Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, with reference to the death of Zakir Musa, what recent assessment he has made of the security situation in Kashmir.
Answered by Mark Field
We are aware of reports that last month Indian security forces killed Zakir Musa, the Chief of the Al Qaeda-affiliated Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH) group, during a counter-insurgency operation in Kashmir’s Pulwama district and that a number of protests followed. We continue to monitor the security situation in Kashmir and we keep our travel advice under review. We are concerned by levels of firing and shelling between Indian and Pakistani troops in Kashmir and urge both sides to exercise restraint and improve channels of communication. We welcome the exchanges between Prime Minister Khan and Prime Minister Modi following Prime Minister Modi’s re-election, and we encourage India and Pakistan to engage in dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions to maintain regional stability.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the presence of the Islamic State for West Africa Province in the north-east of Nigeria.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
We are deeply concerned by the increase in Islamic State West Africa (ISWA) activity in North Eastern Nigeria. Together with international partners, we are committed to supporting Nigeria and its neighbours in tackling threats to regional stability by ISWA and Boko Haram. Humanitarian operations have been placed under pressure and some suspended, cutting off urgently needed support for up to 120,000 people. We are working with international partners to support contingency planning to protect aid workers, providing strategic military advice and training, and continue to review options for additional UK assistance.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support his Department is providing to the Nigerian Government to help tackle the farmer-herder conflict in the middle belt of that country.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
We are concerned about growing levels of intercommunal violence between farming and herder communities in Nigeria, and regularly raise these concerns with the Nigerian Government at the highest levels. The Foreign Secretary met with Nigerian faith leaders, both Muslim and Christian during his recent visit to Nigeria, to discuss how the UK can support their work to promote interfaith relationships and long-term peace. Our High Commission in Abuja is engaging closely with international partners, the Nigerian Government, faith and community leaders, state governments and the National Economic Council to develop measures which address the underlying causes of the conflict, including the recently-announced bi-partisan National Livestock Transformation Plan.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the Gedeo-Guji dispute in Ethiopia and what support his Department is providing to the Ethiopian Government.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The Government is concerned about the violence and resultant displacement of people in a number of regions of Ethiopia. We are further concerned by the conditions of recent returns, including from Gedeo to Guji zones. Conflict and displacement present a real risk to the welcome reforms that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed continues to institute.
I raised our concerns and offered assistance in my visits of October 2018 and March 2019. Our Ambassador and senior officials have raised concerns with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Peace. DFID is currently supporting humanitarian agencies to respond to the needs of IDPs and host communities affected by this crisis, including through support to Ethiopia's humanitarian pooled fund.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of media freedom in Sudan, following Al-Jazeera being banned from the country.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The UK is deeply concerned at restrictions of the media and reports of international journalist restrictions following reports of Al-Jazeera being closed down on 31 May. Freedom of the press is vital to Sudan's future. The Foreign Secretary's priority international campaign this year is working to ensure that media freedom remains in the international spotlight as a human rights issue.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of media freedom in Nigeria, following the announcement of new conditions for covering government proceedings.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin - Shadow Minister (Business and Trade)
The restrictions announced by the National Assembly on the reporting of its proceedings have now been withdrawn. We believe that the rights of individuals and independent media to express opinions and peacefully challenge authority are essential to a free and open society. We will continue to engage the Nigerian authorities on how best to promote and protect these rights as part of our ongoing dialogue.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
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 increased Taliban presence in Afghanistan; and whether the security situation in Afghanistan remains a priority for his Department.
Answered by Mark Field
The British Government continues to closely monitor the security situation in Afghanistan. Our analysis is that the Taliban cannot win this conflict. The British Government believes a political peace settlement, between the Afghan government and the Taliban, is the only way to achieve lasting stability and security in Afghanistan. We welcome the progress made towards starting a credible peace process by the US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad. We continue to urge the Taliban to take advantage of the current opportunity for peace, and to begin a genuine dialogue with the elected government of Afghanistan.
Her Majesty's Government, along with our North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies and other partners, also remains committed to supporting The Afghan Government and the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces. This is vital to protect the Afghan population from the conflict and from terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and Daesh Khorasan Province. It is also an essential effort to ensure that Afghanistan does not again become a safe-haven for international terrorism.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent estimate he has made of changes in the level of hate crimes against Muslims in India.
Answered by Mark Field
India has a strong democratic framework and constitutionally enshrined protections for freedom of religious belief, but faces some challenges enforcing these due to its size and social and economic development. The situation for religious minorities in India varies, depending on location, socio-economic background and proportion of religious minorities.
We maintain a continuous assessment of the human rights situation across India. We engage with India on the full range of human rights matters, both bilaterally and through the European Union. We work with Union and State Governments, and with Non-Governmental Organisations, to build capacity and share expertise to promote human rights for all. The British High Commission in New Delhi, and our Deputy High Commissions across India, also run projects promoting minority rights and regularly meet religious representatives, as well as official figures such as the Chair of the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Minorities. Recent project work included ‘Empowering Muslim youth’ which reached 150 youths, 20 teachers and over 100 educational institutions.
Asked by: Liz McInnes (Labour - Heywood and Middleton)
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 adequacy of India’s adherence to Article 18 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Answered by Mark Field
India has a strong democratic framework and constitutionally enshrined protections for freedom of religious belief, but faces some challenges enforcing these due to its size and social and economic development. The situation for religious minorities in India varies, depending on location, socio-economic background and proportion of religious minorities.
We maintain a continuous assessment of the human rights situation across India. We engage with India on the full range of human rights matters, both bilaterally and through the European Union. We work with Union and State Governments, and with Non-Governmental Organisations, to build capacity and share expertise to promote human rights for all. The British High Commission in New Delhi, and our Deputy High Commissions across India, also run projects promoting minority rights and regularly meet religious representatives, as well as official figures such as the Chair of the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Minorities. Recent project work included ‘Empowering Muslim youth’ which reached 150 youths, 20 teachers and over 100 educational institutions.