise human rights priorities and any areas of concern with the Government of Bahrain, including at senior levels. The Foreign Secretary raised social and justice reforms with the Crown Prince during their meeting on 17 June, and the UK continues to engage with the Government of Bahrain to support their reform agenda.
Baroness Northover (LD)
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord. The UK has a close relationship with Bahrain but is pressed on what it raises on human rights. I flagged to the noble Lord last night the case of human rights defender Dr Al-Singace, who has a PhD from Manchester University and who was arrested on his return to Bahrain in 2010 and sentenced to life imprisonment for his peaceful opposition to Bahrain’s Government during the Arab spring. He is currently on hunger strike. Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and others have called for his immediate and unconditional release; the UK has never done so. Can the noble Lord tell us whether the Government will now do this before it is too late?
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
As the noble Baroness says, our relationship means we are able to raise cases directly with Bahrain. We continue to monitor the case of Dr Al-Singace. We have raised the case at a senior level with the Bahraini Government, and we urge anyone with concerns over a particular case to raise those with the oversight bodies in Bahrain. We continue to encourage the oversight bodies to carry out swift and thorough investigations into any such claims.
Global Education Summit
Debate between Baroness Northover and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
As I say, one of the cruellest aspects of the pandemic is that it threatens education finance at a time when it is needed most. That is why President Kenyatta has written to partner countries calling for them to protect pre-pandemic levels of spending and to work towards increasing it towards the global benchmark of 20% of total public expenditure. The Government support that call to action and hope that the summit will be an opportunity for our partners to make commitments not only to mobilise financing for education but to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of that spending.
Baroness Northover (LD)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that the link between good family planning and girls being in education is exceptionally strong? Good access to family planning means smaller families, with more of those children in schools, and families and communities becoming more prosperous. Can he assure us that the cuts to family planning will be reversed in time for the Kenya meeting?
Violence in Israel and Palestine
Debate between Baroness Northover and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
I thank the noble Lord for his welcome for what my right honourable friend the Minister for the Middle East said in the other place and in his broadcast this morning. The ongoing violence across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories is deeply concerning and must stop. As the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary have said, we want to see both sides stepping back from this. The Foreign Secretary delivered a message of de-escalation in his call to Israeli Foreign Minister Ashkenazi on Tuesday and to Palestinian Prime Minister Shtayyeh yesterday. We are working with our partners, including those in the region, and remain in close contact with the US Administration and European allies.
Baroness Northover (LD)
My Lords, this is an extremely dangerous situation, and we condemn violence on all sides, particularly today, as many—including, no doubt, the Minister the noble Lord, Lord Ahmad—are celebrating Eid. But rocket boosters must now be put under a peace and justice process, not violent attacks. Will the Government condemn the forced evictions from east Jerusalem, Israeli actions in the al-Aqsa mosque and the bombing and possible ground war in Gaza as clearly as they have rightly condemned rocket attacks from Gaza? It is in no one’s interest to escalate conflict here, and all must be held properly to account for any human rights abuses and breaking of international law.
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
The noble Baroness is right; de-escalation is important, and that is a point we are making to all parties. Clearly, violence against peaceful worshippers at the al-Aqsa mosque was unacceptable. The UK is committed to preserving the religious status quo at the holy sites in Jerusalem, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan and today as, as she says, Eid al-Fitr begins. We wish all those celebrating Eid Mubarak. We urge all parties to respect this and to refrain from provocation.
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe
Debate between Baroness Northover and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
The noble Lord is right: our thoughts first and foremost go out to Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and her family for this latest development. We have been very clear that Iran’s decision is totally inhumane and wholly unjustified. He is right that my right honourable friend the Minister, James Cleverly, yesterday outlined some of the action we are taking to hold Iran to account for its poor human rights record—for instance, strongly supporting the renewal mandate of the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran at the Human Rights Council in March this year and joining the Canadian initiative against arbitrary detention in February. However, this is on Iran: it can do the right thing and return Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe and other dual nationals home to be reunited with their families.
Baroness Northover (LD)
My Lords, I too express my sympathy to Nazanin and her family. Two more European dual nationals are being tried today—one German, one British. The German authorities have said that they will seek to attend the mock trial in the revolutionary courts. Is the United Kingdom doing the same for our citizen? What came across yesterday in the Commons was words but not actions.
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
I cannot speak for the actions of other Governments and the activity they are undertaking. We have requested access to the hearings, as we have for previous hearings, but Iran routinely denies us access to them because it does not recognise Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe as a dual national. We will continue to seek to attend any future hearings. We have been consistently clear that she must not be returned to prison; she should be returned to the United Kingdom to be reunited with her family.
China: Treatment of Uighurs and Taiwanese Airspace Incursions
Debate between Baroness Northover and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
The noble Baroness should see what my right honourable friend said in full, at least what he said in his speech at the Aspen Security Forum this week or what we say in the integrated review, which makes clear that open countries such as the UK need to engage with China and remain open to trade and investment. We will engage with confidence, which is important because China is an increasingly important partner in tackling global challenges, including climate change, biodiversity and preventing future pandemics.
Baroness Northover (LD)
Could the Minister be clearer: what comes first, trade deals or human rights?
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
My Lords, the integrated review sets out that open trading economies such as the UK need to engage with China, but we must also protect ourselves against practices that have an adverse effect on prosperity and security. We will do so standing up for our values and human rights. The integrated review sets out that these are all held in balance.
Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed al-Maktoum
Debate between Baroness Northover and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
The noble Lord refers to the case of Sheikha Shamsa. Criminal matters are a matter for the police. An investigation was conducted by Cambridgeshire Constabulary, which is of courses operationally independent, and the Government had no role in that investigation or its outcome. The UK believes that all states, including the UAE, need to uphold international human rights obligations. We have a close relationship with the UAE, which means that we can raise issues where needed.
Baroness Northover (LD)
My Lords, the Integrated Review says that we will
“shape the international order of the future”
and that global Britain is showing
“a renewed commitment to the UK as a force for good in the world”.
Does that include defending the rights of women and girls in the UAE? The Minister appears to be saying that we have not raised this case with the Government of the UAE.
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
My Lords, the Integrated Review indeed sets out, as does my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary’s speech today in Aspen, how we want the UK to be a force for good in the world, defending democracy and human rights. In this case, we are raising the matter through the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights and we continue to follow developments closely.
Uighur Forced Labour: Xinjiang
Debate between Baroness Northover and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay(3 years, 4 months ago)
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Baroness Northover (LD)
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for bringing this Statement to the House. Does he agree that the BBC has done an outstanding job here? Does he also agree with Chief Rabbi Mirvis that there must be
“an urgent, independent and unfettered investigation into what is happening”,
and therefore welcome just such an investigation by Sir Geoffrey Nice, former Bosnian war crimes prosecutor and chair of the China Tribunal?
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
My Lords, we do agree with the comments by the Chief Rabbi. The Foreign Secretary has repeatedly made it clear that the UN human rights commissioner, or another independent fact-finding body, should be given unfettered access to Xinjiang to check the facts. We have called for that repeatedly in joint statements at the UN, but I say again that it is vital that China allows such access without delay.
Global LGBTI+ Rights
Debate between Baroness Northover and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay(3 years, 4 months ago)
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Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
The noble Baroness makes an important point about sustainable funding, which I know is informed by her own extensive work in this field. That is why, notwithstanding the global pandemic, we are continuing to fund the projects which are running this year, and why we are determined to do better across government, delivering the maximum impact for every pound that we spend and continuing to make a world-leading difference.
Baroness Northover (LD)
My Lords, my noble friend Lady Featherstone when she was DfID Minister set in motion the mapping of where LGBTI groups existed in Africa. They were usually under the radar, because they were often under the threat of death. Assistance could then be given to them—hence the figure that the noble Lord, Lord Collins, mentioned. Has such essential mapping continued and, if the noble Lord does not know, can he write to us?
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
I certainly will; I will find out and write so that I can provide full information to the noble Baroness. She is right to point to the international aspect of this. Our embassies and high commissions work across the world, raising human rights in their host countries and supporting civil society organisations.
International Development (Official Development Assistance Target) Act 2015
Debate between Baroness Northover and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay(3 years, 5 months ago)
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Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
The noble Lord will understand that I cannot speculate on what my right honourable friends may be saying to one another. My right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary led a thorough process to identify a package of necessary savings for this financial year, as the noble Lord said. That package prioritised the UK’s global response to the Covid-19 pandemic, including on poverty reduction for the bottom billion, climate change and reversing biodiversity loss, championing girls’ education and protecting our operational capacity. That work speaks for itself.
Baroness Northover (LD)
My Lords, the noble Baroness, Lady Sugg, said yesterday that she was proud of the United Kingdom, with its commitment to 0.7%, as a “development superpower”. Last night, the most reverend Primate the Archbishop of Canterbury said that reaching 0.7% was one of the
“great moral achievements in this country of the past 20 years.”
I am proud to have been the Minister who took my noble friend Lord Purvis’s Bill through the House of Lords with cross-party support. I can tell the Minister that it has been announced that aid has been cut from 0.7% to 0.5%. Is he proud of that?
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
I share the noble Baroness’s pride. I was an adviser in the coalition Government and worked with my noble friend Lady Sugg; in that capacity, I shared the words that she said in your Lordships’ House yesterday. Unlike the noble Baroness, I have not had the opportunity to hear what my right honourable friend the Chancellor has said. His speech, like all fiscal events, will be released later; I will listen to what he says. Your Lordships’ House will have an opportunity to debate the Topical Question tomorrow.
Asylum Seekers: Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina
Debate between Baroness Northover and Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay(3 years, 5 months ago)
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Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
My noble friend is entirely right. That is why Her Majesty’s Government have a whole-of-route approach, working, as he says, to deter people from making these dangerous and unnecessary journeys in the first place, and making sure that our protection is targeted at those people who most need it in areas of conflict.
Baroness Northover (LD)
My Lords, what assistance, including protection against violence and family planning, is being provided for women and girls, who are particularly vulnerable in these circumstances? Will the UK have access to EU information on human traffickers who exploit such migrants after 31 December?
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
My Lords, we work with the UNFPA and the International Organization for Migration on just these issues, and we have seen some positive results from that work. Our aid is now helping 55 public health centres in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and more than 600 service providers, decision-makers and leaders from civil society.