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 implications for his policies of reports that following the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano on the islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, only people who have been vaccinated against covid-19 are able to access evacuation to neighbouring islands; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We are monitoring the situation in St Vincent and the Grenadines closely and our thoughts are with those affected by the eruptions.
On 8 April Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves ordered an immediate evacuation of people living in the most at-risk areas on St Vincent island. We can confirm that it is a requirement for persons who are being evacuated to another country in the region to be vaccinated. However, late on 12 April Prime Minister Gonsalves announced that his Government will no longer use cruise ships to evacuate people from the Red Zone as the numbers wanting to leave are low and people would prefer to stay on St Vincent and the Grenadines.
COVID-19 vaccinations are not required to gain access to emergency shelters or humanitarian support in-country, although Prime Minister Gonsalves is urging people to get vaccinated. There has been no impact on the provision of support from neighbouring islands (or more broadly - including by the UK), although appropriate COVID-19 measures are being used, including by those who have deployed to the island.
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 the eruption of the La Soufrière volcano, what steps he is planning to take to support the islands of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We are monitoring the situation in St Vincent and the Grenadines closely and our thoughts are with those affected by the eruptions.
On 12 April the UK pledged an initial £200,000 to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) to help address the humanitarian impact of the eruptions. This will provide urgent technical expertise to help coordinate the relief effort, including the provision of lifesaving emergency supplies, the restoration of telecommunications and transport links and other immediate needs including around the provision of water and electricity and in the health and agriculture sectors. We have provided technical advice from the UK Government Office of Science (GO Science) and the British Geological Survey on how to deal with the significant ash fall (including on its impact on livestock).
We currently have a volcanologist on the ground supporting the relief effort. They are working to facilitate the urgent analysis of ash samples back in the UK. This analysis will enable scientists in St Vincent to better understand how the eruptions are changing and determine seismic patterns of activity over the coming months
The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) have allocated $1million in response to the eruptions in St Vincent and the Grenadines. The UK is a longstanding supporter of the CERF. In 2020, the UK was one of the largest donors to the Fund, providing £66 million ($88.6million) to support responses to humanitarian need across the globe.
Finally the UK is also a contributor to the International Federation of the Red Cross Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) which has allocated funding of some £209,000 to the St Vincent and the Grenadines Red Cross response. We will continue to work with CDEMA and other appropriate agencies to assess the need for further UK support.
Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, spoke to the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines and his High Commissioner to the UK on 14 April. They discussed initial and ongoing UK support for the recovery following the volcanic eruption.
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 representations he has made to the (a) the Chinese Government, (b) the international community and (c) UK businesses on the treatment of Uighurs and other minorities in Xinjiang.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK has played a leading international role in holding China to account for its human rights violations in Xinjiang. Most recently, in October, alongside Germany we brought together a total of 39 countries to express grave concern at the situation in Xinjiang in a joint statement at the UN Third Committee. We have engaged more than 50 countries on this issue in recent months. The Foreign Secretary has raised our serious concerns directly with his Chinese counterpart, Foreign Minister and State Councillor Wang Yi on a number of occasions this year. FCDO officials regularly engage business and other stakeholders including trade bodies to raise awareness of China's human rights violations, and underline our view that businesses must take steps to ensure their supply chains are free of forced labour. We continue to urge all UK businesses to conduct due diligence on their supply chains and are taking steps to strengthen supply chain transparency under the Modern Slavery Act.
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 he will revise his Department's travel guidance before the Test to Release Scheme starts on 15 December 2020 to restrict advice against non-essential travel in relation to covid-19 to destinations with a very high risk to travellers.
Answered by Nigel Adams
From 5 November, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) moved away from advising against all non-essential international travel, returning to country specific advice. The FCDO travel advice provides guidance on COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 risks abroad and currently advises against all but essential travel to many countries and territories on the basis of COVID-19 risks. All FCDO travel advice pages remain under constant review to ensure they reflect the FCDO's latest assessment of risks to British nationals and include up-to-date information and advice. FCDO travel advice related to COVID-19 is based on Public Health England's assessment of risks. When the FCDO no longer assesses the risks to British nationals to be unacceptably high, travel advice is updated.
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 he will make it his policy to bring forward a new UN Human Rights Council resolution on bringing perpetrators of violations of human rights to justice in Sri Lanka using an Independent Investigative Mechanism model at the next meeting of the UN (a) Human Rights Council and (b) General Assembly; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK has long supported efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, including in our role as penholder on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). We firmly believe that UNHRC resolution 30/1, and its successor resolutions 34/1 and 40/1, remain the best framework for establishing truth and achieving justice and lasting reconciliation following the conflict in Sri Lanka. We have made this clear in statements delivered on behalf of the Core Group on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC in February, June and September.
The Minister of State for South Asia and Minister responsible for Human Rights, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, has also raised the importance of justice and accountability on several occasions with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena, most recently during calls on 4 and 5 November respectively. We will continue to engage with the Government of Sri Lanka to underline the importance we attach to this issue. Ahead of the March 2021 session of the UNHRC, we will continue to work with our international partners and with the HRC on how best to take forward this longstanding priority for the UK.
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, further to the statement of UN experts on human rights in Jammu and Kashmir of 4 August 2020, what diplomatic steps he is taking to promote human rights in Jammu and Kashmir; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We are aware of the statement written by UN Special Rapporteurs on 4 August. The UK recognises that there are human rights concerns in India-administered Kashmir. We encourage all states to ensure domestic laws are in line with international standards. Any allegation of human rights violations or abuse is deeply concerning and must be investigated transparently, promptly and thoroughly. We have raised our concerns directly with the Government of India.
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 steps he is taking to promote peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK has long supported efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka, including in our role as penholder on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). We firmly believe that UNHRC resolution 30/1, and its successor resolutions 34/1 and 40/1, remain the best framework for establishing truth and achieving justice and lasting reconciliation following the conflict in Sri Lanka. We continue to encourage and support Sri Lanka to deliver on the commitments it made to the UNHRC through these resolutions.
We are concerned about the Government of Sri Lanka's decision to withdraw support for the UN resolution. Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, has raised these concerns on several occasions with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. The Foreign Secretary also underlined the importance of accountability and reconciliation when he spoke to Foreign Minister Gunawardena in May. The UK Government made our concerns clear in statements delivered on behalf of the Core Group on Sri Lanka at the UNHRC in February, June and September. These statements reiterated our ongoing commitment to justice and accountability for victims of conflict and human rights violations, and lasting reconciliation. We also have an active programme of engagement with a wide range of civil society groups and vulnerable communities, and support efforts to deliver peace and reconciliation through our programme work, including as part of the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund. This includes support for resettlement and sustainable livelihoods of those displaced by the conflict, peacebuilding and landmine clearance, and a number of capacity building programmes to strengthen democracy, the rule of law and reconciliation.
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 discussions he has had with his Sri Lankan counterpart on promoting peace and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.
Answered by Nigel Adams
The UK continues to encourage and support Sri Lanka to deliver the commitments it made to the UN Human Rights Council through Resolutions 30/1, 34/1 and 40/1. We firmly believe that this is the best framework for establishing truth and achieving justice and lasting reconciliation following the conflict in Sri Lanka.
We are concerned about the government of Sri Lanka's decision to withdraw support for the UN Resolution. Minister of State for South Asia and the Commonwealth Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, who is also responsible for Human Rights, has raised these concerns on several occasions with the Sri Lankan High Commissioner and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena. The Foreign Secretary also underlined the importance of accountability and reconciliation when he spoke to Foreign Minister Gunawardena in May. The UK Government made our concerns clear in statements delivered on behalf of the Core Group on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council in February, June and September. These statements reiterated our ongoing commitment to justice and accountability for victims of conflict and human rights violations, and lasting reconciliation. We continue to engage with the Government of Sri Lanka on this important issue.
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 his oral contribution of 6 July 2020, Official Report, column 673, when he plans to co-host a conference on freedom of religion or belief; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Adams
Defending the right to Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all is a priority for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. In line with our commitment to championing FoRB, the UK intends to host an international Ministerial conference on this issue. We will announce a date for hosting this conference over the coming months.
Asked by: Steve Baker (Conservative - Wycombe)
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 India on Kashmir; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Nigel Adams
We are in regular contact with the Indian Government regarding the situation in Kashmir. The Foreign Secretary most recently spoke about Kashmir with India's External Affairs Minister Jaishankar on 20 April. Our longstanding position is that it is for India and Pakistan to identify a lasting, political resolution that takes into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to mediate or prescribe a solution.