Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he plans to update his Department's Covid-19 Exceptional Travel Advisory Notice for Spain.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is advising British people against all non-essential travel worldwide due to the unprecedented international border closures and other restrictions currently in place in response to the global pandemic.
We are monitoring the international situation very closely and keeping all our travel advice under constant review to ensure it reflects the latest situation on the ground and our assessment of risk to British people.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he plans to update his Department's Covid-19 Exceptional Travel Advisory Notice for Denmark.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is advising British people against all non-essential travel worldwide due to the unprecedented international border closures and other restrictions currently in place in response to the global pandemic.
We are monitoring the international situation very closely and keeping all our travel advice under constant review to ensure it reflects the latest situation on the ground and our assessment of risk to British people.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he plans to update his Department's Covid-19 Exceptional Travel Advisory Notice for Sweden.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is advising British people against all non-essential travel worldwide due to the unprecedented international border closures and other restrictions currently in place in response to the global pandemic.
We are monitoring the international situation very closely and keeping all our travel advice under constant review to ensure it reflects the latest situation on the ground and our assessment of risk to British people.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he plans to update his Department's Covid-19 Exceptional Travel Advisory Notice for the Republic of Ireland.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The Foreign Commonwealth Office is advising British people against all non-essential travel worldwide due to the unprecedented international border closures and other restrictions currently in place in response to the global pandemic.
We are monitoring the international situation very closely and keeping all our travel advice under constant review to ensure it reflects the latest situation on the ground and our assessment of risk to British people. This advice does not affect travel between Northern Ireland and Ireland or intra-UK travel. British nationals in the UK should continue to follow government guidance on staying alert and safe during coronavirus, and those in Ireland should comply with the advice of local authorities.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his Russian counterpart on that country's policy of borderization of the Kareli Municipality in Georgia.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK has raised concerns about the recent reports of Russian forces and the de-facto authorities in the breakaway region of South Ossetia working to create "borders" within the Kareli Municipality in Georgia. Through our Embassy in Tbilisi and in statements at the Council of Europe and the OSCE we have been clear that such actions must stop.
The UK is unwavering in our support for Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Cameroonian counterpart on a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict in Cameroon.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The British Government remains deeply concerned about the deteriorating situation in the North-West and South-West (Anglophone) regions of Cameroon. We continue to maintain a spotlight on the crisis and raise our concerns at the highest levels, including with the Government of Cameroon, at the United Nations (UN) and with international partners. At a UN security Council briefing session on 6 December, the UK welcomed the National Dialogue that took place in Cameroon from 30 September – 4 October. The latter was called by the government and is an initial step to bring parties together. During a visit to Cameroon in September the FCO’s Permanent Under-Secretary urged the government to ensure the National Dialogue was comprehensive and inclusive. It is imperative that the Government of Cameroon now engages in inclusive discussions about the root causes of the crisis and follows up on all the recommendations made at the National Dialogue. Supporting security, stability and good governance in Africa is a foreign policy priority and we urge all sides to engage in efforts to bring peace to the North-West and South-West regions. The UK has shared experiences with the Government of Cameroon on conflict resolution and remains ready to support.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 counterpart in Burundi on the (a) reinstatement of the BBC Africa Service and (b) protection of freedom of the media in that country.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
Freedom of the media is essential in any functioning democracy; people must be allowed to debate issues freely, to challenge their governments, and to be informed by a strong and robust media. We condemn the decision made by the Government of Burundi to revoke the BBC's operating license, particularly in light of the 2020 elections for which a free and independent media is vital. We strongly support the BBC's mission to bring high quality and impartial news to global audiences, including where free speech is limited. The Foreign Secretary has tweeted his disappointment and has urged the Government to reverse this decision. Our Ambassador to Burundi and the UK Special Envoy to the Great Lakes are making representations with counterparts. More broadly, we have supported media freedom in Burundi through financial support to the only remaining independent media house in Burundi, IWACU.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Iranian counterpart on the prison conditions of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Kamal Foroughi.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The Foreign Secretary raised the cases of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and Kamal Foroughi when he last met his Iranian counterpart in February. I raised this matter with Deputy Foreign Minister Dr Ravanchi on 21 June and in my meeting with the Iranian Ambassador on 6 July.
We have repeatedly requested consular access so that we may be assured of the detainees' welfare and their access to any appropriate medical treatment, however, Iran does not recognise dual nationality and therefore does not grant us consular access. Nevertheless we shall continue to lobby the Iranian authorities about these cases at the highest levels at every opportunity.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
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 ensure more members of the Commonwealth abolish the death penalty.
Answered by Alok Sharma - COP26 President (Cabinet Office)
The Government supports a global moratorium on use of the death penalty as a step towards eventual abolition. Since 2010 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has funded a number of projects promoting reform of the death penalty in individual Commonwealth countries. We also continue to engage diplomatically and urge Commonwealth countries to support the United Nation’s resolution on a global moratorium on the death penalty later this year.
Asked by: Mark Pritchard (Conservative - The Wrekin)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will discuss with his counterpart at the (a) Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and (b) Iranian government to assist the government of Iran in helping to halt the decline in the number of Asiatic cheetahs.
Answered by Tobias Ellwood
We are aware of the plight of Asiatic cheetahs in Iran and we welcome conservation efforts by Iran and the UN. My officials have held preliminary discussions with the Iranian Embassy in London on the issue.