Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the accuracy of reports that Iran has quadrupled its production of low-enriched uranium.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
We are seriously concerned about Iranian statements about its commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA), including Iran crossing its low enriched uranium stockpile limit on 1 July, and are working with our JCPoA partners to keep the nuclear deal in place. We have been consistently clear that our commitment to the JCPoA depends on Iran complying in full with the terms of the deal. We believe maintaining the nuclear deal is in the best interests of Iran, the region and the UK.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs,what assessment he has made of the implications for the Middle East Peace Process of the rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
Indiscriminate attacks against civilians are unacceptable and unjustifiable, and make peace harder to achieve. The UK fully supports Israel's right to self-defence and to defend its citizens from such acts of terror. Ultimately, the ongoing decision by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to embrace violence and reject the Quartet principles lies at the heart of the Gaza situation. Hamas and other terrorist groups must cease all actions that are violent or provocative, or that put civilian lives at risk.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
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 his US counterpart on that country’s Middle East peace plan.
Answered by Mark Field
We continue to discuss US Middle East peace efforts with the US Administration, including the Foreign Secretary with Jared Kushner on 10 April. We continue to encourage the US Administration to bring forward detailed proposals for a viable Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement that addresses the legitimate concerns of both parties.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many UK embassies have reported progress on the implementation of the Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders.
Answered by Mark Field
The Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders, updated and issued to the diplomatic network in 2017, are a guide to UK Embassies and High Commissions to steer them in their work and contact with Human Rights Defenders. It is for individual Embassies and High Commissions to determine how they use the Guidelines depending on the local context they are working in. Not all missions will use the Guidelines in the same way and many were already doing much of the work suggested. We engage with Human Rights Defenders on a range of topics and the benefits the Guidelines have delivered will be embedded in reports on this work, rather than being reported separately.
Asked by: Steve Double (Conservative - St Austell and Newquay)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for freedom of religion in India of the recent action by Indian authorities against religious groups as a result of anti-conversion laws; and whether he has made representations to his Indian counterpart on that issue.
Answered by Mark Field
Voluntary conversion to a different religion is not a criminal offence in India. However, laws are active in six of India's 29 states that seek to prevent 'forced' conversion and make the legal process altogether more difficult.
On freedom of religion more broadly, the British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions regularly meet with minority communities, including the National Commission of Minority Affairs. Additionally we have trained nine hundred minority students on faith issues in six universities across North India, and funded a community cohesion project which created a platform for 125 youth champions drawn from 26 colleges. This engaged with diverse religious communities through a series of workshops to initiate change, within themselves, their peers, and family as well as encouraging greater dialogue and understanding across communities.