Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the contribution of 13 May 2014, Official Report, column 203WH, what steps he is taking to support human rights in Burundi.
Answered by Mark Simmonds
We monitor human rights in Burundi closely. When I visited Burundi in April, I lobbied President Nkurunziza about the importance of respecting human and democratic rights. On 29th May I tweeted our concern about the detention of Pierre Claver Mbonimpa, Burundi's most active human rights defender. My officials are following this case closely. In recent years, my officials at the High Commission in Kigali have funded human rights protection projects in Burundi and specifically, the Burundian Independent Commission of Human Rights. In 2013, officials attended and contributed to Burundi's Universal Periodic Review of its human rights progress.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the contribution of the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of 13 May 2014, Official Report, column 201WH, on political and human rights (African Great Lakes), what steps the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights team is taking to encourage companies to participate in voluntary principles concerning supply chains of minerals from conflict-affected areas.
Answered by Mark Simmonds
During the debate on 13 May I said that we were encouraging companies and countries to join the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. In the last two years, I have met a range of UK companies to discuss the Voluntary Principles. Three of those companies have joined or have applied to join the initiative. Officials, often working with other member governments of the Voluntary Principles, participate in in-country workshops, projects and other activity to support and encourage the participation of new governments in the initiative. On 11 June I met the Justice Minister of Mozambique to discuss the Voluntary Principles, and in April the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary raised the Voluntary Principles with President Kikwete of Tanzania.
In terms of responsible sourcing of minerals, officials participate in discussions with UK industry, and more broadly with international partners and non-governmental organisations to support responsible sourcing. The focus of these discussions is the OECD due diligence guidance I referred to on 13 May. DfID have provided financial support through the $90m World Bank- DFID ProMines project towards the implementation of the ICGLR Regional Certification Mechanism, a publicly-available map of armed groups on mining sites through the International Peace Information Service as well as traceability schemes such as the ITRI tin supply chain initiative.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Saudi Arabia concerning reports of the confinement of Saudi Arabian princesses in Jeddah.
Answered by Hugh Robertson
The UK has longstanding concerns about the restrictions on women's rights in Saudi Arabia. These concerns are clearly set out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Annual Human Rights Report, most recently updated in April 2014. Ministers and officials often raise women's rights, including the guardianship system, with their Saudi Arabian counterparts, including at the UN and through EU representatives.Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with HM Ambassador to Saudi Arabia about reports of the confinement of Saudi Arabian princesses in Jeddah.
Answered by Hugh Robertson
The UK has longstanding concerns about the restrictions on women's rights in Saudi Arabia. These concerns are clearly set out in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Annual Human Rights Report, most recently updated in April 2014. Ministers and officials often raise women's rights, including the guardianship system, with their Saudi Arabian counterparts, including at the UN and through EU representatives.Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the current whereabouts of the children recently kidnapped from Chibok, Nigeria.
Answered by Mark Simmonds
Since the abduction of the Nigerian school girls on 14 April we have remained in close contact with the Nigerian authorities about the case. Although the whereabouts of the girls remains unclear, reports in the media and from girls who escaped suggest they are being held in the Sambisa Forest area of Borno State. Media reports also suggest the girls may have been taken into Cameroon and Chad. We continue to try and establish the facts in this case.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
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 Nigerian counterpart on the recent kidnapping of schoolgirls from Chibok, Nigeria.
Answered by Mark Simmonds
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) spoke to the Nigerian Foreign Minister on 18 April when he condemned the abductions and offered UK assistance in securing the release of the schoolgirls.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what requests for assistance the Government has received in connection with the recent kidnappings from Chibok, Nigeria.
Answered by Mark Simmonds
Since the abduction of the Nigerian school girls on 14 April, our High Commission in Abuja has remained in close contact with the Nigerian authorities. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) offered our assistance when he spoke to the Nigerian Foreign Minister on 18 April. So far we have not received a formal request for assistance from the Nigerian Government.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK Government Ministers have visited Lesotho since 2010.
Answered by Mark Simmonds
I visited Lesotho in March 2013 as part of a larger tour of the Southern African region. My visit to Lesotho was the first bilateral Ministerial visit to the Kingdom since 2002. I was delighted that the Prime Minister of Lesotho was able to visit the UK between 4-9 April, further strengthening bilateral relations and the ongoing links between our two countries. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) and I both enjoyed meeting the Prime Minister of Lesotho during his visit to the UK.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports he has received on the safety of the Armenian community in Kessab.
Answered by Hugh Robertson
We remain deeply concerned about the safety of Armenians and members of all other minority groups in Syria. We believe that the majority of Kessab's inhabitants, including most of the ethnic Armenian population, left the town because of fighting in the area. Our understanding is that they have mainly joined other Armenian communities in Syria and neighbouring countries. They join the more than 9 million Syrians of all faiths and ethnicities who have been driven from their homes by the ongoing conflict.
Asked by: Ian C. Lucas (Labour - Wrexham)
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 composition of the different groups which comprise the combatants in Kessab.
Answered by Hugh Robertson
We understand that a wide range of groups have been involved in the fighting, including Ansar al-Sham, and Sham al-Islam, as well as the al Qaeda linked al-Nusra Front.