Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government's policy is on Kashmir; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The longstanding position of the UK Government is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting political resolution on Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. Events in Kashmir can have regional and international implications and we urge calm and caution from all. We follow developments closely.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
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 situation in Kashmir; and if he will he make a statement.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
Events in Kashmir can have regional and international implications and we continue to urge calm and caution from all. We are following the situation closely. We welcome reports that restrictions on landline and mobile phone communications have been lifted. But we remain concerned at the ongoing detentions and continued restrictions on internet use in some areas. We are in regular contact with the Governments of India and Pakistan. The Prime Minister has spoken to both Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Imran Khan about the situation in Kashmir, underlining the importance of maintaining dialogue. The Foreign Secretary has also raised his concerns about the situation with the Indian Minister for External Affairs Dr Jaishankar.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Iranian counterpart on reports that crowds chanted death to Theresa May and called for the destruction of Israel and America during a rally to mark the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Such rhetoric during public rallies is unhelpful, as I said during the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Oral Questions on 26 February 2019. However, it is not the business of the FCO to interfere in the public debate in other countries and no such representations have been made.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he intends to meet with representatives of the Caribbean to discuss concerns on the immigration status of people of Caribbean birth who have been living and working in the UK.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The United Kingdom will always be grateful for the invaluable contribution made by the thousands of people who came to the UK from the Caribbean. The Government has therefore made considerable efforts to discuss immigration issues with Caribbean leaders and explain the urgent action being taken to rectify cases of those from the Windrush generation.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the Caribbean, and the Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, Minister of State for Immigration, met Commonwealth Caribbean Foreign Ministers on 16 April to discuss concerns about the immigration status of the Windrush generation. This was followed by a meeting between the Prime Minister and Caribbean leaders on 17 April. The Prime Minister also met the Prime Minister of Jamaica for a bilateral meeting. Lord Ahmad joined both discussions.
Lord Ahmad meets Caribbean High Commissioners quarterly and these issues will be discussed at the next scheduled meeting.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he intends to meet with representatives of the Caribbean to discuss concerns on the immigration status of people of Caribbean birth who have been living and working in the UK.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The United Kingdom will always be grateful for the invaluable contribution made by the thousands of people who came to the UK from the Caribbean. The Government has therefore made considerable efforts to discuss immigration issues with Caribbean leaders and explain the urgent action being taken to rectify cases of those from the Windrush generation.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the Caribbean, and the Rt Hon Caroline Nokes MP, Minister of State for Immigration, met Commonwealth Caribbean Foreign Ministers on 16 April to discuss concerns about the immigration status of the Windrush generation. This was followed by a meeting between the Prime Minister and Caribbean leaders on 17 April. The Prime Minister also met the Prime Minister of Jamaica for a bilateral meeting. Lord Ahmad joined both discussions.
Lord Ahmad meets Caribbean High Commissioners quarterly and these issues will be discussed at the next scheduled meeting.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received about Iran testing a guided long-range ballistic missile.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Reports that Iran carried out a ballistic missile test earlier this month are highly concerning. We believe such a test constitutes clearly a violation of Iran’s obligations under UN Security Council Resolutions. We have taken appropriate action to bring this matter to the attention of the Security Council.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of recent violence in Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
I am extremely concerned by the violence that we have seen across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories in recent weeks. This only strengthens my conviction that a negotiated two state solution is of the greatest urgency. We continue to consult with international partners as to the best means to make progress towards that goal, and to encourage the parties to take steps which lead us towards peace. In the current circumstances we are encouraging both sides to promote calm and avoid taking actions which could make peace more difficult. On 9 October, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt. Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) spoke to President Abbas and urged him to do everything in his power to reduce tensions and restore calm. My officials and I have also been pushing the parties to implement steps that improve the situation on the ground and preserve the viability of the two state solution.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of ISIL-linked terrorists operating in Gaza.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We are concerned about the recent rise in the number of small Salafi groups in Gaza that sympathise or self-identify with ISIL. This highlights the urgent need for all the parties to reach an agreement that addresses the underlying causes of conflict in Gaza to restore security under the Palestinian Authority, and reduce the risk of radicalisation inside Gaza. We are monitoring the situation closely.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the level of the terrorist threat to UK nationals in North Africa.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre continually monitors the international terrorist threat to the UK and our interests overseas. Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice draws on their assessments, together with other sources of information, to help the British public to make informed decisions about travel.
The murder of 38 innocent holiday-makers on 26 June was a stark and dreadful illustration that the threat across much of north Africa is high.
Asked by: Dan Poulter (Labour - Central Suffolk and North Ipswich)
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 Iran's development of the IR-8 centrifuge; and what effect this will have on that country's enrichment capabilities.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The 29 May report from the International Atomic Energy Agency Director General confirms that Iran’s development work on the IR-8 centrifuge has continued in accordance with the Joint Plan of Action. Iran’s IR-8 research and development is limited to one prototype machine in place without connections at the Natanz nuclear facility. Use of IR-8 machines could significantly increase Iran’s enrichment capabilities should research and development on the centrifuge be completed.