Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans she has to raise concerns with her Indian counterpart on increasing violence towards Muslims in India, including hostility towards hijab wearing; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief for all, and promoting respect and tolerance between different religious and non-religious communities. We condemn any instances of discrimination because of religion or belief, regardless of the country or faith involved. Where we have concerns, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level.
The British High Commission in New Delhi will continue to monitor the situation in Karnataka, where Muslim girls were banned from entering college for wearing hijabs, as it progresses through the Indian court system, while recognising that this is a matter for India. It is up to the Indian authorities to respond to such reports, in line with their democratic framework.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much her Department spent on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities in each of its top 10 health programmes in the world’s 47 least-developed countries, in each of the last three years.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Annual UK bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) spend on water and sanitation, can be found in the respective Annual Statistics on International Development publications: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-on-international-development. The results for 2021 will be published in autumn this year.
UK ODA expenditure is recorded in line with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development's Development Assistance Committee coding. These codes do not specifically record water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) spend for healthcare facilities. However, we support WASH services in healthcare facilities in our policy work through the "WASH In Healthcare Facilities" international taskforce, through our bilateral programming such as our innovative hand hygiene partnership with Unilever, and through our core multilateral funding including via the World Bank and the World Health Organisation. We also provide funding to the UNICEF-WHO Joint Monitoring Programme to track overall progress on Water and Sanitation, this initiative publishes data on the situation of WASH in Healthcare facilities.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the 19 June 2014 judgement by the Pakistani Supreme Court on the protection of religious minorities.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The murder of a Christian priest, and wounding of another, in late January in Peshawar was an indication of the violence faced by Pakistan's minorities - as was the killing in Sialkot of a Christian Sri Lankan national last December. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia, and the British High Commissioner have both publicly condemned these attacks, and the High Commissioner has raised with senior Pakistani Government officials. The Ahmadiyya Muslim community, Shia Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs continue to suffer violence and discrimination, including from targeted killings, and damage to their places of worship. The UK has made clear to the Government of Pakistan that freedom of religion of belief remains a priority.
The UK welcomed the establishment of Pakistan's National Commission for Minorities in 2020, after the Pakistani Supreme Court mandated that the federal government form a national council for minorities. However we remain concerned that the National Commission for Minorities does not adhere to the UN Paris Principles, specifically on lack of autonomy, resources and investigative powers. We are pressing for passage of a bill to strengthen the minorities' commission so to better align it with the Paris Principles.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the safety of religious minorities in Pakistan following the attacks of 30 January 2022 on Pastor William Siraj and Reverend Naeem Patrick.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The murder of a Christian priest, and wounding of another, in late January in Peshawar was an indication of the violence faced by Pakistan's minorities - as was the killing in Sialkot of a Christian Sri Lankan national last December. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia, and the British High Commissioner have both publicly condemned these attacks, and the High Commissioner has raised with senior Pakistani Government officials. The Ahmadiyya Muslim community, Shia Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs continue to suffer violence and discrimination, including from targeted killings, and damage to their places of worship. The UK has made clear to the Government of Pakistan that freedom of religion of belief remains a priority.
The UK welcomed the establishment of Pakistan's National Commission for Minorities in 2020, after the Pakistani Supreme Court mandated that the federal government form a national council for minorities. However we remain concerned that the National Commission for Minorities does not adhere to the UN Paris Principles, specifically on lack of autonomy, resources and investigative powers. We are pressing for passage of a bill to strengthen the minorities' commission so to better align it with the Paris Principles.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the political and humanitarian situation in Myanmar, including reports of continued shelling and bombardment of ethnic minorities in Myanmar by the Myanmar military; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The coup has plunged the country into a deep political, economic and humanitarian crisis. Over 14 million people are in humanitarian need, mass displacement is increasing, democratic gains have been reversed, and violence is escalating across the country.
The UK Government condemns any attacks against religious minorities in Myanmar. We also strongly condemn the military coup and the violence against the people of Myanmar. We will continue working with partners to call for an end to violence, unhindered humanitarian access, and the importance of respect for human rights and the protection of civilians. The UK also continues to support ASEAN's leadership on the crisis and calls for the full implementation of the Five Point Consensus.
The UK marked the 1 February one-year anniversary of the military coup in Myanmar by coordinating a private meeting of the UN Security Council, where briefings were provided by ASEAN Special Envoy Sokhonn Prak, UN Special Envoy, Noeleen Heyzer, and OCHA Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Ramesh Rajasingham. We secured a Security Council press statement on 3 February which called for a cessation of violence, full and unhindered humanitarian access and the protection of minorities. The UK also coordinated a Foreign Minister level joint statement with like-minded countries, condemning serious human rights violations by the military. I laid a Written Ministerial Statement in this House on 1 February to update on the UK's response to the political and humanitarian situation in Myanmar.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans she has to provide humanitarian assistance to internally displaced peoples along Myanmar’s borders.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
We strongly condemn the military coup and the violence against the people of Myanmar. The coup has plunged the country into a deep political, economic and humanitarian crisis. Over 14 million people are in humanitarian need, mass displacement is increasing, democratic gains have been reversed, and violence is escalating across the country. Since the coup, the UK has spent over £24m supporting humanitarian assistance on the borders with Bangladesh, China, India and Thailand.
We will continue working with partners to call for an end to violence, unhindered humanitarian access, and the importance of respect for human rights and the protection of civilians. The UK also continues to support ASEAN's leadership on the crisis and calls for the full implementation of the Five Point Consensus.
The UK secured a UN Security Council press statement on 3 February which called for a cessation of violence, full and unhindered humanitarian access and the protection of minorities. I [Minister Milling] laid a Written Ministerial Statement in this House on 1 February to update on the UK's response to the political and humanitarian situation in Myanmar.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions she has had with her counterparts in Israel on reports of the firing of tear gas and sound bombs into Palestinian schools during class time in the West Bank; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
While we recognise Israel's legitimate need to deploy security measures, we encourage them to deploy these in a way that minimises tension and uses appropriate force. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation, including the treatment of Palestinian children. It is essential to have a strong and thriving Palestinian education system in order to provide opportunities, economic development and hope for the next generation.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to my letter of 22 December 2021, what discussions her Department has had with its counterparts in the United Arab Emirates on the incarceration of Mr Saad Hasan Bashir at Al Sadr Prison.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Consular staff in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are aware of Mr Saad Hasan Bashir and continue to raise his case with the UAE Authorities. We are also in contact with Mr Saad Hasan Bashir's family. The Rt. Hon Gentleman will receive a reply to his letter shortly.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, as the UN Security Council pen holder on Yemen, what representations the Government has made at the UN in response to (a) the rejection of the resolution to renew the mandate of the Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen and (b) calls for accountability for all violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in that country.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK regrets that the mandate of the Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen was not renewed. The Group had a crucial role to play in providing ongoing reporting on the actions of parties. The UK voted in favour of renewal and spoke in support of the resolution during the voting. As we made clear during the Human Rights Council session of 7 October, we are concerned by reports of serious and wide-ranging human rights violations and abuses by parties to the conflict. The UK will continue to urge the parties involved to investigate these allegations and take action to promote and protect human rights. We are working with partners on next steps in promoting human rights accountability in Yemen.
Asked by: Stephen Timms (Labour - East Ham)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the Israeli High Court's decision on 1 September 2021 relating to the West Bank that Palestinian homes can be entered without a warrant but that settlers' homes cannot.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We are aware of the Israel's High Court's decision on a petition seeking to limit the Israeli military's power to enter and search Palestinian homes in the West Bank. The UK continues to engage with the Israeli government on human rights issues in the context of the occupation. We repeatedly call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and have a regular dialogue with Israel on legal issues relating to the occupation, including the treatment of Palestinians. We continue to stress the importance of the Israeli security forces providing appropriate protection to the Palestinian civilian population.