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Written Question
Social Rented Housing: EU Nationals
Wednesday 28th February 2024

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, pursuant to the Answer of 8 February 2024 to Question 12419 on Social Rented Housing: EU Nationals, what guidance the Government has issued to people with (a) pre-settled status and (b) settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to determine whether they have equal treatment protection in matters of housing under the (i) Withdrawal Agreement, (ii) EEA-EFTA Separation Agreement and (iii) Swiss Citizens’ Rights Agreement.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The consultation by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on reforms to social housing allocations continues to be open.

Guidance will be issued in due course, including with respect to eligibility under the proposed UK connection test.


Written Question
Maldives: China and India
Thursday 18th January 2024

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 tensions between India and China over the Maldives.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

HMG has an important bilateral relationship with the Maldives, which is independent of the Maldives' relationships with other countries. We are engaging positively with the new Maldivian Government on a wide range of UK interests. The UK Government understands that all nations have to balance relationships with many countries, and that different governments will take different approaches to their foreign policy. India and China have an important relationship with one another, and any wider issues are for them to resolve bilaterally through dialogue.


Written Question
Taiwan: Elections
Thursday 18th January 2024

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 had made of the potential impact of the election of Lai Ching-te on regional stability.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The elections that took place on 13 January are testament to Taiwan's vibrant democracy. The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. We have restated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside our G7 partners.


Written Question
British National (Overseas): Pensions
Monday 15th January 2024

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 international counterparts on the withholding of mandatory provident funds in Hong Kong from British National (Overseas) passport holders.

Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

We are aware that individuals who have chosen to take up the British Nationals (Overseas) Visa (BN(O)) route are having difficulties in accessing their pensions held in the Hong Kong Mandatory Provident Funds (MPF). The root of the problem is the Chinese Government's decision not to recognise the BN(O) passport. We continue to urge the Hong Kong authorities to facilitate early drawdown of funds as is the case for other Hong Kong residents who move overseas permanently. I raised this issue with the Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury on 18 April 2023 and pressed for a pragmatic solution. The Investment Minister, Lord Johnson, raised the matter with Hong Kong's Commercial Secretary, during his visit to Hong Kong in May 2023.


Written Question
Bangladesh: Elections
Monday 15th January 2024

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.


Written Question
Afghanistan: Taliban
Tuesday 19th December 2023

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.


Written Question
Afghanistan: Civil Society
Monday 18th December 2023

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.


Written Question
Sri Lanka: Water Supply
Wednesday 13th December 2023

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.


Written Question
North Korea: Satellites
Thursday 30th November 2023

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.


Written Question
Belt and Road Initiative: China Investment Corporation
Tuesday 28th November 2023

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.