Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking with his global counterparts to achieve global abolition of the death penalty.
Answered by David Lidington
I refer the Right hon. Member to my answer of 27 January (question 23192) to the hon. Member for Chesterfield (Toby Perkins). https://wqa.parliament.uk/Questions/Details/29682
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what input the Government had in peace talks in South Sudan; and what plans the Government has to continue to try to influence those talks.
Answered by James Duddridge
In the last month, I have spoken to the Ethiopian, Ugandan and Kenyan foreign ministers, urging their governments to put pressure on both sides in the conflict in South Sudan to compromise and achieve a lasting peace. The UK has consistently provided support - political, technical and financial - for the peace talks led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), together with Troika (US and Norway) partners. We welcome IGAD's recent initiative to reinvigorate the process by drawing in a range of additional regional and international partners, and have already held discussions with IGAD, the UN and key countries on this. We continue to urge IGAD to reconvene formal talks swiftly in light of the continued effects of the fighting, including the deteriorating humanitarian situation and further reports of serious human rights abuses.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, for what reasons UK-resident EU citizens will not be allowed to vote in the EU referendum; and how many such people will be affected by that decision.
Answered by David Lidington
EU citizens, other than citizens of the UK, Republic of Ireland, Cyprus and Malta, are not part of the parliamentary franchise on which the referendum franchise is based. This is an issue of national significance, so it is appropriate that the parliamentary franchise is used.
The Office for National Statistics’ Annual Population Survey estimates that the total number of EU citizens (excluding British, Irish, Cypriot and Maltese citizens) resident in the UK was 2,649,000 in the period April 2014 - March 2015.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking in the case of Andargachew Tsege held in Ethiopia.
Answered by James Duddridge
I remain deeply concerned by the continued detention of British national Andargachew Tsege in Ethiopia and about his welfare. Over the last year, there have been numerous discussions between the Ethiopian and UK government regarding Mr Tsege. The Secretary of State for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon friend, the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Philip Hammond MP) spoke to the Ethiopian Foreign Minister on 24 June and made a public statement on 25 June. He made clear that Ethiopia’s failure to grant our repeated requests was unacceptable, and informed Dr Tedros that the lack of progress in the case risked undermining the UK’s relationship with Ethiopia. We will continue to press the Ethiopian government for regular consular access, for our concerns regarding Mr Tsege’s welfare to be addressed, and for a clear and transparent legal process through which Mr Tsege can challenge his detention.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many (a) direct employees, (b) agency staff and (c) outsourced staff working for his Department and its subsidiary agencies are paid less than the living wage.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
No direct employees of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) are paid less than the living wage.
Agency Workers are engaged through a managed service contract. The minimum hourly rates paid are greater than the Living Wage.
A complete record on the pay arrangements for staff employed by companies contracted to provide services to the FCO is not held centrally.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the workings and processes of the Egyptian government's judicial process.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The British Government recognises that those suspected of crimes must be held to account in fair trials which respect the rights of both the defendants and the victims. We remain concerned about judicial processes which result in mass sentences, and the questions that continue to be raised about the adherence to due process in Egypt's courts. These damage the reputation of Egypt’s judiciary and undermine international confidence in the fair application of the law.Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to address the activities of Boko Haram.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The UK is working with international partners, including the US and France, to support Nigeria and its neighbours, in their fight against Boko Haram. The UK is providing a substantial package of UK military, intelligence and development support and expertise to Nigeria, including tactical training and capacity building support to the Nigerian armed forces. We are also working with the United Nations, European Union and the International Committee of the Red Cross to support the large number of people displaced by the conflict.
Ministerial meetings in Paris, London and Abuja last year brought together international and regional partners to help Nigeria and its neighbours implement measures to tackle Boko Haram. The Right Hon Stephen O’Brien MP (Special Rep for the Sahel) attended the follow-up meeting on security in Nigeria on 20 January in Niamey, Niger where further discussion took place on improving regional cooperation to tackle the Boko Haram threat.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to prevent persecution of Christians and other religious minorities overseas.
Answered by David Lidington
Freedom of religion or belief is a key thematic human rights priority for this Government. We regularly urge governments at senior levels to uphold the rights of all minorities; work to build international consensus on freedom of religion or belief in multilateral bodies such as the UN; and support practical projects on community dialogue with civil society and faith groups. Taking Pakistan as an example of our bilateral engagement, the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the member for Witney (Mr Cameron) raised our concerns about Pakistan’s blasphemy law with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on 5 December.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the detention of Mr Biram Dah Abeid in Rosso, Mauritania on 11 November 2014.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We have received reports of the recent arrest of Mr Biram Abeid and other anti-slavery activists from local media, from Mr Abeid’s adviser and from NGOs active in Mauritania. We understand that an anti-slavery protest took place without permission and was broken up by police. Mr Abeid – though not originally part of the protest – joined in and was arrested. We are following this case closely.
We will continue to engage with Mauritania on human rights issues and work closely with our international partners represented in Nouakchott including diplomatic institutions, the United Nations, European Union and African Union.
Asked by: Lord Field of Birkenhead (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Iranian government on the arrest and imprisonment of Ghoncheh Ghavami.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
HMG has made repeated representations to the Iranian Government over the detention and welfare of Ghonceh Ghavami, including most recently on 11 November. Both the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) discussed her case with President Rouhani and Foreign Minister Zarif respectively in September. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is providing consular assistance to Ms Ghavami’s family at this difficult time.