Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the Faroese Minister for Fisheries on cetacean hunts.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer he was provided on 14 October 2024 in response to Question 7965.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) India, (b) Pakistan and (c) international organisations on the potential impact of violence in Kashmir on women.
Answered by Catherine West
The UK Government is taking all the steps we can to ensure that heightened tensions do not lead to escalation. We encourage all to commit to effective channels of engagement to safeguard stability in the region. Alongside international partners, the UK is continuing to engage in dialogue in pursuit of long-term regional stability. On Sunday 27 April, the Foreign Secretary spoke both to Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar and with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Dar. We encourage all parties to take a measured approach. We are committed to promoting human rights in the region and will monitor any potential risks to communities, including those most vulnerable.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support (a) trade unions and (b) workers' rights through foreign policy.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The Government is committed to working closely with international trade unions through its foreign policy. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State with responsibility for human rights will soon meet the heads of global union federations to discuss international labour issues. We work actively through the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to promote decent work and workers' rights, including raising workers' rights issues with the ILO supervisory system. The Government acts globally to prevent forced labour in supply chains, including, for example, by supporting reform of labour migration policies in South East Asia to ensure fair treatment of migrant workers. In addition, As Minister for Development, I met with trade union representatives in Addis Ababa who were part of the ‘Taqaddum’ platform for civil society, as part of her work on the Sudan conflict and its humanitarian consequences.
Asked by: Alex Mayer (Labour - Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Faroe Islands on (a) dolphin and (b) whale hunting.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK strongly opposes the hunting of all cetaceans other than some limited activities by indigenous people for clearly defined subsistence needs. We reaffirmed our strong support for the global moratorium on commercial whaling at the September International Whaling Commission meeting with Danish government in attendance, where we co-sponsored a resolution on International Legal Obligations in Commercial Whaling. Ministers and senior officials will continue to raise the issue with the Faroese at every appropriate opportunity.