Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will meet UK victims of IRA/Libyan-sponsored violence; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The Government is not able to negotiate with the Libyan Government on individual compensation claims as these are not government claims. Individual compensation claims against Libya are best pursued directly with the Libyan Government. The Government has raised legacy issues arising from the actions of the Qadhafi regime repeatedly and at the highest levels with the Libyan authorities. Following a breakdown of the political and security situation in Libya, we withdrew our staff from our Embassy in Tripoli in August 2014. There is currently no central authority to deal with on this issue. We will engage a Government of National Accord (GNA), once established, on the issue of compensation. The British Government’s objective is broad and lasting reconciliation between Libya and UK communities affected by the Qadhafi regime’s sponsorship of terrorism. The Government has provided facilitation support to victims, their families, legal representatives and campaign groups, where it has been requested and appropriate. We will again encourage the Libyans to engage with UK victims seeking redress, including those seeking compensation and their legal representatives, once stability returns.
Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to assist persecuted Christians around the world; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Lidington
The promotion and protection of the right to freedom of religion or belief is one of the UK’s human rights priorities. We regularly raise individual cases and work to combat discriminatory legislation and practices through multilateral systems and targeted project work. In the last month Ministers have made public statements expressing grave concern about persecution of individuals on grounds of their religion or belief in Syria, Pakistan and Iraq.
As an example, in the recent high profile case of Meriam Ibrahim who was forced to leave Sudan because she refused to renounce Christianity, My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister, My Rt Hon Friend Justine Greening, Secretary of State for International Development and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, My Hon Friend, the Member for Rochford and Southend East (Mr Duddridge) The Minister for Africa, all publicly condemned her sentencing, and called on the Government of Sudan to respect the right to freedom of religion or belief and international human rights laws. However, Meriam Ibrahim's case is not an isolated occurrence. This is why we are calling on the Sudanese government to undertake a comprehensive review of its penal code to ensure its laws reflect both its own constitution and international human rights obligations and the values of the Sudanese people.
We are active in our project work in a wide range of countries. In Iraq, we are currently funding a series of grassroots meetings, bringing together people from different faiths to combat sectarian violence. The work is being led by Canon Andrew White, who has played a key role in forming the High Council of Religious Leaders in Iraq. In Syria, we are funding the training of religious and community leaders from the Sunni, Alawite, Christian, Druze, Armenian and Kurdish communities in active citizenship and dialogue skills in order to help reduce community tensions. We continue to fund training for Syrian activists to document abuses to a criminal law standard with the aim that this documentation could be used in a future process of accountability.
Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking with his international counterparts to stop the war in Syria; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The UK has been very active over the years of the Syria conflict, and it remains a top priority. The rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) threatens the UK, and the whole region.
With our international partners, we have focused on support for those pushing for an inclusive political settlement. This has led to our political and non-lethal assistance to moderate opposition groups. We have committed £30 million this financial year for helping the moderate opposition and bolstering regional resilience. We have given strong backing for UN efforts in the political track.
The UK has also focussed on holding Assad to account for his war crimes, which have included routine, indiscriminate bombardment of civilian areas, the use of chemical weapons, and the use of siege and surrender tactics. The UK is also the second largest bilateral humanitarian aid donor, and has been at the forefront of efforts in the UN Security Council to ensure aid gets to all those who need it.
The UK recently committed to tackling the threat from extremists, including ISIL. This needs a coordinated strategy in Syria and Iraq, and close coordination with the US and other partners.
Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much of Syria's chemical weapons arsenal (a) is intact and (b) has been destroyed to date; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
As of 29 August, all of Syria’s declared chemical stockpile of 1,309.8 metric tonnes had been removed from Syria and thus put beyond use of the regime. 95.8%, or 1,254.8 metric tonnes had been destroyed either by incineration or neutralisation, including all of the Category 1 chemicals (those deemed most proliferation sensitive by the OPCW, plus isopropanol).
The destruction of some of the category 1 chemicals in the UK was completed on 5 August, three weeks after the arrival of the chemicals in the UK. A smaller quantity of Hydrogen Fluoride (a category 2 chemical) will be destroyed in the UK at the turn of the year. Other chemicals are being destroyed in Germany, Finland and the United States.
Syria was required to declare and destroy all stocks of chemical weapons and their precursors, and the facilities and equipment with which they were manufactured. The international community cannot have confidence that Syria’s declarations were complete while credible reports of the use of chemical weapons, such as chlorine, continue, and until all outstanding questions surrounding the declarations have been resolved. The OPCW continues to seek answers to a number of questions.
Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
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 sources of rockets supplied to Hamas operating in Gaza; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
Our assessment is that rockets are brought to Gaza from several sources, including the tunnels which run into the territory.
Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many Russian diplomats are serving with so-called diplomatic immunity in the Russian Embassy in London; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by James Duddridge
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has records of 143 diplomats posted to the Embassy of the Russian Federation in London. In accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961, the Government grants immunity to diplomats posted to the Embassy of the Russian Federation according to their status.Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
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 sources of supply to Islamic State militants of their weapons and training; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We remain deeply concerned about the ability of terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria to acquire weapons and commit atrocities.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has obtained its weaponry from a variety of sources, including by capturing them from Iraqi and Syrian security forces. Many of ISIL's supply needs are financed by its sale of oil and by money stolen during its advances in recent months.
We have emphasised the need to intensify efforts to stem the flow of weapons and fighters to extremist groups, including ISIL. Hundreds of foreigners are fighting with ISIL, gaining combat experience and potentially forging connections with other extremists. As part of its strategy to combat ISIL, the UK led work on UN Security Council Resolution 2170, adopted on 15 August, which condemns ISIL, Al Nusra Front (ANF) and other terrorist groups listed under Al Qaida sanctions. The resolution urges members to take measures to choke off recruitment and to target the growing phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters and ISIL's sources of finance.
Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to secure the stockpiles of weaponry in Libya which are left over from the 2011 revolution, including surface-to-air rocket launchers; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
The vast unsecured stockpiles of Qadhafi-era weapons and ammunition are a threat to the political transition in Libya, endangering its stability and security, as well as that of the region.
The British Government has been working closely with international partners, including the UN, to help the Libyan authorities secure and dismantle the weapons stockpiles. We have committed £9 million of our £62.5 million Security, Justice and Defence Programme, plus a further £1 million contribution to the UN Mine Action Service Trust Fund, to fund projects in this area. We have also funded a Senior Disarmament Advisor to work with the Libyan Ministry of Defence on disarmament issues. However, following our Embassy’s withdrawal from Tripoli on 5 August, this work has been temporarily suspended. We hope to be able to return to Libya at the earliest opportunity to continue this important work.
Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
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 sources of supply to Islamic State (IS) militants of their weapons and training; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We remain deeply concerned about the ability of terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria to acquire weapons and commit atrocities.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has obtained its weaponry from a variety of sources, including by capturing them from Iraqi and Syrian security forces, and others. Many of ISIL's supply needs are financed by its sale of oil and by money stolen during its advances in recent months.
We have emphasised the need to intensify efforts to stem the flow of weapons and fighters to extremist groups, including ISIL. Hundreds of foreigners are fighting with ISIL, gaining combat experience and potentially forging connections with other extremists. Since ISIL is a successor to Al Qaida in Iraq, it also has many members with experience of fighting Coalition forces in Iraq after 2003. As part of its strategy to combat ISIL, the UK led work on UN Security Council Resolution 2170, adopted on 15 August, which condemns ISIL, Al-Nusra Front (ANF) and other terrorist groups listed under AQ sanctions. The resolution urges members to take measures to choke off recruitment and to target the growing phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters and ISIL's sources of finance.
Asked by: Lady Hermon (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether chemical weapons have been used by the Syrian government since August 2013; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
There is credible evidence of repeated chemical weapon attacks perpetrated by the Syrian regime since August 2013. The UK was among the first countries to call for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to investigate these allegations. The OPCW Fact Finding Mission was subsequently established in April 2014 and its work is ongoing. Despite the difficulty of investigating these allegations in a conflict environment, the Mission’s May 2014 interim report stated that the available information “lends credence to the view that toxic chemicals, most likely pulmonary irritating agents such as chlorine, have been used in a systematic manner in a number of attacks”.
The August 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry report further stated that “Reasonable grounds exist to believe that chemical agents, likely chlorine, were used...[and that]... those agents were dropped in barrel bombs from government helicopters flying overhead”. Any use of chemical agents in warfare contravenes the Chemical Weapon Convention, to which Syria acceded in September 2013. We will press for all those who use chemical weapons to be held to account for these war crimes.