Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to support the Russian government since the crash of Airbus 321 in Egypt.
Answered by David Lidington
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on the day of the Sinai air crash to express the UK Government's deepest condolences for the tragic loss of life. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), has spoken to President Putin on two occasions to offer his condolences and any assistance the UK might be able to provide, and to set out our assessment of the cause of the crash and the steps we have taken to ensure the safety of our citizens. The Prime Minister and President Putin also met in the margins of the G20 Summit in Antalya. We have also followed up at senior official level with further details and to offer practical cooperation and coordination in Sharm el-Sheikh.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his Pakistani counterpart the abolition of the blasphemy laws used in that country.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We regularly raise our concerns about Pakistan’s blasphemy laws and the need for reform, as well as concerns about specific cases where individuals have been accused of blasphemy. In February 2015, I raised UK concerns about the blasphemy laws with a group of visiting Pakistani Parliamentarians. In June, I conveyed to the High Commissioner for Pakistan our ongoing concern about the application of the blasphemy law in Pakistan. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), discussed Pakistan’s blasphemy laws with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in November 2014 and in August, during wide-ranging discussions, raised broader UK concerns around religious freedom and human rights with Pakistan’s Interior Minister.
In December 2014 my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister the member for Witney (Mr Cameron) also stressed our concerns about Pakistan’s blasphemy law with Prime Minister Sharif. We will ensure that this issue continues to be raised at the highest levels in Pakistan.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to protect Christians in Kenya from persecution.
Answered by Grant Shapps
The promotion and protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief is a priority for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO).We regard freedom of thought, conscience or belief as a fundamental human right underpinning many other rights. Our officials in Kenya are working with civil society organisations, religious groups and the Kenyan government to promote tolerance and trust across communities. We are supporting a range of religious groups to work cooperatively to manage local tensions to ensure that the early warning signs of potential persecution are identified, and responded to, so as to mitigate the risk of violence. We are also supporting the Government of Kenya as part of its efforts to counter violent extremism, which fuels religious persecution. We have encouraged Kenya’s churches together with the National Council of Churches in Kenya, to continue to play a role in this work. We continue regular dialogue with faith leaders in Kenya, the UK and across the region to promote respect for all faiths.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is providing to government authorities in northern Nigeria to tackle the effect of recent bomb attacks in the city of Gombe.
Answered by Grant Shapps
Terrorist attacks by Boko Haram in Gombe, elsewhere in Nigeria and in the wider region have brought untold misery to many. The UK remains firm in our determination to support Nigeria, and its neighbours, in their fight against terrorism. We are providing a substantial package of UK military, intelligence and development support to help Nigeria tackle Boko Haram. This package includes counter-terrorism cooperation, providing training on the response to terrorist attacks and bomb scene management. We are also working closely with Nigeria and our international partners to support the large numbers of people displaced by the conflict in the North East.Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to prevent the use of chlorine bombs in Syria.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
I am appalled by the continuing use of chlorine as a weapon. The Assad regime has repeatedly used chlorine as a weapon against civilians in Syria, in breach of international law and its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. In Syria, there have been over 50 allegations of chlorine being used as a weapon since UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2209 was passed in March. The UK, along with international partners, remains committed to ensuring that those responsible are held to account. UNSCR 2209 was clear that any future use of chemicals as weapons would trigger Chapter VII measures under the UN Convention.
The UK has worked closely with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons which has recently deployed two Fact Finding Missions to investigate whether chemical weapons have been used on two specific occasions, but is not mandated to attribute responsibility. We await their reports.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is providing to the Nigerian authorities to counter violence and militant attacks.
Answered by James Duddridge
The UK fully supports the efforts of Nigeria and its neighbours to tackle Boko Haram. This includes providing a substantial package of UK intelligence and military support, including training and advice to Nigerian units deploying against Boko Haram in north east Nigeria. The UK is also providing £5 million to support the regional Multinational Joint Task Force to tackle Boko Haram. My Hon Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP) the Foreign Secretary offered further support to Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram when he met President Buhari on 29 May 2015.
Our support to Nigeria on counter terrorism is designed not only to counter terrorism, but also to improve human rights standards.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Department is taking to tackle the persecution of Christians in North Korea.
Answered by Lord Swire
I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 13 January 2015 (PQ 220024). We remain concerned at the continuing reports of widespread and systematic state sanctioned human rights violations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The DPRK’s stance and lack of international engagement on human rights concerns remains unchanged, with the DPRK maintaining its rejection of the United Nation’s (UN’s) Commission of Inquiry report. We continue to work in international fora to press for action that seriously addresses DPRK’s human rights issues. UK officials raised human rights concerns with the DPRK Embassy in London. We continue to urge the DPRK government to respect its provisions for human rights, as enshrined in the DPRK own constitution, which include “freedom of belief in religion”. Our Embassy in Pyongyang has raised human rights including freedom of religious beliefs with DPRK officials and encouraged the DPRK to implement the recommendations of the UN’s Universal Periodic Review, including those on freedom of religion. We look forward to the opening of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' field office in Seoul later this month (as mandated in resolution A/HRC/RES/25/25) and to supporting its work.
Asked by: David Simpson (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to reduce energy costs within his Department.
Answered by David Lidington
I refer the honourable Member to the answer I gave my Hon. Friend the Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Simon Kirby) on 11 September 2014, official report, column 717W.. Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 11 September 2014, c717W)