Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department takes to ensure that its policies do not encourage discrimination of religion or belief.
Answered by David Lidington
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office carefully assesses the probable impact of all policy decisions and actions, and avoids taking any decision or action likely to encourage discrimination of any kind, including on grounds of religion or belief.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton 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 violations of freedom of religion or belief on women; and what his Department is doing to tackle such violations.
Answered by David Lidington
There are clear examples where the impact of violations of freedom of religion or belief falls particularly heavily on women – such as treatment of women by Daesh. Under the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy, FCO funds projects to defend freedom of religion or belief, including the protection of the rights of women. For example, the FCO recently agreed to fund a project this financial year that tackles gender- based violence and discrimination in Egypt, Jordan and Tunisia.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
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 compatibility with international law of the arrest and transfer of children from the Occupied Palestinian Territories to Israel.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We are clear that Israel has legal obligations as an Occupying Power with respect to the Occupied Palestinian Territories under the Fourth of the Geneva Conventions of 1949. This includes Article 49, which prohibits deportation of protected persons from the occupied territory and Article 76, providing that protected persons convicted of offenses shall be detained and serve their sentences within the occupied territory. We regularly talk to the Government of Israel with regard to the implementation of those obligations and raise our serious concerns, including about the treatment of Palestinian children that are arrested and detained in Israeli prisons. We have been clear with Israel that forcible transfer would be a breach of international humanitarian law and would have serious ramifications on Israel’s international standing.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir.
Answered by Lord Swire
I am aware of concerns about human rights violations on both sides of the Line of Control. We have consistently maintained that any allegations of human rights abuses should be investigated thoroughly, promptly and transparently.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what his policy is on re-deploying a Special Envoy to the Sahel region.
Answered by Grant Shapps - Secretary of State for Defence
Stephen O’Brien MP was the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to the Sahel from 2012 to 2015. Since his departure, the Minister for Africa and senior officials have followed events in the Sahel closely. The UK has also continued to show leadership in the Sahel through participation in international Missions such as the UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) and EU training missions in Mali and Niger. The Government will keep its representation in the Sahel under review.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton 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 on (a) regional security and (b) migration to the EU of instability in the Central African Republic.
Answered by Grant Shapps - Secretary of State for Defence
The unrest in the Central African Republic (CAR) has impacted on its neighbours through refugee flows and cross-border violence. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is aware of reports of rebel incursions spilling over the border from CAR into Cameroon. Approximately 442,495 of CAR’s population have been internally displaced. Approximately 241,231 refugees have fled to Cameroon, 93,120 to Chad, 68,165 to the Democratic Republic of Congo and 21,554 to the Republic of Congo. The Government is working closely with EU and African Union partners ahead of the Valletta Summit in November to develop proposals for action to disrupt smuggling and trafficking networks; strengthen cooperation on returns; and address the root causes of migration, including regional instability.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, under what programme the event held in Luton on 28 August 2014 on Government aid to Syria was funded.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The event was part of a community outreach programme across the country to highlight the Government's policy for Syria. The programme highlighted the Government's policy for Syria, the Government’s humanitarian programme and travel advice for Syria and the region. The event received funding and support from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development, the Home Office and the Charity Commission.
Asked by: Gavin Shuker (Independent - Luton South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has raised the cases of Farshid Fathi and Alireza Seyyedian with his Iranian counterparts.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We have not raised these cases specifically with the Iranian Government. However, we remain deeply concerned by the detention and ill treatment of all prisoners of conscience in Iran, and the ongoing discrimination against Christians and other minority religious groups. We have called for the Iranian government to protect the rights of all minority groups in Iran and end the persecution of individuals on the basis of their faith.