Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment his Department has made of the integrity of elections in Bangladesh.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The United Kingdom notes the results of the Bangladesh Election, on 7 January 2024. Democratic elections depend on credible, open, and fair competition. Respect for human rights, rule of law and due process are essential elements of the democratic process. These standards were not consistently met during the election period. We are concerned at the significant number of arrests of opposition party members before polling day. The acts of intimidation and violence that took place prior to and during the campaign period are unacceptable. Not all political parties took part in the elections. The Bangladeshi people did not therefore have the fullest range of voting options. We encourage all political parties to address their differences and find a common way forward in the interests of the people of Bangladesh.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to use official engagement with the Taliban to engage with the Afghan people.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
FCDO officials regularly meet Taliban representatives to support HMG objectives on Afghanistan. This includes pressing on human rights, including the rights of women and girls and minorities. We are clear that Afghanistan needs more inclusive governance that is representative of its citizens. We have therefore encouraged the Taliban to engage with a diverse range of Afghans, particularly women and civil society representatives, and listen to their views. Ministers and officials also engage with other Afghans, based in the UK and elsewhere, including human rights activists and non-Taliban political figures.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he has taken to facilitate regular engagement with Afghan civil society.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
UK ministers and officials engage regularly with a range of Afghan civil society organisations. This includes engagement with Afghan women's organisations, both in Afghanistan and in the UK and diaspora. For example, officials regularly engage with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Afghan Women and Girls led by Wendy Chamberlain MP and the Afghan Women Support Forum, established by Baroness Hodgson of Abinger. Both these forums comprise Afghan women activists including civil society representatives from Afghanistan and in the UK.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Sri Lanka on water quality in the north of that country.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is aware of the challenges Sri Lanka faces around water management and quality, and the unique challenges faced by communities in the Northern Province. Officials from the British High Commission Colombo regularly visit the Northern Province to meet a range of stakeholders to hear their experiences and issues. A number of public bodies in Sri Lanka, including the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, have conducted tests into the water quality. The UK Government supports the International Water Management Institute, an international water management research organisation, to provide solutions to increasing water scarcity in Puttalam and Kilinochchi.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with regional partners on North Korea's satellite launch capabilities.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK condemns the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) latest satellite launch using ballistic missile technology. We have said this in our joint statement with partners on 22 November and G7 Foreign Ministers made this clear on 22 November. The Prime Minister held productive discussions with the President of the Republic of Korea during his state visit to the UK on areas of shared interest including the DPRK's provocations, which threaten peace and stability. We remain committed to securing peace on the Korean peninsula, working closely with allies and partners to secure an end to the DPRK's illegal weapons development.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of China Investment Corporation’s involvement in the Belt and Road Initiative.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
China is an important source of trade, investment and support for many countries with infrastructure, including under its Belt and Road Initiative, helping fill the global infrastructure gap alongside other infrastructure initiatives. However, we recognise the potential risks that Chinese overseas investment can present, which is why we must be clear eyed. Through British Investment Partnerships, and our efforts through the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, we help build transparent economic partnerships, enabling high quality investment into other countries and helping to bridge investment and infrastructure gaps.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the rights of the Muslim population of that country.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government closely monitors China's serious human rights violations in Xinjiang against Uyghurs and members of other Muslim minorities, and continues to lead international efforts to hold China to account and change its behaviour.
In October 2023, the UK led a record joint statement on Xinjiang at the UN, demonstrating a significant number of countries are prepared to call China out for its human rights violations. We have also imposed sanctions, provided guidance to businesses, and taken action to tackle forced labour in supply chains.
We consistently raise China's human rights violations with the Chinese authorities at the highest levels. The former Foreign Secretary did so during his visit to Beijing in August 2023. We will continue to raise these issues directly with China and in multilateral fora including the UN.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen British links with Mongolia.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We value our partnership with Mongolia, as we celebrate 60 years of diplomatic relations. The President of Mongolia attended Their Majesties' Coronation. The Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Mongolia (the member for Shrewsbury and Atcham), the Minister for the Armed Forces (James Heappey) and the Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade (Nusrat Ghani) have all visited Mongolia this year. This week I [Minister Trevelyan] met the visiting Mongolian Culture Minister to discuss strengthening bilateral links. We will continue to build our relationship and strengthen our cooperation with Mongolia.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help facilitate the return of non-British nationals in Gaza who are resident in the UK.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are focused on the safe evacuation of British Nationals from Gaza as quickly as possible, and over 150 British Nationals have left via the Rafah Border Crossing. Whilst we remain in close contact with the Egyptian, Israeli and Palestinian authorities, who hold responsibility for the Rafah border crossing operation, we are not able to control the responsible authorities at the border. In conversations with their counterparts, the Prime Minister and the former Foreign Secretary have reinforced the importance of ensuring that all foreign nationals are able to evacuate Gaza safely, as well as ensuring that humanitarian aid urgently reaches those who need it most in Gaza. We are continuing to raise this at the highest levels.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the sale of arms to the authorities in Myanmar that were previously purchased by and for authorities in other countries.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government takes its strategic export control responsibilities very seriously. We examine each application for controlled items on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. The Strategic Export Licensing Criteria provide a thorough risk assessment framework and require us to consider carefully the impact of the export of items and their capabilities. When assessing an export licence, the Government considers the risk of the end user diverting the equipment to another end user, such as the authorities in Myanmar.
The trade of military goods and technology to Myanmar directly, or through third countries, is prohibited by the Myanmar (Sanctions) Regulations 2021. The Government will not grant an export licence if to do so would be inconsistent with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria. This includes Criterion 1, respect for the UK's international obligations and commitments, in particular sanctions and the risk of diversion, Criterion 7. All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard. We are able to suspend, refuse or revoke licences as circumstances require.