Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what conversations he has had with his (a) Australian and (b) Canadian counterparts on the merger the of the Department for International Development with his Department.
Answered by James Duddridge
We will learn from the examples of Australia and Canada, who run generous and respected development programmes from their foreign ministries. There are lessons we can draw from the experiences of other countries, but ultimately we will do this in a way that works best for the UK.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he plans to take to (a) maintain the current level of parliamentary and independent scrutiny of the aid budget and (b) ensure departmental accountability to UK taxpayers after the merger of his Department and the Department for International Development.
Answered by James Duddridge
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will be accountable to Parliament and to taxpayers for how it spends UK aid. The form this takes is a matter for Parliament. We remain committed to full transparency in our aid spending and there will continue to be parliamentary and independent scrutiny of the aid budget.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Independent Commission for Aid Impact, International Development Committee and the National Audit Office will continue to play a role in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Answered by James Duddridge
The National Audit Office, the UK's independent public spending watchdog, supports Parliament in holding Government to account and helping to improve public services through independent audits. The Comptroller and Auditor General certifies the accounts of all government departments and has statutory authority to examine whether departments have used their resources efficiently, effectively and with economy. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) will be accountable to parliament for how it spends UK aid. The form this takes is a matter for Parliament. We remain committed to full transparency in our aid spending and there will continue to be parliamentary and independent scrutiny of the aid budget.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Turkish counterpart on the upcoming trial of Amnesty International Turkey’s (a) honorary Chair Taner Kiliç and (b) former Director Idil Eser and their nine co-defendant human rights defenders.
Answered by Wendy Morton
We remain concerned by the Amnesty arrests in the summer of 2017 of eleven human rights defenders, including Amnesty Turkey's former director, Idil Eser, and former chair, Taner Kiliç. We have followed the cases closely, including attendance at court hearings. We have raised their cases at Ministerial level with the Turkish Government on several occasions, as well as raising them in January this year through the UN's Universal Periodic Review of Turkey. We hope that the outstanding charges against them can be brought to a timely and equitable conclusion. We will be monitoring the next hearing in early July.
The United Kingdom recognises that human rights defenders play an essential role in promoting and protecting democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law. We regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Turkish authorities at the highest level, particularly around detentions, freedom of expression and association. We continue to urge the authorities to ensure that all detainees are treated in accordance with relevant international human rights standards, such as access to legal representation and medical care We will continue to engage the Turkish Government on these important issues. We are clear in our expectation that Turkey, like all countries, should live up to its human rights obligations towards all its citizens.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations has he made to his Turkish counterpart Turkey on (a) that country's treatment of human rights defenders and (b) the condition of detention facilities in which they are kept in that country.
Answered by Wendy Morton
We remain concerned by the Amnesty arrests in the summer of 2017 of eleven human rights defenders, including Amnesty Turkey's former director, Idil Eser, and former chair, Taner Kiliç. We have followed the cases closely, including attendance at court hearings. We have raised their cases at Ministerial level with the Turkish Government on several occasions, as well as raising them in January this year through the UN's Universal Periodic Review of Turkey. We hope that the outstanding charges against them can be brought to a timely and equitable conclusion. We will be monitoring the next hearing in early July.
The United Kingdom recognises that human rights defenders play an essential role in promoting and protecting democracy, respect for human rights, and the rule of law. We regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Turkish authorities at the highest level, particularly around detentions, freedom of expression and association. We continue to urge the authorities to ensure that all detainees are treated in accordance with relevant international human rights standards, such as access to legal representation and medical care We will continue to engage the Turkish Government on these important issues. We are clear in our expectation that Turkey, like all countries, should live up to its human rights obligations towards all its citizens.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the report published by Amnesty International entitled We dried our tears: addressing the toll on children of Northeast Nigeria's conflict, if he will make it his policy that continued support by the Government for Operation Safe Corridor is conditional on the Nigerian authorities (a) undertaking a full investigation into deaths in the military-run detention centre and (b) taking steps to ensure that the military respects children's rights.
Answered by James Duddridge
We are concerned by allegations of human rights abuses in Amnesty International's recent report, We Dried Our Tears. The British High Commissioner has raised the report's findings with the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, calling for a full investigation into the allegations and prosecution of any individuals found to have committed abuses in military detention facilities. The UK Government does not provide any support to the military detention facilities mentioned or provide funding directly to the Government of Nigeria.
We are also concerned by criticisms in the report of Operation Safe Corridor. The programme is run by the Federal Government of Nigeria and is intended to provide defectors from Boko Haram with a voluntary way to disarm and reintegrate with society through de-radicalisation, psychosocial support and livelihood training. By providing a way to disengage from conflict, these programmes are an essential part of peacebuilding but they must fit for purpose and conducted in a way that fully respects human rights.
The UK, alongside the US and EU, provides funding to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to assist in the reintegration element of the Operation Safe Corridor. All UK Government programme spend is subject to regular monitoring and review. We are urgently following up points raised in the report with IOM, in particular in relation to the process for screening participants, the conditions in which they are detained and the timeline for rehabilitation. IOM have assured us that no children are currently enrolled. The UK's position on human rights is clear: they are universal and must apply equally to all people. The UK will continue to call on all parties to the conflict in North East Nigeria to respect human rights, including the rights of children, and abide by international humanitarian and human rights law.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the document UK Support for Human Rights Defenders, published in July 2019, what additional support his Department plans to provide to women in Saudi Arabia who campaigned for the right to drive but remain on trial.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We remain concerned about the continued detention of women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Secretary raised our concerns about the ongoing detention of political detainees, including women's rights defenders with Saudi Ministers during his visit this year to Riyadh on 4 and 5 March. We regularly raise areas of concern with the Saudi authorities at all levels, through Ministers, our Ambassador and the Embassy in Riyadh. We continue to raise concerns about individual cases regularly and monitor the situation closely.
We welcome recent positive developments, including the end on the ban on women driving and guardianship reforms. Women's rights still fall short of international standards, and we will continue to raise the issue with Saudi Arabia.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the report published by Amnesty International entitled We dried our tears: addressing the toll on children of Northeast Nigeria's conflict, what steps he is taking to ensure that Government support does not contribute to abuses taking place in that region as a result of conflict.
Answered by James Duddridge
We are concerned by the reports of abuse and of children being held in military detention facilities, detailed within Amnesty International's Report, 'We Dried Our Tears'. The UK position is clear: children are victims of the conflict in North East Nigeria, not perpetrators and must not be treated as perpetrators.
The British High Commissioner has raised the report's findings with the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs and has called for a full investigation into the allegations and prosecution of any individuals found to have committed abuses. The UK will continue to call on the Nigerian security forces to respect human rights, including the rights of children and abide by international humanitarian and human rights law. It is essential that victims can have trust in, and are protected by, their security forces.
All UK Government programme spend in difficult, conflict environments is subject to regular monitoring and review. The UK Government does not provide any support to the military detention facilities mentioned in Amnesty's report.
We are concerned by the criticism of the demobilisation, de-radicalisation and reintegration programme 'Operation Safe Corridor' in Amnesty's report, and are urgently following up with the implementer, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). They have assured us that no children are currently enrolled in the Operation Safe Corridor programme. Operation Safe Corridor is funded by international donors including the UK, US and EU.
Through our humanitarian and development assistance in Nigeria, we are supporting children affected by the conflict in the North East, including those previously detained by the Nigerian authorities. This includes support to programmes which ensure children's essential material needs are met. We will continue to urge all parties to prioritise mitigating the effect of conflict on civilians, particularly the most vulnerable including children.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Iranian Government on the release from prison of (a) Soheil Arabi, (b) Sina Dehgan and (c) Mohammed Nourie, as a result of the risk of contracting covid-19 in those prisons.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We routinely discuss with Iran our concerns relating to the risks posed by COVID-19 in Iran and have provided funding to the UN to help combat the rapid spread of the disease. On 9 May President Rouhani acknowledged that there were known cases of COVID-19 in Iranian prisons. We are urgently seeking further information from the Iranian authorities on these reports and have consistently raised this with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We continue to express our concerns to the Government of Iran at the ongoing incarceration of prisoners of conscience and religion, and encourage Iran to live up to its international human rights obligations towards all its citizens.
Asked by: Lisa Cameron (Conservative - East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department responded to the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief’s call for evidence for his report to the United Nations General Assembly on the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 16.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is presently coordinating the UK's response to the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Religion or Belief's report on eliminating intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 16, taking into account contributions from other Government Departments. We aim to submit our response by the UN's deadline of 6 June.