Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to assist BBC Media Action staff in Afghanistan.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We continue to work, including with international partners, to relocate British nationals and eligible Afghans through third countries. We also provide as much information as we can through our Travel Advice. We have supported over 3,700 individuals to leave Afghanistan since the end of Operation PITTING. This includes BBC Media Action staff. Safe passage continues to be a priority in our engagement on Afghanistan, including with Taliban representatives.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what level of surcharge has been applied under the Northern Ireland Protocol to Christmas cards sent from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Chris Heaton-Harris - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
Full implementation of the Protocol would introduce burdensome customs requirements on post and parcels sent from GB to NI, including those that are 'business to consumer' and 'consumer to consumer'. A grace period for these requirements is currently in place.
Nonetheless, we have seen disruption to supplies of post and parcels into NI. This includes the introduction of surcharges for GB to NI deliveries and price differentiation, while over 200 businesses have stopped delivery into NI.
We are also aware of incidents where deliveries into NI have incorrectly been subject to customs formalities. Following detailed checks, we are unaware of any examples where Christmas cards ended up being subjected to a fee or surcharge.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many staff who formerly worked as contractors for the British Council in Afghanistan will no longer be eligible for resettlement in the UK under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme as a result of the recently announced changes to the eligibility rules.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
In August 2021 the Government evacuated British Council employees and agreed to resettle more than 50 British Council contractors. Many have already arrived in the UK with their families, and the Government continues to assist those eligible to come to the UK to do so. The Government will continue to honour its commitment to consider further British Council contractors for resettlement. As Victoria Atkins MP announced to the House on 6 January, they will be considered for resettlement under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the impact of the recent change to the eligibility rules for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy scheme on Afghan staff still living in the country who were contractors working for the British Council.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
In August 2021 the Government evacuated British Council employees and agreed to resettle more than 50 British Council contractors. Many have already arrived in the UK with their families, and the Government continues to assist those eligible to come to the UK to do so. The Government will continue to honour its commitment to consider further British Council contractors for resettlement. As Victoria Atkins MP announced to the House on 6 January, they will be considered for resettlement under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS).
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the human rights situation of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Pakistan.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK Government is monitoring the issue of discrimination and violence against the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and religious minorities in Pakistan closely. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia and the Minister responsible for Human Rights, has spoken out publicly to strongly condemn targeted killings of Ahmadi Muslims in Pakistan, including the murder of Kamran Ahmad in Peshawar on 9 November. Lord Ahmad discussed the need to promote respect for all religions when he met the Governor of Punjab, Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, on 28 November. During his visit to Pakistan on 22 and 23 June, Lord Ahmad raised the treatment of minorities, including Ahmadi Muslims, with Prime Minister Imran Khan, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and Federal Minister of Human Rights Shireen Mazari. He also raised the use of cybercrime laws against members of the Ahmadi community with Advisor to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior, Shahzad Akbar. In addition to his meetings with the Government of Pakistan, Lord Ahmad met with representatives of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community and took part in an interfaith roundtable to better understand the concerns of Pakistan's minorities. Pakistan is one of the FCDO's human rights priority countries and Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is an integral part of our engagement on human rights. In July 2022 the UK will host an international Ministerial Conference to Advance FoRB in London.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if the Government will recognise the National Unity Government of Myanmar.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK has a longstanding policy and practice, held by successive Governments, of according recognition to states, not governments. Nevertheless, the UK is clear in our condemnation of the coup and stand in solidarity with those calling for a return to democracy, including the National Unity Government of Myanmar (NUG) who have a strong democratic mandate from the November 2020 Election. The UK has supported representatives from the NUG to amplify their voice on the international stage. They have briefed the UN Security Council in informal "Arria" meetings on 9 April and 29 July. We are also clear that we the wider international community must engage with the NUG.
Both I and my predecessor have met with members of the National Unity Government, most recently meeting with Daw Zin Mar Aung on 4 November. Officials are engaging regularly with senior figures in the NUG.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking with the (a) Secretary of State for Defence and (b) Home Secretary to expedite the relocation of the 30 plus British Council contractors and their families who have previously been approved for relocation under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy but remain in Afghanistan.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Providing support to those individuals eligible for Her Majesty's Government support, including the remaining Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy approved British Council contractors, remains a top priority and we have focused our efforts on this, including putting in additional resources. We have created a new Joint Afghanistan Casework Unit, staffed by officials from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Home Office and Ministry of Defence, which is taking forward the UK's commitment to resettle individuals and those family members confirmed to be eligible. We will continue to work to take advantage of all opportunities to help those eligible to come to the UK to leave Afghanistan.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the status is of the around 175 British Council contractors who have applied to the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) but have so far received no answer; whether those contractors are eligible for ARAP; what the process is by which those contractors may be able to gain rapid approval under the category 4 case-by-case approvals system; how that approvals system will work; and when that approvals system will commence.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We stand by our commitment to help all Afghans who are eligible to come to the UK. The Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) offers resettlement for eligible Afghan staff who have assisted the UK Government, and their families, and others who have worked with the Government in exceptional circumstances. As the then Foreign Secretary confirmed to the House on 6 September, applications from British Council contractors will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations she has made to her Iranian counterpart on the imprisonment of the human rights defender Nasrin Sotoudeh in Iran.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK Government has repeatedly raised Nasrin Sotoudeh's ongoing detention with the Iranian authorities. On 25 September, the UK joined 46 other countries in calling for her release at the Human Rights Council. We have designated Iran as a Human Rights Priority Country, and press Iran to improve its poor human rights at every appropriate opportunity, including by taking action with the international community to press Iran to improve its poor human rights record. Human Rights Defenders worldwide must be able to carry out their work safely and without fear.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has made to the Government of Egypt on the continued detention of Abdolmoneim Aboulfotouh.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The Foreign Secretary raised human rights in her first meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Shoukry in New York on 20 September. I [Minister Cleverly] also raised human rights with Foreign Minister Shoukry and met human rights activists during my recent visit to Cairo. We welcome Egypt's new human rights strategy and our strong bilateral relationship with Egypt allows us to raise human rights concerns frankly when we have them. Our focus is to lobby on ending pre-trial detention and improving prison conditions in Egypt