Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the safety of UK citizens seeking to worship in Christian churches and Jewish synagogues in Turkey.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The FCDO routinely updates our travel advice, which provides guidance for British nationals on staying safe abroad, including in Turkey. Our travel advice notes that no travel can be guaranteed safe and in Turkey terrorists may target places visited by foreigners, including places of worship. The UK stands with Turkey against terrorism, and we welcome the Turkish authorities' swift response to security threats, such as the fatal shooting which took place at Santa Maria Church in Istanbul on 28 January. We support the rights of all minority groups in Turkey, including Christians and Jews.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how much financial aid the United Kingdom has provided to Tunisia in each of the past five years, and on what it was spent.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK does not provide direct financial aid to Tunisia. We provide bilateral Overseas Development Aid (ODA) through Conflict Security and Stability Fund (CSSF) to support development projects in areas including economic development, gender equality, education, and marginalised regions in Tunisia. In 2023-24, the CSSF programme totalled £2 million. Over the past five years, the total cumulative ODA spend through CSSF is £32 million.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of relations between the United Kingdom and Tunisia.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has a positive partnership with Tunisia, covering shared priorities such as trade, education, security, and tackling irregular migration, all of which featured in the UK-Tunisia Ministerial Association Council meeting on 12 October 2023 in London. The Association Council was an opportunity for the UK to discuss the principles and values of an open and democratic society, of legitimate political opposition, the separation of powers, civil society and an inclusive political process.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of Tunisia in preventing movement across the Mediterranean of migrants seeking to reach Europe and potentially the United Kingdom.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government of Tunisia is facing a challenging situation with regards to irregular migration flows into and from the country. More than 95,000 people crossed the Mediterranean Sea from Tunisia to Italy in 2023. Efforts to prevent crossings are improving, despite the scale of the challenge and the resources necessary to effectively do this. To support these efforts, the UK is working with the relevant authorities, and is funding an assisted voluntary returns programme in Tunisia, alongside likeminded partners, to support the safe return of migrants from Tunisia to their countries of origin.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the safety of the Christian Aramaean communities on the Israel–Lebanon border.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is actively monitoring the Blue Line boundary between Israel and Lebanon, and engaging closely with partners across the region. We are a strong supporter of Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and call for places of worship to be respected. Israel and Lebanon have made clear their commitment to freedom of religion, and we encourage both Governments to do all that they can to uphold the values of equality for all enshrined in their laws. Our Embassies in Tel Aviv and Beirut, and our Consulate General in Jerusalem regularly raise issues of religious freedom with the Israeli and Lebanese Governments.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the tourism industry in the Falkland Islands and its territorial waters.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
As a self-governing Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom, management of the tourism industry is the prerogative of the Falkland Islands Government and their local elected leaders. According to statistics published by the Falkland Islands Tourism Board, there were over 60,000 tourists arriving on the Falkland Islands, drawn by the Territory's many attractions, including its unique wildlife and history. The UK Government's provision of sufficient COVID-19 vaccines to the Falkland Islands to protect the whole community helped support the Falkland Islanders safe reopening of the islands for leisure travel and we continue to support Falkland Islanders in representing their home overseas, for example at Expo Prado in Montevideo in September 2023.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the value to the UK of its membership of UNESCO.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) operates within a broad remit in culture, education, science and communication, and information. Research by the UK National Commission for UNESCO in 2020, a body funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, found that UNESCO projects in the UK, ranging from World Heritage Sites to Creative Cities, generate an estimated £151 million of financial benefit to local communities each year and help bring them together to protect and conserve some of the most important places across the country.
The financial value of the UK's UNESCO designations is only one measure. As a normative organisation it sets international standards across education, science, culture, information and communication, including in pursuit of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is their definition of the 'Global South' when they use that term.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The term 'Global South' is commonly used to refer to developing countries. However, we recognise that our lower- and middle-income partners are not a homogenous block. As set out in our response to the International Development Committee's report on Racism in the Aid Sector, published in December 2022, we continually review the impact of our language. This is an important part of how we will modernise our long-term partnerships, in line with the ambition set out by the Minister for Development and Africa in his Chatham House speech in April 2023.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any comparison of the freedom of religion of UK subjects in Iran with the freedom of religion of Iranian citizens in the UK.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran has a record of discrimination, harassment and targeting of minority religious and ethnic communities. Those detained in Iran over Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) issues have historically included individuals with links to the UK. As set out in FCDO travel advice, British and British-Iranian dual nationals are at significant risk of arbitrary arrest, questioning or detention in Iran.
The UK Government remains committed to championing FoRB in Iran and around the world. In July 2022, we hosted the International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in London. We raise FoRB at all appropriate opportunities with Iran and we continue to take action with the international community to press Iran to improve its dire human rights.
Asked by: Lord Patten (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the freedom of religion enjoyed by the Copts in Egypt.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all, and promoting respect between religious and non-religious communities. Promoting FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities. The Egyptian Government has stated its commitment to protecting the rights of Coptic Christians and freedom of worship as well as the protections for freedom of religion enshrined in the Egyptian constitution. There have been positive steps in recent years, including President Sisi's public commitments to uphold minority rights and freedom of religion. The UK continues to make clear to the Egyptian authorities the importance we attach to these issues. On 5 April, I [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon] discussed FoRB with His Holiness Pope Tawadros II in Cairo and on 21 April, I met Archbishop Angaelos in London. I will continue to raise these important issues.