Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to assist British merchant sailors who have been marooned at sea as a result of the covid-19 pandemic.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport wrote to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and World Health Organisation (WHO) on 23 March, reaffirming our international obligations on seafarers' welfare and transit, and calling for clear international guidance for port, flag and coastal states on seafarers' welfare and facilitating seafarer transit. Where vessel operators request assistance to repatriate their employees, the UK Government stands ready to work as quickly as possible to help those who may need rapid consular assistance.
Not all British crew are seeking to return to the UK. Some may wish to stay with the ship (with their employer's consent), while others may be required by their role to do so as part of the minimum safe manning requirements for the vessel. This is a legislative and flag state requirement to ensure the continued seaworthiness of vessels.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Nigerian counterpart on the continued persecution of Christians in the Kaduna region of that country.
Answered by James Duddridge
We condemn all incidents of intercommunal violence in Nigeria, including recently reported attacks in Kaduna State. Officials from the British High Commission in Abuja are in contact with and have visited communities in Kaduna that have experienced violence and conflict. We continue to encourage the Government of Nigeria to take urgent action to protect those at risk of intercommunal violence, to bring perpetrators to justice and to implement long-term solutions that address the root causes and meet the needs of all communities.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Wilton Park hosted a conference on 'Fostering Social Cohesion in Nigeria' in February, which brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including representatives from Kaduna State. The conference was an opportunity to discuss how government, faith-based and community organisations can build solutions to intercommunal violence in Nigeria. Participants highlighted the importance of countering inaccurate narratives which misrepresent disparate incidents as a homogenous religious conflict. Whilst religion plays a part in many clashes in Nigeria, other underlying causes are also present, including competition over land and resources and livelihoods at risk.
The Prime Minister discussed insecurity in Nigeria with President Buhari at the UK Africa Investment Summit in January. We have made clear to the Nigerian authorities, at the highest levels, the importance of protecting civilians, including ethnic and religious minorities, and human rights for all Nigerians.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
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 help prevent an escalation of tensions in Libya and neighbouring countries.
Answered by James Cleverly - Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
We remain deeply concerned by the situation in Libya and the risks to wider regional stability. The UK is actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict. We continue to call on all parties to de-escalate, commit to a lasting ceasefire and return to UN-led political talks. We welcome the recent announcement by the UN that the Government of National Accord and the Libyan National Army have agreed to resume talks on the framework for a ceasefire. It is essential that both sides engage fully with this process.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
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 Chinese counterpart on the treatment of the Uyghur community in the Xinjiang Region of that country.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The British Government regularly makes representations directly to the Chinese Government about the treatment of Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang. Most recently, on 9 March the Foreign Secretary raised his concerns with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi. On 5 March, I did the same with the Chinese Ambassador in London.
The UK also continues to raise concerns about Xinjiang publicly in multilateral settings, including at the 43rd session of the UN Human Rights Council on 10 March during our 'Item 4' national statement.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his Hong Kong counterparts on democratic rights in Hong Kong.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
The Foreign Secretary has set out our concerns about the situation in Hong Kong directly with both the Hong Kong Chief Executive, Carrie Lam and to the Chinese Foreign Minister, State Councillor Wang Yi. The Foreign Secretary made clear that meaningful political dialogue is the only way to resolve the situation. Senior officials have remained in regular contact with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the authorities in Beijing. The leadership in China and Hong Kong is in no doubt about the strength of UK concern over the current situation in Hong Kong, and our commitment to seeing the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Joint Declaration upheld.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department plans to make an assessment of the level of risk of wild fires to (a) Commonwealth nations and (b) British Overseas Territories.
Answered by Heather Wheeler
We have not made any assessments. The assessment of wildfire risk is the responsibility of Commonwealth and Overseas Territories Governments.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what (a) representations he has made and (b) support his Department has provided to the Government of Bolivia after the spate of wildfires throughout that nation.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The United Kingdom is deeply concerned by the wildfires in Bolivia and their impact on the climate and on Bolivia's unique biodiversity. Our Ambassador discussed this issue with the President of Bolivia on 2 September, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.
Through our embassy in Bolivia, the British Government financed the first deployment of international experts to assist the national co-ordination effort to tackle the fires. The United Kingdom stands ready to work with Bolivia and international partners in seeking long-term, sustainable measures to protect their forests.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Government of People's Republic of China on the suppression of political activists in Hong Kong.
Answered by Mark Field
We speak to the Chinese Government at all levels on a range of issues concerning Hong Kong. The British Consul General to Hong Kong discussed political developments in Hong Kong with the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing in April 2019. We also raise Hong Kong in the course of regular dialogue with China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
We have raised a number of issues relating to the proposals with the Hong Kong Government at senior levels and Chinese officials in Beijing. These include potential implications for our bilateral extradition treaty, as well as the potential consequences for the UK business community and for UK citizens living in or travelling through Hong Kong. We will continue to seek clarity from the authorities on these points.
The Foreign Secretary and Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chrystia Freeland, issued a Joint Statement on 30 May 2019,which noted concern for the potential effect of the proposals on the large number of UK and Canadian citizens in Hong Kong, on business confidence and on Hong Kong's international reputation. They made clear that any extradition arrangements in Hong Kong should be in line with 'One Country, Two Systems' and fully respect Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy. They also urged the Hong Kong Government to engage meaningfully with Hong Kong's broad range of local and international stakeholders in order to ensure their concerns are fully considered.
Asked by: Paul Girvan (Democratic Unionist Party - South Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to representatives of the Government of Venezuela on the promotion of democracy in that country.
Answered by Alan Duncan
Through our Ambassador and internationally, we are working closely with EU partners, the International Contact Group on Venezuela, regional organisations such as the Lima Group, and like-minded partners to achieve a peaceful resolution to the current crisis and a return to democracy. Unfortunately, this objective continues to be thwarted by the regime of Nicolas Maduro.