Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the government of Zimbabwe about pension arrears owed to former Crown servants; and what was the outcome of those discussions.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We regularly press the Government of Zimbabwe on the importance of fulfilling their responsibilities to all those who are entitled to a Zimbabwe Government pension. In 2016, we secured written confirmation from the Government of Zimbabwe of their responsibility for these payments. In April 2019, we raised the issue of pensions with Finance Minister Ncube and he confirmed Zimbabwe's commitment to resume payments when the economic situation allows.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in discussions with the government of Zimbabwe on the payment of pensions arrears owed to former Crown Overseas Servants.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We regularly press the government of Zimbabwe on the importance of fulfilling their responsibilities to all those who are entitled to a Zimbabwe government pension. In 2016, we secured written agreement from the Government of Zimbabwe that payments would resume when the economic situation allows. This issue remains a key strand of the Government's dialogue with the government of Zimbabwe. We will raise it again in the near future.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have received an explanation from the government of Hong Kong for the rejection of a visa for the British journalist Victor Mallett; and if so, what it was.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We remain concerned by the Hong Kong authorities’ unprecedented rejection of a visa for senior British journalist Victor Mallet. The Minister for Asia and the Pacific raised this issue with Hong Kong Chief Secretary Matthew Cheung during his visit to Hong Kong on 11 November. He sought an explanation for the visa refusal, but did not receive one. In the absence of an explanation from the authorities we can only conclude that this move is politically motivated. This undermines Hong Kong’s freedom of speech and freedom of the press, both guaranteed by the Joint Declaration, and the Basic Law, and increases the pressure on the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework. Confidence in Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms is an essential component of its future success.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what response they have received from the government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to their representations about the denial of a visa to the British journalist, Victor Mallet.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We remain very concerned by the Hong Kong authorities’ unprecedented rejection of a visa for senior British journalist Victor Mallet. In the absence of an explanation from the authorities we can only conclude that this move is politically motivated. This undermines Hong Kong’s freedom of speech and freedom of the press, both guaranteed by the Joint Declaration, and the Basic Law, and increases the pressure on the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ framework. We urge the Hong Kong authorities to reconsider this decision. Confidence in Hong Kong’s rights and freedoms is an essential component of its future success.” We have sought an explanation for the visa refusal from the Hong Kong authorities, but we have not received one.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in assisting the government of Zimbabwe to pay any arrears owing to former members of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK does not have any legal responsibility for pension payments to former Southern Rhodesian civil servants. Responsibility sits with the Government of Zimbabwe, who confirmed this in writing in 2016. However, the UK regularly presses the Zimbabwean government to honour its obligation to pay the arrears. Eligible UK-appointed retired civil servants have been paid regularly from the Central African Pension Fund.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress has been made in fulfilling the assurances about parity with crown servants in the UK given to overseas civil servants in Hong Kong, following enquiries by the Hong Kong Policy Association about the visa process for partners of officers who served in the Royal Hong Kong police.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific, Mark Field, responded to a letter on this subject from the Hong Kong Police Association on 30 January 2018. That letter confirmed that we have no record that any assurances were given concerning present or future visa or nationality requirements for former or retired Royal Hong Kong Police officers, and their spouses, partners or children. In that context, any visa applications will be considered against the current legal framework in place in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the most recent outcome of discussions with the government of Zimbabwe about pension payments owing to former Southern Rhodesia civil servants.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Zimbabwe Government recognised their legal obligation to pay for pensions of former Southern Rhodesia civil servants in a letter from the Minister of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare on 28 October 2016. Representatives from the British High Commission in Harare regularly raise the requirement of the Government of Zimbabwe to pay these pensions with the Zimbabwean government and will continue to do so.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 25 October (HL1889), what was their response to the letter from the Royal Hong Kong Police Association to the Minister of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Mark Field MP, dated 16 October.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Minister for Asia and the Pacific will be replying shortly to the letter from the Royal Hong Kong Police Association which was received on 16 October.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent representations they have received from the Royal Hong Kong Police Association; and what action, if any, has followed.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received no representations from the Royal Hong Kong Police Association.
Asked by: Lord Goodlad (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current deficit in the Central African Pension Fund.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Central African Pension Fund was last officially valued in July 2015 and was £200k in deficit. The next triennial valuation will be July 2018.