Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had (a) with his counterparts from Belgium, France and the Netherlands and (b) in EU fora about the incidence of anti-Semitic attacks in those countries.
Answered by David Lidington
The British Government is committed to combating anti-Semitism wherever it is found and supports the efforts of EU partners to tackle racism in all its forms.
As current Chair of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA), we will be discussing the recent rise in anti-Semitism across Europe (and particularly Holocaust denial and denigration) with European partners and others at the IHRA's Plenary Meetings in Manchester in December.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office also works very closely with the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, which provides expert advice on tackling anti-Semitism to other EU Member States.
The British Government was represented by the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my Hon Friend the Member for Portsmouth North (Ms Mordaunt), at the tenth anniversary of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Conference and Declaration on Anti-Semitism, held in Berlin on 13 November. We hope the OSCE as a whole will take note of, and act upon, recommendations made at that conference.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received about Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's nine point plan for the destruction of Israel.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We strongly condemn any suggestions from Iran’s leaders that Israel should be eliminated. We similarly strongly condemn any politically or racially motivated attempts to deny or question the Holocaust, and all anti-Semitic language.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
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 prospect of Iran neutralising its stockpile of 20 per cent enriched uranium.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The IAEA Director General in his November report on the status of Iran’s nuclear programme reconfirmed that all of Iran’s 20% enriched uranium stockpile has been down-blended to less than 5%, or converted to oxide, in keeping with Iran’s commitments under the Joint Plan of Action.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 31 October 2014 to Question 211909, what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Pakistani government and (b) his EU counterparts on the case of Aasia Bibi.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Since my previous answer the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) met Prime Minister Sharif on 13 November and raised our concerns about Pakistan’s blasphemy law. We will continue to raise our concerns about this and similar cases at the highest levels in Pakistan and engage through the EU and likeminded countries to push for progress.Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
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 encourage Iran to clarify issues relating to possible military dimensions of its nuclear material and implement the additional protocol.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We offer our full support to the IAEA in its efforts to address the possible military dimensions to Iran's nuclear programme. We continue to call on Iran to cooperate fully by providing immediate IAEA access to sites, persons, documents and information as requested by the Agency. In a comprehensive agreement, Iran will need to comply fully with its Additional Protocol to reassure the international community of the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the P5+1 has discussed the future status of sanctions against Iran in the event of a permanent nuclear deal.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Sanctions are a key part of the E3+3 negotiations with Iran. Ultimately, under a comprehensive deal, all sanctions imposed against Iran because of its nuclear programme will be lifted. The speed of sanctions relief will depend on the actions Iran takes to address proliferation concerns.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
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 Iran's compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1835.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We assess that Iran has breached its obligations under UNSCRs 1835 and 1929 respectively by attempting to ship arms to a third country in March 2014 and by testing ballistic missiles in January 2013. We continue to call on Iran to comply with its international obligations; and for UN members to enforce the UN sanctions regime.Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of Iran's compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1929.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We assess that Iran has breached its obligations under UNSCRs 1835 and 1929 respectively by attempting to ship arms to a third country in March 2014 and by testing ballistic missiles in January 2013. We continue to call on Iran to comply with its international obligations; and for UN members to enforce the UN sanctions regime.Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
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 draft UN resolution calling on Israel to withdraw to the 1967 borders by 2016.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We are clear that only a negotiated two state solution based on 1967 borders will resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict once and for all. We share the sense of urgency for a two state solution that delivers an end to the occupation and we are looking carefully at the initiative the Palestinians have laid out. We will continue to engage key partners to consider how best to support the parties in resuming serious dialogue, as we know from past experience that deadlines are no substitute for the political will needed to achieve a negotiated dialogue.
Asked by: Guto Bebb (Independent - Aberconwy)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of recent reports of a large explosion at Parchin military complex in Iran.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
As reported in the media, there was an explosion and consequent fire at the Parchin military complex, outside of Tehran in early October 2014. The explosion was not in the area of the high explosive test facility at Parchin referred to in IAEA Board of Governors’ reports. Permission for IAEA inspectors to access facilities at Parchin as required remains necessary to address international concerns about the possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear programme.