Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help reduce levels of deaths from AIDS in Africa.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK's pledge to the 7th replenishment of the Global Fund will help to save over 1 million lives. We also continue to support UNAIDS to deliver on its mandate to provide effective leadership for the global HIV response and implement the ambitious new Global AIDS Strategy. The UK continues to fund other key international partners, including UNITAID, the Robert Carr Fund, the Global Financing Facility and others on combatting HIV and AIDS in Africa.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Nigerian counterpart on the persecution of Christians in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK Government is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all communities in Nigeria. In July 2022, at the UK's Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief, the Nigerian High Commissioner reiterated his Government's commitment to freedom of religion or belief. I have raised concerns about the effect of insecurity on communities in my engagements with leading Nigerian presidential candidates in December 2022 and January 2023. We will continue to call on the Nigerian Government to assist affected communities and implement long-term solutions.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what new resources have been allocated to UK embassies to (a) review and (b) improve security vetting procedures for private contractors since August 2021.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We security clear staff and contractors to the level that they require for access, this service is resourced appropriately. Security clearances are kept under regular review.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his counterpart in the Government of India on its treatment of religious minorities.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We engage with India on the full range of human rights matters, working with Union and State Governments, and with non-Governmental organisations (NGOs), to build capacity and share expertise to promote human rights for all. The Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, has raised our concerns about the impact of recent legislative and judicial measures on minorities with Indian Government Ministers.
The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions across India also regularly meet religious representatives and run projects promoting minority rights. For example, over the last three years, we have worked with local NGOs to bring together young people of diverse faith backgrounds to work together on social action projects in their local communities and promote a culture of inter faith tolerance.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent assessment she has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on gypsy, roma and traveller communities.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
It is important to continue to develop our understanding of how this new virus affects different communities, and to use the insights gained from the latest available data and research. This is why we have asked Public Health England to review COVID-19 outcomes among different groups, and to explore potential reasons for disparities.
We have also asked all local authorities to consider how best to support communities, especially those potentially at risk such as Gypsy, Roma and Traveller citizens, who may need specific support, including access to basic services such as water, sanitation and waste disposal.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the status is of the Government’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, announced in February 2020 and led by Alex Ellis; and what the timetable is for its publication.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Following the Chancellor's announcement that the Comprehensive Spending Review is being delayed, the Integrated Review has been paused given the pressing need to focus on COVID-19. We will return to the Integrated Review when appropriate to do so, ensuring that we engage with all relevant stakeholders, including civil society.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Swaziland.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The British Government is aware of unconfirmed reports of human rights violations during recent protests in Eswatini. We continue to call for respect of the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly and association enshrined in Eswatini’s constitution. The appointment of a resident High Commissioner to Eswatini in July 2019 has given us the opportunity to deepen our engagement with the Eswatini government. Our High Commissioner has raised the need for proportionate response to protest with senior officials in the Eswatini Government. On 24 October he also raised with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs the need for any allegations of human rights violations to be investigated.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) his Iraqi counterpart and (b) his counterpart in the Kurdistan Regional Government on security and reconstruction in Batnaya.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
We regularly engage with both the Government of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government on the need for security and reconstruction throughout the territories liberated from Daesh. The Prime Minister and other Ministers discussed these issues with the President of Iraq, Barham Salih, during his visit to the UK on 25-27 June.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Iraqi counterpart on the safety and security of internally displaced people returning to Bartella.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK strongly supports the safe, voluntary and sustainable return of internally displaced Iraqis to the areas liberated from Daesh, including in the Nineveh Plains. Both the Prime Minister and other Ministers discussed these issues with the President of Iraq during his visit to the UK in June and I also discussed them with the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Mohammad Al-Hakim, on 25 June. We have contributed £23.15 million to the UN's Funding Facility for Stabilisation to help the Government of Iraq rebuild communities in liberated areas to enable further voluntary returns of displaced persons. We have not made a recent specific assessment of the level of employment opportunities for internally displaced people returning to towns on the Nineveh Plains.
Asked by: Conor McGinn (Independent - St Helens North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of employment opportunities for internally displaced people returning to towns on the Nineveh Plains; and what support his Department is providing to those people.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK strongly supports the safe, voluntary and sustainable return of internally displaced Iraqis to the areas liberated from Daesh, including in the Nineveh Plains. Both the Prime Minister and other Ministers discussed these issues with the President of Iraq during his visit to the UK in June and I also discussed them with the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Mohammad Al-Hakim, on 25 June. We have contributed £23.15 million to the UN's Funding Facility for Stabilisation to help the Government of Iraq rebuild communities in liberated areas to enable further voluntary returns of displaced persons. We have not made a recent specific assessment of the level of employment opportunities for internally displaced people returning to towns on the Nineveh Plains.