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 recent steps his Department has taken to protect Christians and other minority groups across the Middle East.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Conflict and instability in the region has made the plight of many minorities a significant concern and we have witnessed systematic and deliberate attacks against religious and ethnic minorities in the Middle East and North Africa, including Christians. We regularly urge all governments in the region to ensure the protection of all religious minorities. We encourage them to develop inclusive political systems that represent all of their citizens. We also work proactively in the region to promote community cohesion and inclusive governance.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have been responsible for many recent atrocities committed against religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq and Syria. We condemn these appalling acts and are committed to defeating ISIL through a comprehensive and sustained international strategy as part of the efforts of the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL. The humanitarian aid provided by the UK will have helped many victims of ISIL’s atrocities, including the protection of vulnerable groups. And the UK co-sponsored the resolution passed by the UN Human Rights Council on 1 September 2014, which highlights ISIL’s abhorrent actions and commits to a team of experts going to Iraq to investigate these atrocities.
In Syria a number of UK funded projects have brought together religious leaders from all denominations (including Alawi, Christians, Kurds, Druze and Sunnis) to foster greater understanding between faiths and support reconciliation. In Tunisia, we also funded a project run by the Centre for the Study of Islam and Democracy which considers, amongst other things, the protection of religious minorities under the new constitution. In Jordan, our work within refugee camps has helped reduce tensions between Syrian refugees and their host communities. In Lebanon, we are supporting education programmes including the addition of extra-curricular activities to help strengthen social cohesion. And in Iraq, we have funded a series of grassroots meetings between religious leaders to promote religious tolerance and freedom of religion or belief. We also continue to encourage religious leaders in Iraq to speak out publicly and condemn sectarian violence.
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 Ukranian government in response to the recent gas blast in a coal mine in that country.
Answered by David Lidington
We were deeply concerned to hear about an explosion at a coalmine near Donetsk city on 4 March which resulted in over 30 deaths. the UK was not asked by the Ukrainian government for assistance on this occasion. We were concerned to hear that the Russian-backed separatists rejected the Ukrainian government’s offer to assist in the tragedy. The UK continues to support Ukraine in other areas, and is providing £10 million in technical assistance to support economic and governance reforms in Ukraine, and to provide humanitarian assistance. In response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation an additional £15 million of humanitarian support to Ukraine was announced by the Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), on 23 February.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 discussions his Department has had with the Nigerian government on the two recent suicide bombings in the north of that country.
Answered by James Duddridge
We have condemned these horrific suicide bombings in northern Nigeria, which are heinous examples of Boko Haram’s brutality. We discuss Boko Haram's ongoing campaign of violence with the Nigerian government on a regular basis. We remain committed to helping the Nigerian authorities defeat Boko Haram and end the violence in northern Nigeria, and are providing a substantial package of military, intelligence and development support to Nigeria to help achieve that goal.
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 discussions his Department has had with the Czech government on the shooting of eight people in a restaurant in Uherský Brod on 24 February 2015.
Answered by David Lidington
The British Embassy in Prague was in contact with the Czech police throughout this incident and monitored the situation closely. No British citizens were involved in the incident. Our thoughts and condolences are with the families and friends of those who lost their lives in this tragedy.
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 is taking to tackle human rights abuse in Yemen.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has funded projects on gender and security; child marriage; and youth engagement. The Department for International Development has also contributed £10 million through multi-donor UN Trust Funds to provide operational and technical support to the National Dialogue Conference, constitution drafting process and election preparations, which further our human rights priorities.
Regrettably, given the significant deterioration in the political and security situation in Yemen since June 2014 and the temporary suspension of operations of the Embassy on 11 February, we are having to review our programmes.
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 recent support the Government has given to the authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Answered by Lord Swire
The UK is making a significant contribution to international efforts to promote stability, development and greater democratisation in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). DFID’s programme in the DRC will spend £790 million over the years 2011-2016 and is committed to addressing the urgent needs of the most vulnerable and poorest people.
DFID’s operational plan, updated in December 2014, https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/389482/DRC_Operational_Plan.pdf outlines how HMG will use its role as the second biggest bilateral donor in DRC to deliver support and expertise in a wide range of sectors; most notably in humanitarian assistance, security sector reform, education, WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) and private sector development.
We strongly support the role played by MONUSCO, the UN’s biggest peacekeeping mission, in resolving the conflict in the eastern part of the DRC, and our contribution to MONUSCO in 2014-2015 is estimated to be £61 million. UK diplomatic influence supports efforts to build a stronger, more stable and more prosperous future in the DRC, making conflict and humanitarian crises less likely.
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 tackle the persecution of Christians in Somalia.
Answered by David Lidington
The overwhelming majority of people in Somalia are Muslim (around 99.8%) and Islam is recognised as the official state religion in Somalia’s provisional constitution. The UK continues to support the Federal Government of Somalia in their efforts to bring government control to Somalia, and restore essential freedoms to all Somalis.
The UK is working with the Federal Government of Somalia to establish a national human rights commission, to improve human rights for everybody in Somalia, irrespective of their religious persuasion - and also supporting the United Nations assistance mission in Somalia (UNSOM) monitoring and improving human rights.
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 offering to the Nigerian government in response to the recent killings by Boko Haram in Nigeria.
Answered by David Lidington
The UK has taken an active role in leading international support to Nigeria in its fight against Boko Haram. We are providing a substantial package of UK military, intelligence and development support, which includes training and advice to Nigerian units deploying against Boko Haram, intelligence support and support to the Nigerians in bringing increased development and prosperity to the North East. We are also working closely with our international partners to support the large numbers of people displaced by the conflict in the North East.