Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations on replacing the United Nations Relief and Work Agency with a new body working under the rules of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We have not made representations on this matter. The UK recognises the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) unique mandate from the UN General Assembly, to protect and provide protection and core services to Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. UNRWA is also a vital humanitarian and stabilising force in the region and the UK remains firmly committed to supporting UNRWA and Palestinian refugees across the Middle East. However, we recognise that UNRWA needs to be on a more secure financial footing, to ensure that Palestinian refugees' basic needs are met. To that end, the UK is working with UNRWA and other donors to help ensure its sustainability. This includes finding further cost savings, broadening UNRWA's donor base, and encouraging multi-year funding.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will request that the UN Secretary General and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights dispatch a fact-finding mission to Iran to investigate the killing of children during the November 2019 protests in that country.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We are appalled by Amnesty International reports that at least 23 children were killed by Iranian security forces during the nationwide protests in November last year. We unreservedly support the right to peaceful protest and call on Iran to uphold its commitments under international law to protect freedom of assembly and speech. The UK regularly raises human rights with the Iranian authorities at all levels and we continue to take action with the international community to press Iran to improve its poor record on all human rights issues, including at the UN Human Rights Council in March this year. We agree with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' call for a transparent investigation into the killings of protesters, including these children, in the November protests. We continue to urge Iran to allow the independent UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran access to the country, so that he can carry out his mandate, which includes monitoring and investigating any human rights violations.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
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 Zambian counterpart on (a) trophy hunting and (b) culling of hippopotamuses in that country.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The British Government takes the conservation of species seriously and we are looking carefully at the issue of trophy hunting. We will seek to secure a meeting to discuss this issue with the Government of Zambia, and other key states, at the 4th session of the UN Environment Assembly in Nairobi, which will take place from 11th-15th March.
We are aware of the proposal for a cull of hippos on the Luangwa River in Zambia. Our High Commissioner has raised the matter with the Zambian Government. The importance of protecting wildlife was discussed with the Minister of Tourism and Arts at the October 2018 Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference in London and our High Commissioner also discussed conservation issues with President Lungu in November 2018.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether new sanctions against Russian entities in relation to Syria have been put in place since 20 April 2018.
Answered by Alan Duncan
No new sanctions have been put in place against Russian entities in relation to Syria since 20 April 2018. The EU maintains robust sanctions against the Assad regime to limit its ability to wage war on the Syrian population and encourage meaningful engagement with the UN-led political process.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has received from Amnesty International and other NGOs on reports of actions taken by the Iranian authorities to destroy the mass graves of people who were massacred in 1998.
Answered by Alistair Burt
We have received various reports from NGOs relating to the destruction of mass graves, including Amnesty's latest report on the subject "Criminal cover-up: Iran destroying mass graves of victims of 1988 killings". We continue to take action with the international community to press for improvements on all human rights issues in Iran. When a new UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Iran is appointed, we will be calling on Iran to grant them access to the country so they can investigate human rights concerns reported there.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what preparations his Department is making to impose sanctions on Russian individuals and organisations implicated in war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria.
Answered by Alistair Burt
The UK is committed to ensuring that those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria are held to account. There are already robust EU sanctions in place to limit the Asad regime's ability to wage war on the Syrian civilian population and pressure the regime, and their backers, to cease hostilities and engage meaningfully with the UN-led political process. However, at present, no Russian individuals or entities are sanctioned under EU Syria sanctions. We have repeatedly condemned Russian support for the Asad regime which has prolonged the conflict and worsened the suffering of the Syrian people.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many aircraft in the Syrian air force are capable of delivering chemical weapons.
Answered by Alistair Burt
Most of the fixed-wing and rotary aircraft in the Syrian air force are capable of delivering chemical weapons as well as conventional munitions. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) has found that regime aircraft have delivered chemical weapons on several occasions, including in the 4 April 2017 Khan Sheikhoun attack, which killed nearly one hundred people. Monitoring groups on the ground have also reported that chemical weapons have been delivered through barrel bombs, dropped from regime helicopters, including in the reported chemical attack in Douma on the 7 April 2018.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he as made of the capability of the Syrian armed forces to deliver chemical weapons other than by aircraft.
Answered by Alistair Burt
It is almost certain that the Syrian armed forces have the capability to deliver chemical weapons by means other than by aircraft. Syrian armed forces are known to have surface-to-surface missiles in their arsenal and therefore are very likely to be capable of delivering chemical weapons in this way.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East Antrim)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Hong Kong as a result of the disqualification of lawmakers from its Legislative Council.
Answered by Mark Field
Since October 2016, six legislators have been disqualified from the Legislative Council. The FCO issued a statement in November 2016 which expressed concern about developments in the Legislative Council. The by-elections held on 11 March 2018 filled four of those seats. The remaining two disqualified legislators are appealing against the judgement, and it would not be appropriate for the Government to comment on an ongoing legal matter. My department will continue to monitor developments closely.
Asked by: Sammy Wilson (Democratic Unionist Party - East 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 (a) the Government of Hong Kong and (b) the Government of the People's Republic of China on the status of the Hong Kong bookseller, Gui Minhai.
Answered by Mark Field
I remain concerned at the developments surrounding Swedish National Gui Minhai, who was first detained, along with British national Lee Po and three others, in late 2015. We have raised these cases at the most senior levels with the authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing. Following Mr Gui’s latest detention in January 2018, our Ambassador in Beijing raised the case with Vice Minister at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Chao, and my officials continue to liaise closely with Swedish and other EU counterparts. The EU have released two statements calling for Mr Gui’s release, which we fully support.