Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterpart in Turkey on trade union freedoms in that country.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We have long encouraged Turkey to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights, particularly in the area of freedom of assembly. His Majesty's Government has no locus to intervene in Turkish domestic legal cases but our Embassy in Ankara frequently monitors high-profile trials, including recent trials regarding workers' rights and unions. We will continue to raise specific cases with the Turkish government and through the Council of Europe.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 the Turkish Government on workers’ rights in Turkey.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We have long encouraged Turkey to work towards the full protection of fundamental rights. His Majesty's Government has no locus to intervene in Turkish domestic legal cases but our Embassy in Ankara frequently monitors high-profile trials, including recent trials regarding workers' rights and unions. We will continue to raise specific cases with the Turkish government and through the Council of Europe.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Turkish Government on the upcoming parliamentary elections in that country expected to be held on the 14 May 2023.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We are monitoring the run-up to the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey on May 14 and are in regular discussion with the Turkish electoral authorities, the government, opposition parties, civil society groups and the Turkish media. We have stressed the need for the elections to be carried out in a free and fair manner and will continue our dialogue with Turkey throughout the process.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with members of civil society in Turkey on the upcoming parliamentary elections in that country.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We are monitoring the run-up to the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections in Turkey on May 14 and are in regular discussion with the Turkish electoral authorities, the government, opposition parties, civil society groups and the Turkish media. We have stressed the need for the elections to be carried out in a free and fair manner and will continue our dialogue with Turkey throughout the process.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason the Government has not sanctioned cryptocurrency mixers in the context of the (a) Russia, (b) Belarus and (c) wider sanctions' regimes.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government does not speculate on possible future designations. To do so could reduce the impact of the designations. Since 30 August 2022, UK cryptoasset businesses have been required to report certain information to the Treasury when encountering a designated person, or where they become aware of a breach of financial sanctions regulations. Failure to comply with these reporting obligations is an offence and can result in a criminal prosecution or a fine. The UK is actively engaging internationally through the Financial Action Task Force to ensure that the illicit finance risks represented by cryptoassets are mitigated at a global level.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many times have officials from the (a) Department for Transport, (b) HM Treasury and (c) the Department for International Trade have contacted his Department's (i) ministers and (ii) officials on waivers, exceptions and licences in relation to the UK's sanctions regime on (A) Russia and (B) Belarus.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All sanctions regimes contain a number of statutory exceptions and licensing powers to help to ensure that the effects of sanctions are proportionate and avoid unintended consequences. While the FCDO works closely with other departments across government on sanctions, under sanctions regulations, the FCDO has no formal role in the issue of licences by the UK Government for (A) Russia and (B) Belarus. The FCDO does not maintain a central record of contacts from other departments on those issues.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many times officials in his Department were (a) consulted on and (b) asked to authorise (i) waivers and (ii) exemptions to sanction regimes in each of the last five years; and what the reasons were for those waivers and exemptions.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All sanctions regimes contain a number of exceptions and licensing powers. Exceptions and licences help to ensure that the effects of sanctions are proportionate and avoid unintended consequences. Licences for financial sanctions are issued by His Majesty's Treasury's Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), licences for trade sanctions are issued by the Department for International Trade, and licences for transport sanctions are issued by the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many times Ministers in his Department were (a) consulted on and (b) asked to authorise (i) waivers and (ii) exemptions to sanction regimes in each of the last five years; and what the reasons for those waivers and extensions were.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All sanctions regimes contain a number of exceptions and licensing powers. Exceptions and licences help to ensure that the effects of sanctions are proportionate and avoid unintended consequences. Licences for financial sanctions are issued by His Majesty's Treasury's Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), licences for trade sanctions are issued by the Department for International Trade, and licences for transport sanctions are issued by the Department for Transport.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what the full-time equivalent staffing levels in each grade in his Department's sanctions unit were in each of the last five years.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In 2020 there were just over 20 roles in the Sanctions Unit, which increased to 48 substantive roles by December 2021. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) expanded the Sanctions Unit in 2022, establishing the Sanctions Directorate, and has almost trebled the number of officials focused this work, with over 130 permanent staff. This number does not include those working across FCDO and its overseas network who have always covered sanctions as part of their wider roles.
Asked by: Stephen Doughty (Labour (Co-op) - Cardiff South and Penarth)
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 (a) civil society, (b) political, (c) trade union and (d) journalistic freedoms in Turkey ahead of upcoming elections in that country.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We keep the human rights situation in Turkey under close scrutiny at all times. Our Embassy in Turkey is engaging regularly with the Turkish authorities, journalists and wider civil society regarding preparations for the elections.