Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of India on the death in custody of Father Stan Swamy SJ, and the continued imprisonment of those allegedly involved in the Bhima Koregaon violence.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
His Majesty's Government extends condolences, first and foremost, to those who knew and worked closely with Fr. Swamy at Jesuit Missions.
Jesuit Missions' work, partnering with organisations to empower local communities and to build a more just and sustainable future, is admirable.
The UK Government takes all allegations of human rights violations very seriously. However, given this is an internal Indian legal matter, the ability of the UK Government to get involved directly on these matters is significantly limited.
The UK Government has a broad, deep and respectful partnership with the Government of India. This includes sharing perspectives on human rights issues and finding common ground.
Our High Commission in New Delhi and our network across India monitor human rights across the country. We engage Indian stakeholders on a range of human rights matters, working with Union and State Governments, and with civil society.
This includes raising issues of concern where we have them.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to bring a case against Iran before the International Court of Justice for crimes against the people of Iran.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are not currently bringing a case against Iran at the International Court of Justice relating to its human rights record. We continue to engage international partners on the best approach for holding Iran accountable for its continued violations; we were instrumental in delivering the Iran resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November 2024, which spotlighted and condemned Iran's repression of fundamental rights, including in relation to the death penalty, women and girls, and religious and ethnic minorities. We continue to support the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Iran, which is essential for investigating alleged crimes by the Islamic Republic against protesters during nationwide protests in 2022-23, and we look forward to its next report in March 2025.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Iran to desist from human rights abuses in that country.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to take significant action in multilateral fora to urge the Islamic Republic to cease its human rights violations, including at the UN Human Rights Council and UN Third Committee. We were instrumental in delivering the Iran Resolution, adopted by the Third Committee in November 2024, which spotlighted and condemned Iran's continued violations, including in relation to the death penalty, women and girls, and religious and ethnic minorities. In January 2025, the Foreign Secretary raised human rights directly with his Iranian counterpart. We will continue to raise rights issues directly with the regime, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to co-ordinate international efforts to secure the release of human rights defenders in prisons in Iran.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK was instrumental in delivering the Iran Human Rights Resolution, adopted by the UN Third Committee in November 2024, which called on Iran to immediately and unconditionally release persons arbitrarily detained for the exercise of their human rights and fundamental freedoms, including human rights defenders. In September 2024, we issued a joint statement alongside international partners, which underlined our commitment to human rights defenders in Iran fighting for fundamental freedoms. We will continue to work with international partners to hold Iran to account for its repression of human rights defenders.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Iran concerning ending executions in that country.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We have repeatedly called on the Iranian government to establish a moratorium on executions, including at the UN Human Rights Council and UN Third Committee last year. We are committed to working with international partners to hold Iran accountable for its egregious use of the death penalty.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are planning to proscribe the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Government keeps the list of proscribed organisations under close review, as we seek to protect the UK from the threats that we face. However, we will not routinely comment on whether an organisation is or is not being considered for proscription.
Iran's malign activities, including the activities of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), are unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The UK already maintains sanctions on over 450 Iranian individuals and entities covering human rights abuses, nuclear proliferation, malign influence internationally and state threats, including sanctioning the IRGC in its entirety. The Government will continue to consider what further steps may be taken to deter Iran's malign activity.
The National Security Act 2023 provides another significant toolkit in the fight against individuals working for state entities like the IRGC. The UK is now a harder target for those states which seek to conduct hostile acts against the UK, including espionage, interference in our political system, sabotage, and assassination.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that police receive adequate training in ECHR rights with regard to policing safe access zones around abortion clinics.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Under section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998, the police have an obligation to comply with the ECHR in all aspects of their work. Officer training is a matter for individual forces, which are independent of the Government.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that abortion providers verify that a woman is not being coerced into an abortion before she is sent abortion pills to be taken at home.
Answered by Baroness Merron - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Abortion providers are required to have effective arrangements in place to safeguard children and vulnerable adults, in compliance with the Department’s required standard operating procedures for the approval of independent sector places for termination of pregnancy in England. Providers must ensure that all staff are trained in recognising the signs of potential abuse and coercion in adult women, and how to respond.
In addition, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has published national safeguarding guidance for under 18-year-olds accessing early medical abortion services, which will ensure that robust safeguarding processes are embedded across all abortion services. We expect all providers to have due regard to the RCPCH safeguarding guidance.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Caine on 23 November (HL Deb col 1465), whether they will reconsider current proposals for the timing of the committee stage of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill; and whether they will pause that stage.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
The Committee Stage for the Northern Ireland (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill is no longer scheduled for 12 and 14 December. It will be rescheduled in due course.
Asked by: Baroness O'Loan (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Home Office on 6 July (HC Deb, col 717), when their public consultation on the use of both sets of abortion pills at home will commence; and how long the consultation will last.
Answered by Lord Bethell
The Government has committed to undertake a public consultation on making permanent the COVID-19 measure allowing for home use of both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation for all eligible women. The current COVID-19 measure will be kept in place until the public consultation concludes and a decision has been made. Work to develop the consultation will begin soon and further details will be available in due course, but the consultation will be completed and a Government response published, before the end date of the temporary order.