Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has received reports of restrictions by the Indonesian government on access to West Papua for international non-governmental organisations and media.
Answered by Lord Sharma
We are not aware of any changes in restrictions on access to West Papua. During a visit in 2015, President Joko Widodo announced the lifting of travel restrictions for foreign journalists and international organisations. Since then, a number of foreign journalists have successfully visited and reported from Papua and West Papua. British Embassy staff have visited the province on a number of occasions, most recently in August, and we continue to follow the situation with close interest.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the annual average payment was to the Government from the US Administration for its use of the Chagos Islands.
Answered by Lord Sharma
The United Kingdom does not lease the Territory to the US, therefore it receives no financial payment.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that BP operations in the Bintuni Bay area in West Papua recently authorised by the Indonesian government are undertaken in accordance with (a) UK and international human rights law and (b) the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.
Answered by Lord Sharma
We are not aware of any human rights complaints or allegations relating to BP's Bintuni Bay operation. BP is a member of the UN Global Compact and has an extensive Corporate Social Responsibility programme in Papua that supports education, healthcare and economic development in the local community. The British Ambassador to Indonesia has personally visited BP's Tangguh project and a village in Bintuni Bay to discuss the impact of BP operations and their community development programs in the region.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Indonesian government on the reported arrest and detention of protestors this summer in West Papua.
Answered by Lord Sharma
The British Ambassador to Indonesia regularly discusses both human rights and economic development in the Indonesian provinces of West Papua and Papua with the Indonesian government. We will continue to make representations about historical cases and highlight any human rights concerns.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will raise with his counterpart in Indonesia the appointment of General Wiranto as that country's security minister.
Answered by Lord Sharma
Decisions on appointments to the Indonesian President's cabinet are a matter for the Indonesian President.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the United Nations to provide an update on progress towards the construction of Antony airport near Abyei; and when construction of that airport is expected to be completed.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Through our regular engagement with the UN, we will ask for an update on progress with the construction of Athony airport to be included in the next Secretary General’s Report on Abyei, which is due by 15 October 2016. The UN have faced considerable disruption to the construction of the airport, and have thus been unable to confirm to us an exact date for completion.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received from representatives in Abyei on the alleged detention without charge of members of the Misseriya peace committee in Sudan; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We were aware of the arrest of four members of the Misseriya peace committee in October 2015, and are able to confirm that they were released without charge in early December 2015. We have not received any more recent reports of arrests of this kind from representatives in Abyei.
Asked by: Andrew Smith (Labour - Oxford East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the security situation in Juba, South Sudan.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We have been kept regularly updated on the security situation in Juba. Senior officials and the former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), have been in touch with leaders in the region and joined the United Nations and the African Union in calling on President Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar to immediately end all violence and protect all South Sudanese civilians. The ceasefire announced on 11 July is currently holding.