Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Spain about the provision of an access point from the Spanish side of the border into Gibraltar Airport.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Government does not intend to provide a running commentary on official-level discussions. However, the UK's well-known and longstanding positions on a range of issues are clear, including support for the 2006 Cordoba Agreement.
The UK continues to engage constructively with the Government of Gibraltar and our European partners, including Spain, to address the practical implications arising from our EU exit. We are confident all sides are committed to finding a mutually agreeable resolution benefitting everyone living and working in the region.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised again with the government of Saudi Arabia the bombing of civilians in Yemen, following the promise by the government of Saudi Arabia that it would act on alleged violations of humanitarian law; and if so, what response they have received from them.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We regularly raise our concerns with Saudi Arabia over alleged violations of international humanitarian law. The Foreign Secretary most recently raised the issue with the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister on 26 April. Saudi Arabia has announced an investigation into the most recent incidents involving civilian casualties which took place in Taiz and Hajjah on 21 and 22 April.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Saudi Arabia about that country's proposals to reform women's rights and about the position of women in society.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
On 7 March, the Prime Minister raised women's rights with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The UK is a firm supporter of the ongoing reforms in Saudi Arabia to allow women to participate more fully in Saudi society. These include the upcoming end on the ban on women driving and attending events in sports stadia. We regularly raise our concerns on the remaining barriers, including the guardianship system.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - 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 24 October (HL1818), what were the outcomes of their conversations with the government of Saudi Arabia on human rights.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We regularly and robustly raise human rights cases with Saudi Arabia, including through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Annual Human Rights Report in which Saudi Arabia is listed as a Human Rights Priority Country due to the death penalty, women's rights and the restrictions on freedom of expression and belief. We believe that, together with our international partners on human rights, we have been able to influence gradual but positive change in women's rights. We welcome recent developments such as the Royal Decree permitting women to obtain driving licenses from June 2018 and greater female participation in the workforce.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia regarding the impact of Saudi-led coalition air strikes in Yemen on civilians; and what response they have received.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK takes allegations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) violations extremely seriously; when they occur, we encourage the Saudi-led Coalition to ensure they are thoroughly investigated. Saudi Arabia has publicly stated that it is investigating reports of alleged violations of IHL and that lessons will be acted upon.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised with Saudi Arabia the bombing of civilians in Yemen; and if so, what response they received.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We regularly raise the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) with Saudi Arabia. The UK takes allegations of IHL violations extremely seriously; and we encourage the Saudi-led Coalition to ensure they are thoroughly investigated. Saudi Arabia has publicly stated that it is investigating reports of alleged violations of IHL, and that lessons will be acted upon. The Saudi-led Coalition has the best insight into its own military procedures and is able to conduct the most thorough and conclusive investigations. The Coalition Joint Incidents Assessment Team has since announced the findings of a total of 36 investigations with the most recent being released on 12 September 2017.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have raised the issue of human rights with the government of Saudi Arabia; and if so, what response they have received.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Foreign and Commonwealth Ministers and officials regularly raise human rights with their Saudi Arabian counterparts, most recently in September. The Saudi Arabian Government are well aware of our views on the death penalty, women's rights and the restrictions on freedom of expression and belief as set out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Annual Human Rights Report.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Saudi Arabia about the bombing of civilians in Yeman; and what response they received.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We regularly raise the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law with the Saudi Arabian Government. Saudi Arabia has publicly stated that it is investigating reports of alleged violations of International Humanitarian Law through the Coalition’s Joint Incidents Assessment Team (JIAT), and that lessons will be acted upon.
Asked by: Lord Hoyle (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Prime Minister's visit to Saudi Arabia included discussions about (1) executions of dissidents and gays, (2) inferior treatment of women, and (3) human rights.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
The Prime Minister discussed human rights during her visit to Saudi Arabia (4-5 April). On the death penalty our position is clear. The British Government is firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country. We do not hesitate to express our views and the Government of Saudi Arabia is well aware of our position.
Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign and Commonwealth Office human rights priority country, because of the use of the death penalty, women's issues and restrictions on other freedoms.