Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps to support (a) campesino, (b) Indigenous and (c) Afro-descendent communities facing (i) land dispossession and (ii) forced evictions in Honduras.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK recognises the importance of addressing land dispossession and forced evictions in Honduras. Our Embassy in Guatemala City, which maintains our relations with Honduras, closely monitors cases of criminalisation, intimidation, and defamation against human rights defenders working on environmental issues, as well as communities at risk of eviction or already displaced. Officials at our Embassy and in London maintain regular contact with civil society organisations on this issue. The UK publicly supports the efforts and struggles of these communities and engages in diplomatic advocacy with the authorities in Honduras.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to to Amnesty International's report entitled No one guarantees my safety: the urgent need to strengthen Mexico’s federal policies for the protection of journalists, published in March 2024, what discussions he has had with his Mexican counterpart on (a) strengthening Mexico’s Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists and (b) the need for its effective implementation.
Answered by Catherine West
The UK is committed to Media Freedom, and to championing democracy and human rights around the world. Independent media is essential to a healthy democracy. The danger facing journalists in Mexico is highly concerning and Amnesty International's report rightly raises concerns about the effectiveness of the Federal Protection Mechanism for Human Rights Defenders and Journalists. Our Embassy in Mexico City works closely with the Mexican Government and civil society organisations on understanding and reducing the risks faced by journalists and human rights defenders due to their professions. Representatives from the UK Government and the Mexican Government held their second Multilateral and Human Rights Dialogue on 13-14 May 2025 where both Governments reaffirmed their commitment to human rights. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials met with representatives of Amnesty International on 17 June in London to understand their concerns around the mechanism.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of reports of the murder of Danilo Benavides in Arauca on 2 March 2025.
Answered by Catherine West
We are concerned at the murders of former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) combatants, including that of Danilo Benavides in Arauca on 2 March 2025. We urge the Colombian authorities to investigate and tackle the root causes of violence to prevent such attacks. At the UN Security Council, we consistently call for the strengthening of protection and reintegration measures for former FARC combatants. Through UK funding, we have long supported the implementation of the peace agreement, including the security and reintegration of its signatories.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help tackle the impact of the recruitment of children by armed groups on (a) the humanitarian situation and (b) human rights in Colombia.
Answered by Catherine West
The UK Government is concerned by reports of a sharp rise in child recruitment by armed groups in Colombia. The UK is a key member of the UN's Group of Friends of Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC) which plays a key role in promoting the protection of children affected by armed conflict, including through preventing recruitment. We align the activity of this multilateral group to the recommendations in the UN Secretary General's annual report on CAAC. We also regularly raise the issue of CAAC in our interventions at the UN Security Council (UNSC). We welcome the progress the Colombian government has made in the consultative phase of its Action Plan on Youth, Peace, and Security which if implemented effectively could help prevent youth and child recruitment. In November 2024, the Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean attended the Violence Against Children Conference in Colombia. At the conference, she discussed with Colombian counterparts how to strengthen the capacity of child protection systems to address significant threats to their wellbeing including in armed conflict.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help support at-risk human rights defenders in (a) Mexico and (b) the El Bajío community in Sonora.
Answered by Catherine West
The UK recognises the essential role that civil society and human rights defenders play in promoting and protecting human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Our Embassy in Mexico monitors the human rights situation in Mexico closely and maintains close communication with human rights defenders and civil society organisations. We also continue to engage regularly on human rights and related issues with the Mexican authorities at ministerial and official level. Representatives from the UK Government and the Mexican Government held their second Multilateral and Human Rights Dialogue on 13-14 May 2025 where both Governments reaffirmed their commitment to human rights. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office officials met with representatives of the El Bajio community on 14 May in London to understand their concerns.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken in response to reports of human rights abuses in Bangladesh.
Answered by Catherine West
The UK has a long-standing commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights. We commend the Interim Government of Bangladesh for inviting the UN Human Rights Office to investigate last summer's events. We support efforts to safeguard human rights and encourage collaboration with the UN and international partners to build a stable democratic future in Bangladesh. In November 2024, I raised the situation in Bangladesh with Chief Adviser Yunus during my visit. In February, Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders visited Bangladesh and discussed justice, accountability, and fundamental freedoms. The UK is investing up to £27 million through the Bangladesh Collaborative, Accountable and Peaceful Politics programme to support civic and political space, reduce corruption, and prevent violence.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the speech by the BBC Director General on 14 May 2025.
Answered by Catherine West
We have noted the speech given by the BBC Director General on 14 May. The Government is in close touch with the BBC on all issues - we have regular discussions at both senior and official level. The Government highly values the BBC World Service, which provides impartial accurate news to a global audience of 320 million. The Government is providing a funding uplift of £32.6m (31 per cent) for the World Service in FY 2025/26. It remains the world's most trusted international news service. Any decisions on government funding for the World Service for future years will be made through the ongoing Spending Review process.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether there are provisions in the agreement on the future of the Chagos Islands for the United States government to contribute financially to the maintenance of the Diego Garcia military base.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The deal will be between the UK and Mauritius. The base is an essential part of the UK-US defence relationship, and the US contributes a great deal to the operating cost of the base. Once the treaty is signed it will be put before both Houses for scrutiny before ratification in the usual way. This will include costs.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
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 ensure UK aid supports women facing persecution due to both their faith and gender.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding.
We are clear, too, that we will work to advance gender equality and empower women and girls through our international action. We focus on those with intersecting forms of disadvantage where the risks are extreme.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office works to ensure that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is allocated to support those who are most vulnerable and most in need of this assistance irrespective of race, religion, or ethnicity. This includes minority religious or belief communities, who are assessed by our partners when determining those most in need of protection and assistance.
Asked by: Fabian Hamilton (Labour - Leeds North East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure the delivery of freedom of religion or belief work in his Department's (a) diplomatic and (b) development efforts.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is championing the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora - including our position at the United Nations (UN) and Article 18 Alliance - through our important bilateral work, working collaboratively with the Special Envoy for FoRB, David Smith, and our programme funding. This includes the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office's (FCDO) designated programme for FoRB-focused projects overseas, the John Bunyan Fund (JBF).
The JBF supports a range of projects aimed at protecting and promoting FoRB. The FCDO works to ensure that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is allocated to support those who are most vulnerable and most in need of this assistance irrespective of race, religion, or ethnicity. This includes minority religious or belief communities, who are assessed by our partners when determining those most in need of protection and assistance.