Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
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 effectiveness of diplomatic initiatives to prevent further violence between government forces and ethnic military groups in Karen and Rakhine states in Myanmar.
Answered by Mark Field
I set out UK concerns on the recent increase in violence in Rakhine State between the Burmese military and the Arakan Army in a statement on 18 January. We regularly raise concerns with the Burmese regime about conflicts in Burma, calling on all parties to cease fighting and allow access for humanitarian aid. International attention and diplomatic initiatives can play a role in limiting violence and promoting responsible conduct but an agreed peace settlement is the best way to bring about a sustainable end to violence. The UK will continue to support the peace process in Burma.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will review the UK’s support for the current peace process in Myanmar.
Answered by Mark Field
A successful peace process is a vital part of the democratic transition in Burma. The main vehicle for the UK's support to the peace process, the Joint Peace Fund, has undergone a thorough independent assessment of progress and challenges. Our peace building programme in Burma is reviewed annually. The UK will continue our support for the peace process through technical advice and expertise. We have been clear that Burmese military conduct in states such as Shan, Kachin and in the south-east is under international scrutiny, as in Rakhine.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Myanmar on the role of the military in the peace process in that country.
Answered by Mark Field
The Foreign Secretary discussed the civilian government's plans to bring an end to Burma's long-running internal conflicts, through the peace process, when he met State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi in September 2018. The UK is clear that the Burmese military must adhere to international standards and that there must be accountability and justice for any human rights abuses such as those reported in Rakhine, Kachin and Shan States in the UN Fact Finding Mission report.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Brazil on the future (a) human rights and (b) welfare of indigenous groups in that country.
Answered by Alan Duncan
I met Brazilian Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo on 4 February and we discussed a range of topics. Our Embassy in Brasilia frequently engages with the Brazilian Government on human rights matters, including issues affecting indigenous peoples. The UK is proud to defend its values and will not shy away from expressing where we disagree. The UK's view is clear: human rights must be respected.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Philippines on proposals to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility in that country to 12 years old.
Answered by Mark Field
We continue to urge the government of the Philippines to consider their position over this issue carefully, in particular we consider it important to ensure there are appropriate juvenile detention facilities in place before proceeding with proposals to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility.
The Foreign Secretary has not discussed this issue with the Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs. However, the British Embassy in Manila continues to raise this, and other human rights issues, with relevant stakeholders.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
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 counterpart in Indonesia on the actions of Indonesian military and police forces in West Papua following the attack by the West Papua Liberation Army in the Nduga Region on 1 December 2018.
Answered by Mark Field
The British Government is following the situation in Papua with close interest. Officials at the Embassy in Jakarta, including the Ambassador, visit Papua regularly. Our Ambassdor discussed the violence in December 2018 with senior officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and officials raised the issue with Papua police and military representatives during a visit to the region in February. Officials press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns, including upholding the right of all citizens to peacefully protest, and support the sustainable and equitable development of the province, through political dialogue.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will make representations to the (a) Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and (b) other international organisations on undertaking an independent international investigation into the alleged use of white phosphorous on civilian targets in West Papua in December 2018.
Answered by Mark Field
The British Government condemns the attack on construction workers by an armed group on 2 December in Nduga district in Papua. We have called on the Indonesian authorities to ensure that the security response is proportionate. Our Ambassador has discussed this with senior officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We are aware of a media claim about the possible use of white phosphorus. This has been strongly denied by the Indonesian authorities. We have been in touch with NGOs and others who have looked into the allegation; they have not found any evidence to support it.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what diplomatic steps he is taking to ensure that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is granted full and unimpeded access by the Indonesian Government to West Papua.
Answered by Mark Field
The British Government is following the situation in Papua with close interest. Officials press the Indonesian authorities to address legitimate human rights concerns, including upholding the right of all citizens to peacefully protest, and to support the sustainable and equitable development of the province through political dialogue. Officials have discussed the proposed visit by OHCHR officials with Indonesian officials and stated UK support for an OHCHR visit to Papua.
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, which properties on his Department's assets register were worth over £5 million at 31 March 2018.
Answered by Alan Duncan
There are 86 properties valued in existing use with a net book value over £5 million as at 31 March 2018 in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Asset Register, as follows:
Location | Properties |
Abu Dhabi | 1 |
Abuja | 1 |
Accra | 2 |
Addis Ababa | 1 |
Algiers | 1 |
Amman | 1 |
Athens | 1 |
Bahrain | 1 |
Belgrade | 2 |
Berlin | 1 |
Berne | 1 |
Bridgetown | 1 |
Brussels | 1 |
Buenos Aires | 2 |
Cairo | 1 |
Caracas | 1 |
Colombo | 1 |
Dublin | 2 |
Geneva | 2 |
Harare | 2 |
Helsinki | 1 |
Hong Kong | 2 |
Istanbul | 1 |
Jakarta | 1 |
Kampala | 2 |
Khartoum | 2 |
Kinshasa | 2 |
Kuala Lumpur | 1 |
Kuwait | 1 |
Lagos | 1 |
Lilongwe | 1 |
Luxembourg | 1 |
Manila | 1 |
Mogadishu | 1 |
Moscow | 2 |
Mumbai | 1 |
Nairobi | 1 |
New Delhi | 2 |
New York | 3 |
Oslo | 1 |
Ottawa | 1 |
Paris | 4 |
Rabat | 1 |
Rangoon | 1 |
Rome | 2 |
San Francisco | 1 |
Santiago | 1 |
Seoul | 1 |
Singapore | 4 |
Stockholm | 2 |
Tbilisi | 1 |
Tel Aviv | 1 |
The Hague | 1 |
Tokyo | 2 |
United Kingdom | 3 |
Vienna | 2 |
Warsaw | 1 |
Washington | 3 |
Total | 86 |
Asked by: Helen Goodman (Labour - Bishop Auckland)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the (a) budget and (b) costs have been for his Department's offices on King Charles Street, London in 2019.
Answered by Alan Duncan
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) pays business rates on the King Charles Street building, calculated on a financial year basis. In the current financial year (1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019) the total cost of rates payable is £4,304,070. On a pro rata basis, the rates cost so far for 2019 (1 January to 5 February) is £424,511. The FCO has not yet been informed of its business rates liability for the financial year beginning 1 April 2019. The FCO does not pay rent on the King Charles Street building, which it owns outright.
The total expected utilities costs for the King Charles Street building for the current financial year (including actual spend to the end of December 2018, and forecast spend for January, February and March 2019) is £1,752,611. These costs are broken down into the following:
Description | Total (£) |
Whitehall District Heating | 676,607 |
Electricity Non-Residential | 954,999 |
Gas Non-Residential | 42,001 |
Water Non-Residential | 79,004 |