Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
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 sanctioning (a) Leonard Blavatnik and (b) other Russian people under sanction in Ukraine but not in the UK.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains steadfast in our support to Ukraine. Together with our international partners, we have implemented the most severe package of sanctions ever imposed on a major economy. The UK alone has sanctioned more than 2,000 individuals and entities under the Russia sanctions regime. Just this week, we launched our largest ever ship specification package targeting Putin's Shadow Fleet.
We do not comment on future or individual designations. Furthermore, we do not comment on our partner's decisions on individual designations.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2024 to Question 8157 on Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing consular status from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in the context of Hong Kong no longer being an independent territory.
Answered by Catherine West
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Act 1996 provides the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office with certain privileges and immunities in line with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations for the purposes of furthering economic and trade interests. There are no current plans to replace this legislation.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he last reviewed the status of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office; when he plans next to review it;, and for what reason it has diplomatic status.
Answered by Catherine West
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office Act 1996 provides the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office with certain privileges and immunities in line with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, for the purposes of furthering economic and trade interests. There are no current plans to replace this legislation.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to hold discussions with his Chinese counterpart on the (a) arrest of (i) Jimmy Lai and (ii) other democracy activists in Hong Kong and (b) targeting of activists in the UK during his visit to that country.
Answered by Catherine West
The Foreign Secretary raised Jimmy Lai's case in his first meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the ASEAN Summit on 26 July and his case remains a priority for this Government. We will continue to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecutions of all democracy activists, including Jimmy Lai. I met with Sebastien Lai and Jimmy Lai's international legal team on Tuesday 8 October.
Attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate or harm critics overseas, are unacceptable. Freedom of speech and other fundamental rights of all people in the UK are protected under domestic law, regardless of nationality.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the China Audit will cover potential targeting of Hong Kong BNO status holders in the UK by Chinese representatives.
Answered by Catherine West
This Government will take a consistent, long term and strategic approach to managing the UK's relations with China, rooted in UK and global interests. We will co-operate where we can, compete where we need to, and challenge where we must. We will carry out an audit of the UK's relationship with China as a bilateral and global actor, to improve our ability to understand and respond to the challenges and opportunities China poses. As a Special Autonomous Region of China, Hong Kong will form part of this audit.
Attempts by foreign Governments to coerce, intimidate or harm critics overseas, are unacceptable. Freedom of speech and other fundamental rights of all people in the UK are protected under domestic law, regardless of nationality.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to his Oral Statement of 19 July 2024 on Israel and Gaza, Official Report, column 301, what discussions he has had with representatives of UNRWA on the management reforms recommended in the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published on 20 April 2024, that will be supported by UK funding.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary and Minister Dodds spoke to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini, in July. They discussed UNRWA's progress in implementing the recommendations from the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality led by Catherine Colonna. The FCDO speaks regularly to UNRWA and other international donors on UNRWA management reforms, including at their bi-annual Advisory Commission meeting that met in June.
Catherine Colonna's report found the existing UNRWA neutrality framework "robust", but neutrality issues persisted. UNRWA committed to implementing all the review's recommendations. The Foreign Secretary was subsequently reassured that UNRWA is committed to the highest standards of neutrality. £1 million of the UK's £21 million support to UNRWA this financial year will support implementation of these reforms.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
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 UNWRA since the publication of the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published on 20 April 2024 on their vetting procedures.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary and Minister Dodds spoke to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini, in July. They discussed UNRWA's progress in implementing the recommendations from the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality led by Catherine Colonna. The FCDO speaks regularly to UNRWA and other international donors on UNRWA management reforms, including at their bi-annual Advisory Commission meeting that met in June.
Catherine Colonna's report found the existing UNRWA neutrality framework "robust", but neutrality issues persisted. UNRWA committed to implementing all the review's recommendations. The Foreign Secretary was subsequently reassured that UNRWA is committed to the highest standards of neutrality. £1 million of the UK's £21 million support to UNRWA this financial year will support implementation of these reforms.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
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 international counterparts in countries that provide donations to UNRWA on the reforms recommended in the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published on 20 April 2024.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary and Minister Dodds spoke to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini, in July. They discussed UNRWA's progress in implementing the recommendations from the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality led by Catherine Colonna. The FCDO speaks regularly to UNRWA and other international donors on UNRWA management reforms, including at their bi-annual Advisory Commission meeting that met in June.
Catherine Colonna's report found the existing UNRWA neutrality framework "robust", but neutrality issues persisted. UNRWA committed to implementing all the review's recommendations. The Foreign Secretary was subsequently reassured that UNRWA is committed to the highest standards of neutrality. £1 million of the UK's £21 million support to UNRWA this financial year will support implementation of these reforms.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
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 representatives of UNRWA on the management reforms it has implemented as a result of the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published on 20 April 2024.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary and Minister Dodds spoke to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner General, Philippe Lazzarini, in July. They discussed UNRWA's progress in implementing the recommendations from the Final Report of the Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality led by Catherine Colonna. The FCDO speaks regularly to UNRWA and other international donors on UNRWA management reforms, including at their bi-annual Advisory Commission meeting that met in June.
Catherine Colonna's report found the existing UNRWA neutrality framework "robust", but neutrality issues persisted. UNRWA committed to implementing all the review's recommendations. The Foreign Secretary was subsequently reassured that UNRWA is committed to the highest standards of neutrality. £1 million of the UK's £21 million support to UNRWA this financial year will support implementation of these reforms.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his counterpart from the People’s Republic of China on (a) the case of Jimmy Lai’s and (b) the latest delays to his trial.
Answered by Catherine West
British national Jimmy Lai's case is a priority for the Government. The Foreign Secretary raised his case in his first meeting with China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the ASEAN Summit on 26 July.
We will continue to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and immediately release Jimmy Lai and we will continue to press for consular access.