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Written Question
Zimbabwe: Politics and Government
Monday 18th December 2023

Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking to encourage Organ on Politics, Defence and Security of the South African Development Community to support a political settlement in Zimbabwe.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK is committed to maintaining a constructive dialogue with the Government of Zimbabwe to support governance and economic reforms. The Minister for Development and Africa released a statement on 31 August echoing the concerns expressed by various International Election Observation Mission Reports that Zimbabwe's elections fell short of regional and international standards. The Minister met with President Mnangagwa both before and after the elections, most recently at COP28. As part of these engagements, the Minister has expressed the UK's desire to see reforms implemented and greater space for civil society organisations to operate. We are in regular ministerial level discussions with our Southern African Development Community (SADC) counterparts on Zimbabwe and engage with partners across a wide range of multilateral fora.


Written Question
Zimbabwe: Politics and Government
Monday 18th December 2023

Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he is taking in the UN Security Council to (a) encourage international support for a political settlement in Zimbabwe and (b) help ensure civil society organisations can participate effectively in steps towards a settlement.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK is committed to maintaining a constructive dialogue with the Government of Zimbabwe to support governance and economic reforms. The Minister for Development and Africa released a statement on 31 August echoing the concerns expressed by various International Election Observation Mission Reports that Zimbabwe's elections fell short of regional and international standards. The Minister met with President Mnangagwa both before and after the elections, most recently at COP28. As part of these engagements, the Minister has expressed the UK's desire to see reforms implemented and greater space for civil society organisations to operate. We are in regular ministerial level discussions with our Southern African Development Community (SADC) counterparts on Zimbabwe and engage with partners across a wide range of multilateral fora.


Written Question
Zimbabwe: Politics and Government
Monday 18th December 2023

Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to (a) engage with the Zimbabwean authorities on a political settlement, (b) share lessons learnt from other peace processes and (c) support civil society engagement.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The UK is committed to maintaining a constructive dialogue with the Government of Zimbabwe to support governance and economic reforms. The Minister for Development and Africa released a statement on 31 August echoing the concerns expressed by various International Election Observation Mission Reports that Zimbabwe's elections fell short of regional and international standards. The Minister met with President Mnangagwa both before and after the elections, most recently at COP28. As part of these engagements, the Minister has expressed the UK's desire to see reforms implemented and greater space for civil society organisations to operate. We are in regular ministerial level discussions with our Southern African Development Community (SADC) counterparts on Zimbabwe and engage with partners across a wide range of multilateral fora.


Written Question
India and Pakistan: Oppression
Monday 23rd October 2023

Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)

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 his (a) Pakistani and (b) Indian counterparts about reports of involvement by their officials in repression in the UK.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The UK Government takes the protection of individuals' rights, freedoms and safety very seriously. We are clear that all diplomatic missions must respect UK sovereignty and law, and that we will respond appropriately to any attempts by foreign governments to coerce, intimidate or harm individuals within the UK. We will continue to work through the inter-governmental Defending Democracy Taskforce to protect democratic processes, institutions, and society from threats of foreign interference.


Written Question
Pakistan: Detainees
Monday 23rd October 2023

Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)

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 allegations of involvement of the Pakistani (a) intelligence services and (b) military in (i) enforced disappearances and (ii) secret detention in that country.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

We engage regularly with the Government of Pakistan to advance key priorities and interests, including on human rights and the rule of law. The Foreign Secretary raised the current human rights situation in Pakistan with Prime Minister Kakar on 25 September. The UK strongly condemns any instances of enforced disappearances and urges Pakistan to investigate any allegations and prosecute those responsible. We continue to encourage progress towards the criminalisation of enforced disappearance in Pakistan. Where there are allegations of human rights violations, we expect these to be fully investigated in line with international human rights law.


Written Question
Pakistan: Politics and Government
Monday 23rd October 2023

Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)

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 of the implications for his policies of the political situation in Pakistan.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

The UK has a longstanding and close relationship with Pakistan. We continue to monitor the political situation closely. On 25 September, the Foreign Secretary discussed the need to uphold democratic principles with Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia, spoke with caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Jilani on 12 September, to emphasise the importance of peaceful democratic processes and human rights. In a letter to caretaker Foreign Minister Jilani on 21 August, Lord Ahmad emphasised the need for Pakistan's citizens to be able to exercise their democratic rights and participate in peaceful, inclusive, credible elections.


Written Question
Pakistan: Detainees
Monday 23rd October 2023

Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)

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 his Pakistani counterpart on forced disappearances in that country.

Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)

We engage regularly with the Government of Pakistan to advance key priorities and interests, including on human rights and the rule of law. The Foreign Secretary raised the current human rights situation in Pakistan with Prime Minister Kakar on 25 September. The UK strongly condemns any instances of enforced disappearances and urges Pakistan to investigate any allegations and prosecute those responsible. We continue to encourage progress towards the criminalisation of enforced disappearance in Pakistan. Where there are allegations of human rights violations, we expect these to be fully investigated in line with international human rights law.


Written Question
Sierra Leone: Elections
Tuesday 19th September 2023

Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)

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 democratic standards at the June 2023 elections in Sierra Leone; and what representations the Government made on democratic standards to (a) President Bio and (b) electoral authorities in Sierra Leone (i) before and (ii) after those elections.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

We noted a number of discrepancies in the election process. These have been communicated to the Government of Sierra Leone and elections management bodies. It remains vital that political leaders engage with efforts to support Sierra Leone's democratic process.

We have engaged stakeholders including the government, opposition, election bodies and the international community, in the months leading up to, during and after the elections. We have given consistent messaging on good governance, the rule of law and the importance of free, fair and peaceful elections. The Foreign Secretary raised these issues during his visit to Sierra Leone in March and in a telephone call with President Bio on 7 August.


Written Question
Development Aid: Genito-urinary Medicine
Thursday 20th July 2023

Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department plans to make sexual and reproductive health and rights a priority in the upcoming White Paper on international development.

Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)

The Government will publish an International Development White Paper later this year. It will set out how the UK will lead the charge against extreme poverty and climate change in a changing world. The FCDO global health directorate will engage with this process.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are central to the UK's international development agenda. SRHR features strongly in our approach to end the preventable deaths of mothers, babies and children (EPD), the international development strategy, and our recently published international women and girls' strategy.


Written Question
Colombia: Police
Monday 26th June 2023

Asked by: Tony Lloyd (Labour - Rochdale)

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 the Colombian government on the reforms to the National Police proposed by the Colombian President; and what steps he has taken to raise concerns of human rights organisations over these reforms.

Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Since 2015, the UK has committed £80 million through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) to support the peace process and improve stability and security in Colombia. As part of the CSSF funding in Colombia, the UK launched a three-year, £2.1 million Police Innovations for Stabilisation in Colombia Programme (SCIP) in 2020, which is helping support the transformation of the Colombian National Police.

The UK's Global Ambassador for Human Rights, Rita French, met with civil society organisations and the Colombian Government to discuss the importance of civil society participation in peace and security issues during her visit to Colombia in April.