Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his Indian counterpart on implementing the Indian Supreme Court's decision of 3 January 2024.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government recognises that Indian Supreme Court decisions are a matter for India. The UK supports appropriate market regulatory mechanisms as a standard of good governance.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the situation in Yemen.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is deeply concerned by the humanitarian situation in Yemen, which remains dire despite the truce-like conditions since April 2022. This de facto truce offers the most significant opportunity for peace in Yemen in years. We welcome the conclusion of the Saudi-Houthi talks and the formal launch of the UN-led Roadmap by the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, on 23 December 2023. This transition to an intra-Yemeni peace process under UN auspices has been reached following years of HMG's diplomatic support.
What the Houthis are doing in the Red Sea is unacceptable, illegal and threatening freedom of navigation. Their reckless actions are putting innocent lives at risk, reducing the flow of humanitarian aid to those who need it most in Yemen, threatening the global economy, and destabilising the region.
We are using every diplomatic lever at our disposal to pressure the Houthis to desist. It is in all our interests to work together to de-escalate tensions.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had recent discussions with his South Korean counterpart on relations with North Korea.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has a close relationship with the Republic of Korea (ROK), as demonstrated by the signing of the Downing Street Accord during the State Visit in November and our support for ROK's election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2024-25. This relationship includes regular discussions on shared interests, including in relation to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). The Foreign Secretary met the then ROK Foreign Minister, Park Jin during the State Visit.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the release from prison on bail of (a) Niloufar Hamedi and (b) Elaheh Mohammadi in Iran.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We welcome the release of Niloufar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi on bail, however it remains within Iran's power to commute their sentences. This case demonstrates the brutal reality of life in Iran for journalists. As a Media Freedom Coalition member, we continue to promote press freedom as a key pillar of human rights infrastructure, and call for the immediate release of all arbitrarily detained journalists.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what (a) information his Department holds on and (b) steps his Department is taking to help tackle the (i) abduction and (ii) forced conversion of Christian girls and women in Pakistan.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Protecting women's rights is central to the UK Government's human rights engagement in Pakistan. The UK funded Accountability, Inclusion and Modern Slavery programme works to address gender-based violence by raising awareness of early and forced marriages. Our online hate speech programme is helping to make digital spaces safer for women. The UK will continue to support civil society and NGOs in lobbying the Government of Pakistan to honour its international commitments on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) and women's rights.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of using the sanctions mechanisms provided for under UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In response to Iran's non-compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), the UK maintained sanctions on individuals and entities involved in Iran's nuclear programme, as well as trade restrictions including an arms embargo, that were due to lift in October 2023 under the JCPoA's terms. We are prepared to use all diplomatic options to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, including triggering the UN Security Council Resolution 2231 'snapback' mechanism, if necessary.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Saudi Arabia on the (a) adequacy of the trial and (b) use of the death penalty in the case of (i) Abdullah al-Derazi and (ii) Jalal Labbad in that country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to monitor the cases of the young men, including Abdullah al-Derazi and Jala Labbad, who allegedly committed their crimes as minors and are at risk of execution. The Minister for the Middle East and Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon has raised these cases with the Saudi authorities as a priority. During Saudi Arabia's Universal Periodic Review at the Human Rights Council on 22 January, the UK Government recommended that Saudi Arabia abolish the juvenile death penalty and conduct thorough investigations into individuals who may have been minors at the time of their alleged crimes.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with his international counterparts on tackling AI-generated misinformation reportedly targeted at disrupting the internal democratic processes of Taiwan.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It is for the Taiwanese people to decide their leader, free from interference. The elections that took place on 13 January are testament to Taiwan's vibrant democracy. The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, which we have restated alongside our G7 partners.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to ask the secretary of state for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development affairs, whether his Department has taken steps to support people affected by the fire of 7 January 2024 in a Rohingya refugee camp in southeastern Bangladesh.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We were saddened to hear about the fire on 7 January. We have been in close touch with the UN and other donors about the recent fires. UK funding has helped to train Rohingya volunteer fire fighters to combat incidents like this. The UK has raised with the Government of Bangladesh the potential benefits of permitting more durable shelter materials in the camps that could better withstand the impact of disasters, such as fires and cyclones.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his Iranian counterpart on the (a) displaced farmers and (b) seizure of farmland from Baha’is in that country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK condemns the continued persecution of religious minorities in Iran, and we are aware of recent reports of land expropriation discriminately targeting the Baha'i community. At the 78th UN General Assembly, we co-sponsored the Iran Human Rights Resolution, calling for Iran to eliminate, in law and in practice, all forms of discrimination on the basis of thought, conscience, religion or belief. We are committed to promoting religious freedom and will continue to work with partners to advocate for the rights of the Baha'i community in Iran.