Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on the security of the UK of the US suspension of its obligations under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.
Answered by Alan Duncan
We support the US decision to suspend its participation in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and start the treaty’s formal withdrawal process. A situation where the US was respecting the INF Treaty and Russia was not, was not sustainable.
Through the development and deployment of its SSC-8 cruise missile system, Russia has put European security at risk. We are working closely with all NATO Allies to review the security implications of Russian intermediate-range missiles and will continue to take the necessary steps to ensure the credibility and effectiveness of the Alliance’s overall deterrence and defence posture. This was reaffirmed by NATO Allies on 2 February.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Government of Myanmar on human rights abuses against the Rohingya since his appointment.
Answered by Mark Field
In his meeting with Burma's State Counsellor (and Foreign Minister) Aung San Suu Kyi on 20 September, the Foreign Secretary made clear that holding to account those responsible for atrocities was of critical importance. He underlined that giving refugees hope of a safe return and future in Rakhine depending on accountability for human rights violations. He expressed his grave concerns about Burma's refusal to grant access to the UN Fact Finding Mission.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
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 promote and support human rights internationally.
Answered by Mark Field
Promoting and defending human rights is an essential aim of the foreign policy of "Global Britain". The Foreign Office's 2017 "Human Rights & Democracy" report demonstrates the breadth of the issues that we campaign on and how we mobilise the diplomatic network to champion universal rights.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office ministers and officials defend and promote human rights in bilateral engagements, in multilateral fora, and by funding projects through the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to help resolve the conflict in Yemen.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK continues to play a leading role in efforts to promote peace. We remain in close contact with Government of Yemen, the Coalition, the UN, the United States and other main Yemeni parties. We seek to secure regional and international consensus in support of the UN-led peace process, both bilaterally and in multilateral fora.
Asked by: Hugh Gaffney (Labour - Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill)
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 international counterparts on future prospects for the peace process in Israel and Palestine.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We frequently discuss the urgent need for a resolution to the Israeli Palestinian conflict with a range of international partners most recently on 26 June. I discussed prospects for peace with Kuwait’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Khaled Suleiman Al-Jarallah. The Government also has regular exchanges with European ministers on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at the monthly EU Foreign Affairs Council meetings in Brussels.