Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the political situation in Georgia on (a) UK-Georgia bilateral relations and (b) UK support for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic integration.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I am seriously concerned by the recent sentences imposed on several prominent Georgian opposition figures including Mr Japaridze, Mr Khazaradze and Mr Vashadze. These were blatantly politically-motivated, and aimed at blocking political opposition from future elections. On 23 June I called on Georgian Dream to end its misuse of the courts to silence dissent, and free all political prisoners. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) summoned the Georgian Chargé d'Affaires on 30 June, to make clear the UK's firm opposition to Georgia's increasingly harmful trajectory. We continue to keep the worsening situation under close review, and on 1 July I spoke with a number of European partners to discuss our collective concerns.
I have consistently expressed my serious concerns about Georgia's deteriorating democratic trajectory, which has adversely affected UK-Georgia bilateral relations. Any assessment of the current situation must also take into account Mr Ivanishvili's and his affiliates' influence on Georgia's political landscape. The UK's support for the Georgian people's Euro-Atlantic aspirations remains steadfast, and we stand ready to assist in any return to a trajectory towards European values and democratic norms.
We do not comment on or speculate about future sanctions designations in any context, as to do so could reduce their effectiveness.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Georgian counterpart on (a) human rights and (b) the independence of the media in Georgia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 15 May I raised my wide-ranging concerns about recent repressive legislation on civil society, media, and the opposition; restrictions on freedom of assembly and arbitrary arrests; and growing anti-Western rhetoric with high-level representatives of Georgian Dream. On 18 June I discussed my concerns about Georgian Dream's repressive legislation to restrict civil society, media, and opposition voices with Georgian 5th President Zourabichvili, and expressed my support for her work supporting democracy in Georgia. A free and fair media are crucial to any modern European state. On 26 June our Ambassador to Georgia raised concerns about attacks on civil society, media and non-governmental organisations with Georgian Dream Foreign Minister Botchorishvili. Following the recent sentencing to terms of imprisonment of opposition leaders, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office summoned the Georgian Chargé d'Affaires on 30 June, to make clear the UK's firm opposition to Georgia's increasingly harmful trajectory. We continue to keep the worsening situation under close review, and on 1 July I spoke with a number of European partners to discuss our collective concerns.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to ensure the (a) fair treatment and (b) legal representation of British citizens detained abroad.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In cases where a British national is detained overseas, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) can provide information about the local legal system to help individuals understand what to expect and their rights, including any right to a state-appointed lawyer. Consular staff can also provide a list of local English-speaking lawyers. If fair trial concerns are raised, wherever possible, FCDO consular staff will discuss with the individual and their legal representative and agree appropriate action. This can include raising concerns with local authorities. Consular support in arrest and detention cases is set out online: [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/arrested-or-detained-abroad]
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many consultants were employed by UK missions to the EU to manage (a) trade and (b) regulatory issues in the financial year (i) 2022–23 and (ii) 2023–24; what the cost of those consultants was; and how how many permanent civil servants were employed for the same reason.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Mission to the EU has approximately 67 Full Time Equivalent staff working on economic diplomacy: these are primarily related to managing regulatory issues and promoting trade. Resources of other missions supporting the devolved administrations are the responsibility of the relevant devolved administration. Spend on consultants is the responsibility of individual missions. This information is not centrally held.
Asked by: James MacCleary (Liberal Democrat - Lewes)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the reported killings of religious minorities in Nigeria; and what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help ensure freedom of religion and belief in that country.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The UK champions Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all in Nigeria and beyond. No one should live in fear because of what they do, or do not believe in. We work to uphold the right to FoRB through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora and we regularly raise FoRB bilaterally with the Nigerian Government. The UK Government is committed to supporting Nigeria to address ongoing security challenges, including violent extremism and intercommunal violence, which continue to impinge on the rights of Nigerians to FoRB. This includes financial support to programmes which strengthen mechanisms to resolve conflict and build resilience in affected communities. Through our UK-Nigeria Security and Defence Partnership, we also engage with Nigerian security actors to address these complex issues.