Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Egyptian counterpart on the effect of laws restricting the construction of churches on religious freedom.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
We continue to be concerned about restrictions on the construction of places of worship in Egypt. All religious minorities ought to be able practise their faith without constraints or discrimination. The 2016 Church Building Law represents a step forward in this area, increasing the number of registered churches in Egypt.
We welcome other positive developments concerning religious freedom, including President Sisi's calls for peaceful coexistence and the Government of Egypt's expression of support for the rights of Christians and for religious tolerance. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, reaffirmed our mutual commitment to freedom of religion or belief during his visit to Cairo in November.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - 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 his Malaysian counterpart on respect for fundamental human rights including freedom of religion in that country.
Answered by Mark Field
The British Government is firmly committed to standing up for human rights around the world, including for freedom of religion or belief. These views are well known in Malaysia, and our longstanding relationship allows us to raise concerns at the highest level with the Malaysian government.
The Foreign Secretary discussed human rights in his meetings with Malaysian ministers during his visit in January 2019, as did I during my visit in October 2018. Our High Commission in Kuala Lumpur has raised the issue of freedom of religion or belief with the Malaysian Foreign Minister and Religious Affairs Minister.
We continue to support the Malaysian Government's ambitions to ratify UN instruments on human rights, reform security legislation and abolish the death penalty. We reiterated these points at Malaysia's Universal Periodic Review at UN Human Rights Council in November 2018.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations have been made to the authorities in Somalia on the protection of (a) the freedoms of association and religion and (b) other fundamental freedoms in that country.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
Last year the UK attended the Somalia Partnership Forum where the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) strengthened its commitment to support the protection of human rights. Progress in implementing these commitments, in particular an independent National Human Rights Commission, forms a regular part of our dialogue with the FGS. The UK also provides a range of assistance that directly support human rights in Somalia such as working with Somali Security Forces to help provide protection for all civilians in accordance with international human rights standards.
Ultimately, a stable and inclusive political settlement is the most important aspect to ensure that Somalia is able to protect human rights for all its citizens, and to end impunity for perpetrators of abuse. This is why the UK is playing a leading role in supporting Somalia in working towards an inclusive constitution and to deliver one-person one-vote elections in 2021.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK citizens were afforded assistance by his Department following disruption at Nairobi airport in March 2019.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
No British nationals requested consular assistance from the British High Commission in Nairobi as a result of the recent disruption at Nairobi Airport.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Phillipines on the steps being taken to support an end to violence against Christians in that country.
Answered by Mark Field
The Philippines is an overwhelmingly Catholic country and incidents of violence against Christians based on their faith are rare. The British Embassy in Manila takes every opportunity to promote our values including human rights and freedom of expression. This includes regular dialogue with the Philippine Government.
My Hon Friend, the Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines, Richard Graham MP, raised these issues with senior members of the Philippines Government during a recent visit to Manila. They were also raised at the UK - Philippines High Level talks that took place in November 2018.
The Foreign Secretary and I publicly condemned the terror attack on the Catholic Cathedral on the island of Jolo on 27 January. The UK believes places of religious worship are sites for peace and reflection.
In January 2019 the UK launched its review into what more the Foreign and Commonwealth Office network can do to support religious freedoms for Christians around the world.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Djibouti on fundamental freedoms including religious expression in that country.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The United Kingdom participated, alongside our EU partners, in the regular Article 8 Dialogue with the Government of Djibouti in April 2018, where concerns about the inhibition of fundamental freedoms were raised.
The Foreign Secretary announced, on 31 October, our intention to open a new Embassy in Djibouti by the end of March 2020. A permanent presence in Djibouti, part of the Government's increased resource to deliver the Prime Minister's new approach to Africa, will enable a broader and more regular dialogue with the Government of Djibouti.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions has he had with his Middle Eastern counterparts on the role of Hezbollah in the Government of Lebanon.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Foreign Secretary spoke to Lebanese Foreign Minister Bassil on 25 February when he expressed his concerns over Hizballah's actions in the region.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Israeli counterpart on a potential boycott of the Eurovision song contest in that country; and what advice his Department provides to UK citizens planning to attend that event.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We are aware of the campaign to boycott the Eurovision song contest in Israel but have not raised this issue with the Israeli Government. While we do not hesitate to express disagreement with Israel whenever we feel it necessary, we are strongly opposed to boycotts which divide people and reduce understanding. We encourage all British nationals to make use of our travel advice, alongside other sources of information available to them, to help them plan for a safe trip.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what plans he has to enhance co-operation with the US on cybersecurity after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The UK already has a strong and deep partnership with the United States on cyber security. Our cooperation covers the full range of cyber security issues, including joint action to expose irresponsible state behaviour in cyberspace which we have jointly attributed over the past year. We also work closely in a range of international forums such as the G7, G20, NATO and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and this will be particularly important in the lead up to the United Nation’s discussions surrounding responsible state behaviour in cyberspace in the context of international security. In addition to this strong partnership, the UK is strengthening its bilateral relationship with a number of European partners which is designed to ensure the UK remains a thought leader on cyber security issues.
Asked by: Lord Dodds of Duncairn (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Sierra Leone on the national emergency declared in that country.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The Government is aware that the President of Sierra Leone has declared a national emergency on the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence. The high rates are alarming: 56 per cent of women in Sierra Leone report experiencing physical violence. This month, the Sierra Leone-based Rainbo Initiative reported 2800 sexual assaults committed against girls and women since the start of 2018.
The British Government regularly raises concerns about sexual and gender-based violence with the Government of Sierra Leone. The High Commissioner to Sierra Leone met the First Lady of Sierra Leone, a prominent campaigner, on 12 February 2019 to discuss the issue. We welcome President Bio's recent steps to establish a new police department that solely investigates sexual offenses involving children and a special court focusing on such cases.