Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with international partners on the violent crackdown on protestors in Nepal.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office has consistently expressed the UK Government's support for democracy and fundamental freedoms in Nepal. In response to the violence and restrictions on peaceful protest that occurred in September, the UK joined international partners (Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Switzerland, and the United States of America) in issuing a statement on 8 September, reaffirming our strong support for the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression and urging all parties to exercise restraint. Our Ambassador in Kathmandu has also reiterated the UK's commitment to democratic principles, the rule of law, and the protection of free speech and peaceful assembly.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions she has had with her Pakistani counterparts on the ongoing bonded labour of religious minorities in brick kilns.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government recognises that serious exploitation persists in Pakistan, including bonded labour in sectors such as the brick kiln industry, where religious minorities are disproportionately affected. We regularly raise human rights concerns with the Government of Pakistan, including the rights and safety of minority communities. I have consistently engaged on these issues, most recently with Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister in August. Through UK-funded programmes such as Aawaz II, we have supported awareness campaigns, improved access to justice, and strengthened child protection systems to help tackle exploitative practices. We will continue to press for effective enforcement of Pakistan's laws prohibiting bonded labour and to advocate for the protection of vulnerable groups.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterpart in China on ensuring that opposition candidates are not (a) unfairly imprisoned and (b) at risk of violence.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government stands firm on human rights in China, and we continue to raise our concerns at the highest levels. We continue to coordinate efforts with our international partners to hold China to account for human rights violations and will continue to call on China to uphold its commitments under international law.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 reports concerning ongoing forced organ harvesting of the Falun Gong in China; and what steps the Government is taking to ensure the cessation of unethical transplant practices.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given in the House of Lords to question HL8230 on 20 June, which has been reproduced below for ease of reference:
The environment for freedom of religion or belief in China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. This Government stands firm on human rights, and we raise our concerns at the highest levels. The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang, Vice Premier He and Vice Premier Ding respectively).
This Government champions freedom of religion or belief for all abroad. We work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora. We continue to closely monitor the situation for Falun Gong practitioners and maintain a dialogue with NGOs and international partners on the issue.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 potential implications of her policies of the designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern by the US.
Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government does not comment on our partners' decisions on individual designations.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of levels of humanitarian support to Syria over the last 5 years.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since 2011, Syria has seen one of the worst and most protracted humanitarian crises in the world. The annual UN humanitarian appeals have been consistently underfunded and the trend has worsened in recent years, with just 36.6 per cent of the appeal met in 2024. The UK has consistently been one of the biggest contributors to those appeals, but it is clear that humanitarian support overall has not been adequate to address the scale of the crisis.