Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the state of the right to freedom of religion or belief in Nicaragua.
Answered by Jesse Norman - Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
We have voiced the UK's deep concern about the ongoing deterioration of political and human rights in Nicaragua both with the Nicaraguan government and in multilateral fora. Reports of harassment of members of the Catholic church in Nicaragua are concerning.
Freedom of religion or belief is a universal human right, and must be protected. The Prime Minister's Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief tweeted about reports of harassment of members of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua on 10 August and is discussing it with members of the International Religious Freedom or Belief Alliance.
Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon highlighted our concern about the detention of Bishop Rolando Álvarez during his visit to the Holy See on 26 August.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Minister for Asia and the Middle East raised the matter of the blockade of Gaza with the Israeli Government on her visit to Israel on 22 June 2022.
Answered by Amanda Milling
I recently visited Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) where I saw first-hand the challenges of the prolonged conflict and the impact of the occupation. I reiterated UK support for a two-state solution and the need to improve conditions for ordinary Palestinians in my meetings with the Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Roll, and with the Palestinian leadership, including Prime Minister Shtayyeh and Foreign Minister Malki. The UK continues to urge the parties to prioritise progress towards reaching a durable solution for Gaza and to take the necessary practical steps to ensure Gaza's reconstruction and economic recovery.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support the Government is providing to disabled Ukrainians who are unable to leave Ukraine.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
There are at least 2.7 million people in Ukraine with disabilities that are at high risk of harm and abandonment. Many are trapped, unable to evacuate to safer areas and experiencing severe food and medication shortages. The UK is committed to providing humanitarian aid on the basis of need alone, without discrimination on any grounds. In Ukraine, the UK seeks to drive forward a fully inclusive international humanitarian response that addresses the life-saving and urgent needs of women, children, people with disabilities and excluded groups affected by the crisis, and ensuring compliance with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) guidelines on disability and gender-based violence.
Asked by: Cat Smith (Labour - Lancaster and Wyre)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made representations to her Mexican counterpart on the situation for Protestant Christian families in El Encanto village, Las Margaritas Municipality, Chiapas, who have been denied access to water, electricity and sewerage services for refusing to renounce their religion.
Answered by Vicky Ford
We are aware of the reports of protestant families in El Encanto village being denied access to services due to their religious beliefs. We raised the issue of freedom of religion or belief and the situation in Chiapas with the Mexican authorities. The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. We continue to engage regularly with Mexican authorities at all levels to discuss and support a broad human rights agenda in Mexico. I discussed human rights with the Mexican minister for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights on 2 March.