Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the international community on the recognition of transnational repression as a distinct human rights threat.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK takes the protection of individuals' rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously. Attempts by foreign States to coerce, intimidate, harass, or harm individuals overseas, or undermine democracy and the rule of law, are unacceptable. We regularly assess potential threats to the UK and use a range of measures, including operational, policy, and legal tools, to counter them, in co-ordination with international partners.
The UK is working closely with international partners to tackle transnational repression. We also work closely with Canada as part of their G7 Presidency in 2025 to better align international efforts to counter this activity and publicly call out all forms of transnational repression.
The Defending Democracy Taskforce is reviewing the UK's response to transnational repression, to develop our understanding of the issue and ensure a strong, system-wide, response. This review will inform our approach to internationalising this issue.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Pakistani counterpart on the legal recognition of Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Promoting the rights of religious minorities is a core part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I raised the deteriorating situation for Ahmadi Muslims when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November 2024, and discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November 2024. The British High Commission regularly raises the issue of Ahmadi Muslim rights at the highest levels, including lobbying the Government of Pakistan against regressive legislation. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people in accordance with international standards.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterpart on the desecration of Ahmadiyya mosques in that country.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is aware of the desecration of Ahmadi Mosques in Pakistan and continues to monitor the situation. I underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November 2024 and also discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November 2024. In response to the desecration of an Ahmadi Mosque in Daska on 16 January, the British High Commissioner raised the issue of Ahmadi Muslim rights with the Punjab Minorities Minister. We will continue to urge the Government of Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all people, including those of religious minorities, in accordance with international standards.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Pakistani counterpart on taking steps to help prevent the desecration of Ahmadiyya burial sites in Pakistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is aware of the desecration of Ahmadi burial sites in Pakistan and continues to monitor the situation. I raised the deteriorating situation for Ahmadi Muslims when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November 2024, and discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November 2024. The British High Commission continues to raise this issue at the highest levels, including the need for swift action in response to incidents of hate and violence. UK programmes promote the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan through facilitating interfaith dialogue and combatting online hate speech.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support Tamil asylum seekers detained on Diego Garcia.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Only three migrants remain left on BIOT temporarily.
Diego Garcia was never a suitable long-term location for migrants given the logistical challenges of providing care in such a remote location with no civilian infrastructure and a UK-US military facility, but their safety and security has been paramount throughout this deeply troubling situation inherited from the previous Government.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his Pakistan counterpart on voting rights for Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Promoting the rights of religious minorities is an important part of the UK's diplomatic engagement in Pakistan. I underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when I met Pakistan's Human Rights Minister on 19 November 2024, and discussed this issue in Parliament on 28 November 2024. The British High Commission continues to raise the issue of Ahmadi voting rights with the Pakistani authorities at the highest levels. We have been clear that all Pakistani citizens should be able to exercise their democratic rights and participate in peaceful, inclusive and credible elections.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister on protecting the rights of Sri Lankan Tamils.
Answered by Catherine West
The UK Government is committed to human rights in Sri Lanka. We have led international efforts over many years to promote accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, including the rights for Tamils. This includes at the UN Human Rights Council, alongside our partners in the Core Group on Sri Lanka. The Foreign Secretary spoke to newly appointed Foreign Minister, Herath, in November 2024 raising human rights concerns. I visited Sri Lanka from 26-28 January and met with a range of stakeholders including the Prime Minister, Foreign Minister, civil society organisations, as well as political leaders in the north of Sri Lanka raising human rights, including rights for Tamils.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Sri Lankan Government on the ongoing arrests of Tamil fishermen.
Answered by Catherine West
A long-term solution is needed to resolve the complex issue regarding Indian fisherman from Tamil Nadu in Sri Lankan waters. We welcome recent discussions on fisherman rights between the Sri Lankan President, Dissanayake, and Indian Prime Minister, Modi, during a visit to India in December 2024. The UK Government continues to closely monitor developments.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle global child malnutrition.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2, Zero Hunger, and tackling malnutrition, is essential to our mission of a world free from poverty on a liveable planet. Malnutrition is the underlying cause of 45% of child deaths and 20% of maternal deaths and the UK is committed to acting with urgency. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is a co-founder of the Child Nutrition Fund (CNF), which supports partner governments to procure essential nutrition commodities and to prevent and detect malnutrition. Since 2021 the UK has contributed £15.74 million to the CNF and committed a further £8.55 million.
The UK continues to champion the integration of nutrition across different sectors such as health, agriculture, humanitarian, and climate, in order to achieve improved nutrition outcomes alongside successes on other UK development priorities.
Asked by: Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat - Sutton and Cheam)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support the global immunisation of children living in poverty.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The UK is one of the largest donors to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. We have supported Gavi to immunise 300 million children and save up to 8 million lives from vaccine-preventable diseases. Since 2000, Gavi has vaccinated more than 1 billion children, saving over 18 million lives. We have committed £1.65 billion to the current strategic period for Gavi, covering 2021-2025.