Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will have discussions with her counterpart in Pakistan about the abduction of Women in Balochistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains deeply concerned by reports of human rights abuses in Pakistan, including in Balochistan. Advocating for civil and political rights is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement with Pakistan. To that end, I raised human rights issues on several occasions with Pakistan's Interior and Human Rights Ministers and Deputy Prime Minister last year. Our High Commission in Islamabad also regularly engages on these issues with the Government of Pakistan at the highest levels, as well as supporting a variety of UK-funded programmes promoting human rights in Pakistan. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in Pakistan in accordance with its constitution and international standards.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is monitoring far right activity by British citizens in France.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office does not have any specific remit in that regard.
The UK government cooperates on a regular basis with our close ally and partner France on a range of security issues.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made recent representations to her Pakistani counterparts on reports of escalating human rights violations in Balochistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
I refer the Rt Hon. Member to the answer given on 2 June to Question 51410.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the (a) vetting and (b) due diligence carried out for employees of the British Embassy in Tel Aviv includes assessments of whether they (i) reside in illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and (ii) have (A) membership of and (B) ties to Israeli settler organisations; and what her Department's policy is on the employment of people in sensitive roles with conflicts of interest.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has been the longstanding policy under successive governments not to comment on personnel and security matters in relation to individual members of staff.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what her Department's policy is on the employment of staff at (a) the British Embassy in Tel Aviv and (b) other government missions that reside in illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian Territory.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has been the longstanding policy under successive governments not to comment on personnel and security matters in relation to individual members of staff.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will conduct an urgent inquiry into the continued employment of Gila Ben-Yakov Phillips at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv; and if she will publish the findings of the inquiry.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has been the longstanding policy under successive governments not to comment on personnel and security matters in relation to individual members of staff.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will publish the (a) due diligence and (b) vetting reports produced for the appointment of members of staff at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has been the longstanding policy under successive governments not to comment on personnel and security matters in relation to individual members of staff.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will undertake a review of the (a) due diligence, (b) selection and (c) security protocols for staff at the British Embassy in Tel Aviv; and if she will make it her policy to publish the findings of the review.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It has been the longstanding policy under successive governments not to comment on personnel and security matters in relation to individual members of staff.
Asked by: John McDonnell (Labour - Hayes and Harlington)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 55524 on Gaza: Genocide, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of this policy on Government decision making.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Our policy remains as set out in the answer to which the Right Hon Gentleman refers.