Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the hunger strike by former political opposition leader, Abdulhadi AlKhawaja, in Bahrain, and reports that Mr AlKhawaja has been denied family visitation rights and phone calls, if she will make representations to her Bahraini counterpart for Mr AlKhawaja’s phone calls and family visitation to be reinstated.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK has a continuing dialogue with the Government of Bahrain in which we raise individual cases, when and where we have concerns.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to her Bahraini counterpart for the regular and timely provision of prescribed eyedrops to political prisoner, Ali AlBanai.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Responsibility for the provision of medical care to Ali Al Banai lies with the Government of Bahrain, who have made clear that access to medical care for those in detention is guaranteed. We welcome these assurances from the Government of Bahrain. We encourage those with concerns about his detention to raise them with the oversight bodies.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, in the context of reports that political prisoner Dr Abduljalil AlSingace has had his phone calls punitively suspended by authorities in Bahrain and with reference to his ongoing hunger strike that began on 8 July 2021, what representations the Government plans to make to its Bahraini counterparts on (a) the reinstatement of Dr AlSingace’s phone calls, (b) his confiscated research to be given to his family and (c) his immediate and unconditional release.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We will continue to monitor and raise the case of Dr Abduljalil al-Singace with the Bahraini Government. We encourage those with concerns about his detention to raise them with the oversight bodies.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 23 November 2021 to Question HL3907 and Answer of 19 November 2021 to Question 72473, for what reason the Government will not disclose the most recent date or dates upon which it raised the case of Dr Abduljalil AlSingace with its counterparts in Bahrain.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We continue to monitor and regularly raise, as appropriate, the case of Dr Abduljalil al-Singace with the Bahraini Government.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to reports of the discontinuance of dental treatment for political prisoner Ali AlHajee, on what date the Government last raised the case of Ali AlHajee with the Bahraini authorities; and if she will make representations to her Bahraini counterpart for the immediate continuation of Ali AlHajee’s dental treatment.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Responsibility for the provision of medical care to Ali Al Hajee lies with the Government of Bahrain, who have made clear that access to medical care for those in detention is guaranteed. We welcome these assurances from the Government of Bahrain. We encourage those with concerns about his detention to raise them with the oversight bodies.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the report by Medical Aid for Palestinians entitled Systematic Discrimination and Fragmentation as Key Barriers to Palestinian Health, published on 29 November 2021, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the findings of that report.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We are aware of the report and are reviewing its findings. The UK remains firmly committed to ensuring access to essential healthcare services for all Palestinians. We are a longstanding supporter to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which provides core services, including healthcare to Palestinian refugees in Gaza. The UK Embassy in Tel Aviv regularly raises the importance of access to healthcare with the Israeli authorities.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 9 June 2020 to Question 57198 on Gaza: Demonstrations, what recent assessment her Department has made of the progress made by Israel in (a) investigating and (b) holding wrongdoers accountable for potentially unlawful killings by its forces in the context of the 2018-19 Gaza protests.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK has repeatedly made clear to Israel our longstanding concerns about the manner in which the Israel Defence Forces police non-violent protests and the border areas, including use of live ammunition. We will continue to do so.
The UK supports an independent and transparent investigation which establishes the facts about the violence that occurred during the Great March of Return in Gaza. The UK continues to monitor progress of ongoing investigations by the Israeli authorities.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will (a) raise with her Israeli counterpart (i) the fatal shooting of Mohammad Mo’ayyad Bahjat Abu Sara and (ii) the abduction and assault of a 15-year-old boy by Israeli settlers on 17 August 2021 and (b) seek assurances that there will be a criminal investigation into both incidents.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We condemn any incidence of violence by settlers against Palestinians. We welcome the efforts of Israeli authorities to address settler violence, and urge them to thoroughly investigate every instance to bring those responsible to justice. We also continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population, in particular the need to protect children, and urge restraint in the use of live fire.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the decision by the International Criminal Court of 5 February 2021 to extend its jurisdiction to the territories occupied by Israel in 1967, whether the Government has agreed to give advance warning to the Israeli Government (a) of any plans to arrest Israelis on their arrival in the UK and (b) in the event that a request for an arrest warrant is issued against an Israeli citizen.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK is a strong supporter of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and we respect the independence of the Court. In this instance, we do not consider that the ICC has jurisdiction as the UK does not currently recognise Palestinian statehood.
Asked by: Andy Slaughter (Labour - Hammersmith)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment his Department has made of the impact of the economic crisis in Lebanon on (a) poverty rates, and (b) access to healthcare for Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Lebanon faces a severe economic and political crisis, a result of the failure of Lebanon's political elites to form a government and deliver much-needed and long-promised reforms, exacerbated by the public health crisis caused by COVID-19 and the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion of August 2020. This crisis has had a severe impact on healthcare provision and poverty rates in the country, for both Lebanese citizens and the most vulnerable refugee populations. The UK and members of the International Support Group for Lebanon are clear that Lebanon's leaders need to form a capable government and implement a credible reform process as the only sustainable way to address this crisis.