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Written Question
India: Religious Freedom
Friday 27th May 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had any recent discussions with Narendra Modi on the Bharatiya Janata Party's persecution of Muslims in India.

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. We engage with India on a range of human rights matters and where we have concerns, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, also regularly speaks to the High Commissioner of India, and human rights including freedom of religion or belief forms part of that dialogue.

The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions will continue to follow reports of violence and discrimination closely, while recognising that these are matters for India. It is for the Indian Government to address the concerns of all Indian citizens, regardless of faith. Our network of High Commissions across India also regularly meet religious representatives and have run projects supporting minority rights. For example, we have hosted Iftars to celebrate the important contribution Indian Muslims and other communities have made to Indian society. Moreover, we have supported a UK-India Interfaith Leadership Programme for a cohort of emerging Indian leaders of diverse faith backgrounds, creating an opportunity to exchange UK-India experiences on leading modern, inclusive communities.


Written Question
Pakistan: Kashmir
Friday 18th March 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to the Government of Pakistan on maintaining the status of Gilgit Baltistan apart from an overall settlement of the issue of the status of Kashmir; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

The long-standing position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting, political resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator. We encourage both sides to maintain positive dialogue and find lasting, diplomatic solutions, but the pace and scope is for them to determine.


Written Question
Sri Lanka: Tamils
Friday 4th March 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if her Department will consult Tamil representatives including in Sri Lanka on potential next steps on UN Resolution 46/1 on Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka.

Answered by Vicky Ford

The UK led efforts at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in March 2021 to adopt Resolution 46/1. We continue to support engagement between the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Government of Sri Lanka on reconciliation, accountability and human rights.

The Minister for South and Central Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed the importance of these issues with representatives of the Sri Lankan government and wider stakeholders, including representatives of Tamil communities, during his visit to Sri Lanka in January 2022 when he travelled to Jaffna and Trincomalee as well as Colombo.


Written Question
Sri Lanka: Human Rights
Friday 4th March 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans her Department has to ask the (a) International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism or (b) International Criminal Court to conduct an international investigation in Sri Lanka when UN Resolution 46/1 on Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, expires.

Answered by Vicky Ford

The UK led efforts at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in March 2021 to adopt Resolution 46/1. We continue to support engagement between the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Government of Sri Lanka on reconciliation, accountability and human rights.

The Minister for South and Central Asia, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, discussed the importance of these issues with representatives of the Sri Lankan government and wider stakeholders, including representatives of Tamil communities, during his visit to Sri Lanka in January 2022 when he travelled to Jaffna and Trincomalee as well as Colombo.


Written Question
North Korea: Religious Freedom
Tuesday 1st March 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Korea Future's 2021 report, Persecuting Faith: Documenting religious freedom violations in North Korea, Volume 2, what steps he is taking to help prevent the persecution of (a) Christians and (b) followers of other faiths in North Korea.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We regularly raise our concerns about human rights violations directly with the North Korean authorities and at the UN, and recently discussed the human rights situation in the DPRK during a closed session of the UN Security Council on 15 December 2021.

The UK co-sponsored (alongside 59 other countries) the resolution on DPRK human rights adopted at the UN General Assembly on 16 December 2021. The resolution sends an unequivocal message to the DPRK Government and reiterates long-held demands of the international community for the DPRK regime to take concrete action to end the systemic and widespread human rights violations in the country, and to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief. We will work with partners at the Human Rights Council in March 2022 to secure a strong and clear resolution on DPRK human rights.


Written Question
India: Homicide
Friday 14th January 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

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 accuracy of reports of extrajudicial killings in India where persons falsely accused of terrorism have been killed by (a) Indian armed forces and (b) police in Kashmir.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We are aware of reports of ongoing violence Kashmir in recent weeks. We express our condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives, including security personnel and civilians. Any allegations of mistreatment by the police or armed forces should be investigated thoroughly and transparently by the relevant authorities.


Written Question
Khurram Parvez
Friday 14th January 2022

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

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 welfare of Khurram Parvez, the Kashmiri human rights activist, who was arrested by the National Investigation Agency in Srinagar Indian-administered Kashmir and who is currently reported to be imprisoned in New Delhi; and if she will make a statement.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

We are aware of the reports regarding the detention of Khurram Parvez and continue to follow his case closely. We are clear on the importance of rights being respected and continue to call for all remaining restrictions imposed in Kashmir since the constitutional changes in August 2019 to be lifted as soon as possible, and for political detainees to be released.


Written Question
Africa: Climate Change
Friday 19th November 2021

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK's international climate change strategy on poverty in African countries.

Answered by Vicky Ford

Tackling climate change and biodiversity is the UK Government's number one international priority as set out in the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy, published in March 2021. Evidence shows that poorer people are more vulnerable to the impact of climate change and unless addressed now, these impacts will represent an obstacle to the sustained eradication of poverty. Africa is the continent most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. From cyclones in Southern Africa to locusts in East Africa, changing weather patterns are already having catastrophic impacts for communities living across the continent, impacting lives and livelihoods.

As COP26 President, the UK is committed to driving action to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees and support countries that are most vulnerable to adapt to the impacts of climate change. This will be crucially important for communities in Africa, where the impacts of climate change are already being felt. The UK is a long-standing supporter of African adaptation, with around half of our £2.7 billion adaptation budget between 2016 and 2020 spent in Africa. We have strengthened these commitments at COP26, contributing £20 million to the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Programme to support African countries in designing and implementing transformational adaptation of their economies and post-COVID recovery. We have provided a guarantee to the African Development Bank, releasing up to $2 billion of climate finance - half of which will be for adaptation. We also recognise the importance of Africa's forested areas to mitigating climate change impacts and limiting global temperature rise. At the World Leaders Summit Forests and Land Use Event, the UK contributed £200 million to a landmark £1.1 billion donor pledge to protect the Congo Basin - the world's second largest rainforest - and support the region's long-term green economic development. These commitments demonstrate that Africa is at the heart of our approach to climate and nature.


Written Question
Coronavirus: Vaccination
Wednesday 27th October 2021

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with Swiss officials on the NHS Covid Pass being accepted as proof of vaccination to enter indoor areas in Switzerland.

Answered by Wendy Morton

Domestic COVID certificates are the prerogative of each individual country. Where a country has introduced domestic COVID certificates, for example to enter hospitality venues, we have sought to engage with them to understand whether the NHS COVID Pass fulfils their requirements. Swiss COVID certificates are the prerogative of Switzerland: it is up to the Swiss government to determine whether the NHS COVID Pass meets their requirements.


Written Question
Iran: Nuclear Power
Thursday 20th May 2021

Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)

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 the implications of Iran's nuclear programme for the Government's policy; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

Iran continues its systematic non-compliance with its nuclear commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). On 16 April Iran announced that it had started uranium enrichment up to 60% using advanced centrifuges, which is a serious and deeply worrying development in violation of its nuclear commitments. The production of highly enriched uranium is an important step in the production of a nuclear weapon. Iran has no credible civilian need for enrichment at this level.

The Foreign Secretary has been clear that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon. Our immediate priority is to find a diplomatic solution to bring Iran back into compliance with its JCPoA commitments and restore the benefits of the deal. We are currently engaged in talks with other JCPoA participants and the US Administration in Vienna to that end. The JCPoA still represents the best and currently the only framework for monitoring and constraining Iran's nuclear programme.