Asked by: Douglas Alexander (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government expects the International Atomic Energy Agency's inquiry into the military dimension of the Iranian nuclear programme to be complete before the deadline for agreeing a comprehensive nuclear deal set by the P5+1.
Answered by Lord Hague of Richmond
It is unlikely that the complex questions surrounding the possible military dimensions of Iran's nuclear programme (PMD) will be resolved by 20 July. We call on Iran to grant immediately access to all sites, equipment, persons and documents requested by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran must demonstrate real progress on PMD in order to reassure the international community that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.
Asked by: Douglas Alexander (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received of allegations of repressive measures taken towards civil society activists in China related to commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown; and whether the Government has made representations to the Chinese government on that matter.
Answered by Lord Hague of Richmond
We are concerned at reports of detentions in relation to the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident, and we raised our concerns about this with the Chinese authorities during the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue in London on 20 May 2014. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), also raised this issue with the Chinese authorities on 19 May and made a statement on 21 May. We also fully support the EU statement of 28 May calling for the release of all those imprisoned for the peaceful expression of their views.
We were pleased to see that on 5 June the Chinese authorities released a number of those who had been arrested after attending an event to commemorate the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989.
Asked by: Douglas Alexander (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
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 Sudanese counterpart on the case of Meriam Ibrahim and the persecution of Christians in that country.
Answered by Lord Hague of Richmond
I am appalled at the death sentence given to Meriam Ibrahim, and her continued imprisonment. At my request, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Sudanese Embassy in London was summoned to the Foreign Office on 19 May. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development, my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Ms Featherstone), also raised our deep concerns with the Sudanese Foreign Minister when she met him on 20 May. Our Embassy in Khartoum continues to press the Sudanese authorities for Meriam Ibrahim's release, and is in close contact with her legal team.
Along with our international partners, we regularly raise the persecution of Christians and other minorities with the Sudanese government. We have called on it to respect the right to freedom of religion and international human rights laws as enshrined in its own constitution.
Asked by: Douglas Alexander (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the new Egyptian President about freedom of religion.
Answered by Lord Hague of Richmond
The Government has been clear throughout recent events in Egypt, that the freedom of religious belief needs to be protected and that the ability to worship in peace is a vital component of a democratic society. I have not yet met President el-Sisi, but will look to work with him and the Egyptian Government to implement the rights contained in Egypt's constitution, which includes protections for freedom of religious belief.
Hugh Robertson, Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, discussed the situation faced by Coptic Christians and implications of the new constitution in a meeting with Bishop Yulios during his visit to Cairo in December.
Asked by: Douglas Alexander (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what role he sees for the EU in helping to facilitate Libyan parliamentary elections in July 2014.
Answered by Lord Hague of Richmond
The UK is firmly committed to supporting the Libyan people and Government, and I welcome the elections for the Libyan House of Representatives due on 25 June. I hope it will be conducted in a fair, transparent and accountable way which is respected by all parties. I believe that the EU, along with our international partners, can play a crucial role in supporting these elections. An EU Election Experts' Mission monitored the Constitutional Assembly elections in February, and set out recommendations for improvements which were shared with the Libyan authorities in a report. We believe this, along with other EU programmes related to democratic transition in Libya, has laid a solid foundation to facilitate the June elections.
Asked by: Douglas Alexander (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the newly-elected Ukranian President about the support the UK can offer to stabilise the situation in that country.
Answered by Lord Hague of Richmond
The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) spoke to President Petro Poroshenko on 29 May, when he congratulated him on his election victory and praised the Ukrainian people for their determination to hold elections in such difficult circumstances and choose their own future. I also did so when I met him on 6 June. The Prime Minister praised Mr Poroshenko's clear messages on democracy, as well as financial and political reform, and offered his continued support in helping him to build a secure and prosperous Ukraine, through an inclusive national dialogue.
Asked by: Douglas Alexander (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he considers the existing mandate of the UN Special Envoy to Syria is sufficient.
Answered by Lord Hague of Richmond
The UK fully supports the role of the UN Special Representative and the efforts to bring about political transition as set out in the Geneva Communiqué. The scope of the mandate for Mr Brahimi's successor is under consideration by the UN.
Asked by: Douglas Alexander (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 377W, on Sri Lanka, what assessment he has made of the suitability of President Rajapaksa to serve as Chairperson in Office of the Commonwealth.
Answered by Lord Hague of Richmond
The position of Chair in Office, which is occupied by the host of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) for two years after the event, was formally created in 2009. No formal guidance exists on the role. The decision for Sri Lanka to host CHOGM, and become Chair in Office thereafter, was taken at CHOGM in 2009. There has been no consensus amongst member states to revisit this decision.
Asked by: Douglas Alexander (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 10 April 2014, Official Report, column 3778W, on Syria, what assessment his Department has made of the likelihood of President Assad complying with the agreed Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons timetable for the removal and destruction of Syria's stockpile of chemical weapons.
Answered by Lord Hague of Richmond
The regime has missed all deadlines set by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Executive Council for the removal of chemicals from Syria, including their own deadline of 27 April 2014. Around 7.5 per cent of the materials remain. This means that the 30 June 2014 deadline set by the UN for the elimination of the material can no longer be met. Responsibility for this rests with the regime.
The functional destruction of Syria's chemical weapon manufacturing capability and the removal of more than 90 per cent of the chemicals used in the programme are significant achievements. However, Syria's failure to meet the deadlines for removal of the remaining chemicals is unacceptable. The UK and partners continue to press for the urgent completion of removal operations.
Asked by: Douglas Alexander (Labour - Paisley and Renfrewshire South)
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 effect of the recent Presidential elections in Syria on the prospects for future political reconciliation between the government and Opposition forces.
Answered by Lord Hague of Richmond
The recent Syrian Presidential elections were a parody of democracy designed to sustain the Assad dictatorship, held in the midst of a civil war and extreme regime violence with millions displaced from their homes unable to vote. They did not meet even the most basic requirements for free and fair elections.
We judge that holding these elections was damaging to the political process. This is a view shared by the UN who warned that holding elections “will damage the political process and hamper the prospects for political solution that the country so urgently needs.”
We will continue to support the moderate opposition who have a pluralistic, democratic vision of a future Syria and to create conditions for a future political settlement. A negotiated political transition in Syria, following the principles set out in the Geneva communiqué, is the only way to end the conflict and alleviate Syria's humanitarian crisis.