Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the viability of a re-launch of the political process talks on the political and security situation in the Sahara.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We note reports of ceasefire agreement breaches on both sides. The UK supports UN-led efforts to achieve a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We have regular discussions with the UN and continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation, return to the ceasefire agreement, and re-engage with the UN-led political process. We strongly support the UN Secretary-General's efforts to appoint a Personal Envoy as soon as possible. We will continue to monitor the situation in Western Sahara.
Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)
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 effect on the integrity of the United Nations brokered ceasefire in the Moroccan Sahara of a reported breach of the 1991 agreement by armed Polisario forces at the Guergerate border crossing between Mauritania and Morocco; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We note reports of ceasefire agreement breaches on both sides. The UK supports UN-led efforts to achieve a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara. We have regular discussions with the UN and continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation, return to the ceasefire agreement, and re-engage with the UN-led political process. We strongly support the UN Secretary-General's efforts to appoint a Personal Envoy as soon as possible. We will continue to monitor the situation in Western Sahara.
Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will have discussions with the ambassador of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria on the application of human rights in the Tindouf camps in Algeria.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We have regular discussions with various interlocutors on Western Sahara, including Algeria and we are closely monitoring the situation. We continue to urge the parties to avoid further escalation, return to the ceasefire agreement, and re-engage with the UN-led political process. The UK is committed to the promotion and protection of human rights worldwide, including in Western Sahara and the Tindouf refugee camps, which we raise with the parties.
Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)
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 policies of the evidence given by the Director-General of European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations, that the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria places a five per cent tax on aid sent from the EU International Aid fund to the Tindouf camps within its borders; and what estimate he has made of the UK contribution to that aid in the last five years.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) report on food aid in Tindouf refugee camps was undertaken from 2003, drafted in 2007 and released in 2015 following an intervention by the EU Ombudsman. The European Commission has taken measures to address the findings documented in the OLAF report. The European Commission has found no evidence of aid diversion since these measures were put in place and it has taken measures to ensure that aid continues to reach the intended beneficiaries and to avoid diversion risks. We understand that the European Commission has also taken steps with the Algerian Government to allow for donations intended for Sahrawi refugees to be exempt from VAT.
We are concerned about the people of Western Sahara, particularly those in the Tindouf refugee camps. The UK has provided support to displaced people in camps in the Tindouf region of Algeria via contributions to the EU's ECHO humanitarian fund, which provided €9 million in humanitarian funding in 2020. Our core contributions to the UN also help to support UN bodies in Tindouf. The UK strongly supports UN-led efforts to reach a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution on the Western Sahara dispute that provides for the self determination of the people of Western Sahara.
Asked by: Geoffrey Clifton-Brown (Conservative - The Cotswolds)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to reports of abuse and arrest of medics treating people involved in protests in Hong Kong, what steps he is taking to ensure that the Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law are complied with; and what representations he has made to the (a) Chinese Government, and b) the Government of Hong Kong on compliance with that law.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
We take any allegations relating to the arrest of medics treating protesters at demonstrations in Hong Kong extremely seriously. We expect the Hong Kong authorities to abide by international humanitarian norms and laws. We continue to be concerned about the situation in Hong Kong and have called consistently for a robust, independent inquiry into recent events as a step towards resolution of the situation. We have also made our concerns to the Chinese government about human rights clear. The Foreign Secretary has set out our concerns about the situation in Hong Kong directly to both the Hong Kong Chief Executive, Carrie Lam and to the Chinese Foreign Minister, State Councillor Wang Yi.