Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) his counterparts in India and (b) international partners on (i) the protection of civil liberties and (ii) human rights in India.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government has a broad and deep partnership with the Government of India and we discuss all elements of our relationship. We remain committed to championing democracy and human rights around the world. Where we have issues, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level. The Minister for South Asia, Lord [Tariq] Ahmad of Wimbledon, regularly speaks to the High Commissioner of India. Human rights and civil liberties forms part of that dialogue. Our networks across India regularly meet civil society groups and run projects promoting human rights.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its polices of reports of the Chinese government’s forced residential school system in Tibet; if he will takes steps to raise that issue at the G7 Summit on 19 to 21 May 2023; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are aware of reports that Tibetan parents are being coerced into sending their children to boarding schools in Tibet with no access to traditional Tibetan learning. In March 2023 we raised the issue of boarding schools in our Item 4 statement at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), and in June 2022 a UK-led lobbying effort helped to secure the support of 46 other countries for a joint statement at the HRC which highlighted the situation in Tibet. On 18 April 2023 a G7 Foreign Ministers Communiqué noted that all G7 countries continue to raise concerns with China on human rights violations, including on Tibet. We will continue to work with international partners and press China to cease human rights violations.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the recommendations of the International Development Select Committee in its report entitled Debt relief in low-income countries, HC 146, published on 10 March 2023, if he will hold discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on bringing forward legislative proposals to help ensure private lenders support lower-income countries in crisis by cancelling debt.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer work closely together on international issues, such as pressing for progress on sovereign debt treatment at the recent International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Spring Meetings.
The UK, alongside the G20 and Paris Club, expect private creditors to participate in debt restructurings on terms at least as favourably as bilateral (i.e. country) creditors.
The Government is focused on delivering a market-based (contractual) approach to private sector participation, for example recently developing Majority Voting Provisions for private loans.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his (a) Indian counterpart and (b) other international counterparts on alleged (i) internet and mobile suspensions, (ii) arbitrary arrests and (iii) other human rights abuses and the suspension of civil liberties in India.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government has a broad and deep partnership with the Government of India and we discuss all elements of our relationship. We remain committed to championing democracy and human rights around the world. Where we have issues, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level. The Minister for South Asia, Lord [Tariq] Ahmad of Wimbledon, regularly speaks to the High Commissioner of India. Human rights and civil liberties forms part of that dialogue. Our networks across India regularly meet civil society groups and run projects promoting human rights.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which consultations published by their Department are awaiting a response; and when each of those responses (a) were initially planned to and (b) will be published.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Policy teams across the FCDO consult regularly during the policy development and implementation cycle.
Information is available on gov.uk on all open and closed consultations published by the FCDO including the closing date for open consultations and, where available, the Government's response.
The Cabinet Office has published best practice 'consultation principles' for Government departments.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will publish the (a) number and (b) destinations of all domestic flights taken by officials in his Department in each of the last 5 years.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
FCDO's domestic flight numbers are published annually within the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts - FCDO's 2021-22 Annual Report and Accounts from page 86. More detailed data regarding the destinations of all domestic flights taken by officials over the past five years is not published.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1095304/FCDO_Annual_Report_2021_2022_Accessible_290722.pdf
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has plans to (a) withdraw or (b) reduce the Government-funded investments in Azerbaijan.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The FCDO has no knowledge of any Government-funded investments in Azerbaijan.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the number of staff who have been subject to (a) sexual harassment and (b) bullying in his Department in each year since 2018.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Cabinet Office publishes results from the Civil Service People Survey on GOV.UK on behalf of all participating organisations in the survey. The findings include the proportion of staff responding to the survey who indicated to have been bullied and or harassed at work in the past 12 months (b) and, among those, whether they have been subject to sexual harassment (a). This would include sexual comments or jokes, unwelcome sexual advances, touching or assault.
The figures from the 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 Civil Service People Surveys can be found at:
2021 results: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-people-survey-2021-results
2020 results: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-people-survey-2020-results
2019 results: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-people-survey-2019-results
2018 results: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/civil-service-people-survey-2018-results
The Civil Service has a zero tolerance approach to bullying, harassment and discrimination. Those found to be bullying, and/or harassing and/or discriminating against employees or customers can face disciplinary procedures including charges of gross misconduct leading to dismissal. Bullying, harassment and discrimination are in direct conflict with the Civil Service values of honesty, objectivity, impartiality and integrity. It is important that all employees feel respected and treated fairly within the workplace. Departments have their own HR policies and processes for reporting and resolving cases of bullying, harassment and discrimination.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether any complaints of bullying were made by civil servants in his Department regarding the former Secretary of State between 24 July 2019 and 15 September 2021.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given on 29 November to Question 88787.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many of his Department's (a) laptops, (b) mobile phones, (c) memory sticks and (d) external hard drives have been lost or stolen in each of the last five years.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The following table includes the number of lost/stolen devices in FCDO in the last five years.
2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
Laptops | 38 | 80 | 48 | 41 | 59 |
Mobile phones | 141 | 213 | 74 | 101 | 167 |
All departmental IT is fully security encrypted and no memory sticks or external hard drives are used with FCDO devices.
The departmental security unit records and investigates each reported loss from the Department. If appropriate, the police are invited to undertake further inquiries. Any mobile device reported as lost is immediately and remotely deactivated and the contents deleted. The user account on any laptop reported as lost is immediately and remotely locked.