Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the political and human rights situation in Hong Kong.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The imposition of National Security Law and actions by the authorities in Hong Kong have eroded the civil and political rights promised to Hong Kongers under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
We are clear that China remains in an ongoing state of non-compliance with the Declaration. As the Foreign Secretary has said, we will act when China breaks its obligations, as we did in giving nearly 3 million Hong Kongers a path to British citizenship.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has held discussions with his counterparts in Saudi Arabia on the detention of Saudi human rights defender Mohammed Fahad Al-Qahtani.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, has raised this case with the Saudi authorities, alongside a range of human rights issues, most recently during his visit to the Kingdom in February.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
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 counterparts in Tunisia on the arrest and detention of representatives of the political opposition and civil society in that country; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 18 April, the Minister of State for North Africa, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon made clear the UK's view that the recent wave of arrests and restrictions on political opposition in Tunisia is eroding the space for political plurality, urging the Tunisian Government to respect the principles and values of an open and democratic society. Lord Ahmad also raised our issues over the arrests directly with Tunisian Chargé d'Affaires on 23 February, as did His Majesty's Ambassador to Tunisia with Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar on 23 February. The UK believes in the importance of space for legitimate political opposition, civil society, strengthening human rights and including all voices in building resilient and successful democracies. The UK is a constructive partner to Tunisia, and we will continue to raise these important issues with the Tunisian authorities at every available opportunity. We continue to monitor the political and human rights situation in Tunisia closely.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of frontloading funding for the humanitarian crisis in East Africa.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
This financial year the UK has allocated at least £156 million in humanitarian support to East Africa. The FCDO coordinates with international partners across the region to ensure UK funded humanitarian aid is provided as promptly as possible and is prioritised to those in greatest need.
Throughout East Africa the UK also works to build resilience to crises to help limit the impact of shocks such as drought. The UK's resilience building investments have benefitted tens of millions of people in Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
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 help tackle malnutrition in East Africa, in the context of commitments made in the Integrated Review Refresh 2023, published in March 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The 2023 Integrated Review (IR) Refresh builds on existing policy, including for East Africa as set out in the IR 2021. IR 2021 provided a comprehensive articulation of the UK's national security and international policy in the context of a world moving towards greater competition and multipolarity. The IR Refresh published in March 2023 sets out the continuing priority the UK places on engagement with Africa and elsewhere.
The UK's humanitarian support in East Africa, totalling at least £156 million this financial year, is providing millions of people with essential services and supplies to help tackle malnutrition and other concerns. The UK's work in East Africa will be a key part of the campaign referenced in the IR Refresh to improve global food security and nutrition. We will increase the availability, affordability and quality of malnutrition treatment and prevention products to do this. Efforts to develop anticipatory action on famine risk and resilience building are other components the IR Refresh that the UK will progress in Africa to help address undernutrition.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will call on the Saudi Arabian authorities to end the use of the death penalty against minors in all circumstances.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. We raise concern regarding all known juvenile death penalty defendants with the Saudi authorities. The British Embassy Riyadh closely monitors the cases of all juvenile death penalty defendants and regularly attempts to attend their trials. We raise human rights at all levels with the Saudi authorities, including ministerial channels. On 23 May I raised concerns about juvenile death penalty sentencing with the Saudi Ambassador to the UK.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to the Government of Saudi Arabia following the Saudi Arabian Appeals Court’s decision of 13 June 2022 to uphold a death sentence against Abdullah al-Howaiti for crimes allegedly committed when he was 14 years old.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK strongly opposes the death penalty in all countries and in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. We raise concern regarding all known juvenile death penalty defendants with the Saudi authorities. The British Embassy Riyadh closely monitors the cases of all juvenile death penalty defendants and regularly attempts to attend their trials. We raise human rights at all levels with the Saudi authorities, including ministerial channels. On 23 May I raised concerns about juvenile death penalty sentencing with the Saudi Ambassador to the UK.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will call on the Saudi Arabian authorities to end the imposition of (a) travel bans and (b) other restrictions on (i) Loujain Al-Hathloul, (ii) Samar Badawi, (iii) Raif Badawi and (iv) other human rights activists released from prison.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office human rights priority country. No aspect of our relationship with Saudi Arabia prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights. We raise human rights with the Saudi authorities at all levels, including ministerial channels. This includes raising individual detentions. The Minister responsible for Human Rights discussed detentions with the Saudi Ambassador to the UK on 27 May and raised concern about prison conditions during his visit to Saudi Arabia in February 2022.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her counterpart in Saudi Arabia on securing the immediate and unconditional release of (a) Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, (b) Waleed Abu al-Khair, (c) Mohammed al-Oteibi and (d) other prisoners of conscience.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office human rights priority country. No aspect of our relationship with Saudi Arabia prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights. We raise human rights with the Saudi authorities at all levels, including ministerial channels. This includes raising individual detentions. The Minister responsible for Human Rights discussed detentions with the Saudi Ambassador to the UK on 27 May and raised concern about prison conditions during his visit to Saudi Arabia in February 2022.
Asked by: Margaret Ferrier (Independent - Rutherglen and Hamilton West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will call on the Saudi Arabian authorities to take further steps in line with their international obligations to protect the welfare of prisoners of conscience, including Mohammed Fahad al-Qahtani allegedly held in a wing reserved for inmates with mental disorders and assaulted on 26 May 2022.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office human rights priority country. No aspect of our relationship with Saudi Arabia prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights. We raise human rights with the Saudi authorities at all levels, including ministerial channels. This includes raising individual detentions. The Minister responsible for Human Rights discussed detentions with the Saudi Ambassador to the UK on 27 May and raised concern about prison conditions during his visit to Saudi Arabia in February 2022.