Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps her Department has taken to meet target 3.7 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals on universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services by 2030.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK Government is committed to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. We are proud to defend universal access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights as outlined in the International Development Strategy and Ending Preventable Deaths of Mothers, Babies and Children by 2030 approach paper. This includes our renewed support to life saving global health initiatives such as the Global Financing Facility and to the United Nations Population Fund Supplies programme to advance the availability of modern contraception in the world's poorest countries. The UK continues to work with like-minded partners to accelerate global progress, including by securing joint commitments at the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government and G7 Health Ministerial. This work is crucial to unlock the potential, agency and freedom of women and girls around the world.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to improve UK diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK has a clear interest in enduring peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and the G7 Leaders' Communiqué this month underscored this with our international partners. As the Foreign Secretary said in her Mansion House speech, we must ensure that democracies like Taiwan are able to defend themselves. Though the United Kingdom does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, we have a vibrant unofficial relationship, based on dynamic commercial, educational and cultural ties. This relationship delivers significant benefits to both the UK and Taiwan.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Annex to the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, published in March 2022, what assessment she has made of the implications for her policies of the finding that members of the Baha’i minority in Qatar have been reportedly subject to administrative deportations and blacklisting resulting in loss of employment, income, and separation of families.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities.
The Foreign Secretary last visited Qatar in October 2021 where she had a number of discussions with key interlocutors, including His Highness the Amir. Human rights, including women and girls' issues were discussed, but the Baha'i community was not discussed. FCDO Officials, both in the UK and in Doha, have and will continue to engage with members of the Baha'i community in Qatar. Earlier this year, officials in Doha raised the challenges faced by some members of the Baha'i community with the Director for Human Rights from the Qatari Ministry of Interior and Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The UK Ambassador to Qatar has also raised the issue with Qatari Ministers, who agreed to look into the issue. We will continue to raise these issues with the Qatari Government, including in light of the Special Rapporteur's for Freedom of Religion or Belief's report 'Rights of persons belonging to religious or belief minorities in situations of conflict or insecurity' published in March 2022.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations she has received on the Baha’i community in Qatar; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK is committed to defending freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect between different religious and non-religious communities. Promoting the right to FoRB is one of the UK's longstanding human rights priorities.
The Foreign Secretary last visited Qatar in October 2021 where she had a number of discussions with key interlocutors, including His Highness the Amir. Human rights, including women and girls' issues were discussed, but the Baha'i community was not discussed. FCDO Officials, both in the UK and in Doha, have and will continue to engage with members of the Baha'i community in Qatar. Earlier this year, officials in Doha raised the challenges faced by some members of the Baha'i community with the Director for Human Rights from the Qatari Ministry of Interior and Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The UK Ambassador to Qatar has also raised the issue with Qatari Ministers, who agreed to look into the issue. We will continue to raise these issues with the Qatari Government, including in light of the Special Rapporteur's for Freedom of Religion or Belief's report 'Rights of persons belonging to religious or belief minorities in situations of conflict or insecurity' published in March 2022.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the International Development Strategy, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect of increased trade between the UK and non-EU countries on TB outcomes for the world's poorest and most marginalised people.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK's independent trade policy supports developing partners to lift themselves out of poverty, to build back better after the global pandemic, and to reduce their dependency on aid. This includes ensuring the free flow of critical goods such as medical supplies.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if her Department will pledge £1.8 billion to the Global Fund's upcoming Seventh Replenishment campaign.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The Global Fund remains an essential partner for the UK in the fight against HIV, TB and malaria. The UK pledged £1.4 billion to the Global Fund's 6th replenishment (2020-2022), making us the 2nd largest donor. We are reviewing the Global Fund's investment case for the 7th replenishment and deciding our precise contribution in line with the new International Development Strategy. We will continue to make financial and leadership contributions to the Global Fund's 7th replenishment.Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department plans to provide additional funding to support UK research and academic institutions to develop new tools to help effectively combat global TB.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK Government through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been a leading supporter of TB research and Product Development Partnerships for many years, including the TB Alliance and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics.
Currently, FCDO Official Development Assistance allocations are being finalised to deliver the priorities set out in the International Development Strategy (IDS). In parallel, FCDO teams are developing business plans to deliver the IDS, which will include research and development on health technologies to combat TB.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
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 potential impact of the Government's proposed reduction to the amount of overseas development aid channelled through multilateral organisations on outcomes in the efforts to eradicate global TB.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK is and will continue to be a leading donor on TB, in particular through our support to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria and our ongoing research partnerships in TB, such as the LIGHT consortium led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, the TB Alliance and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics. The Global Fund provides 77% of all international financing for TB and the UK is the second largest donor to the Global Fund's 6th replenishment. We will continue to make financial and leadership contributions to the Global Fund's 7th replenishment in the Autumn.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to encourage other countries to ban conversion therapy.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
The UK government is fully committed to ending the practice of Conversion Therapy. The UK, as current co-chairs of the Equal Rights Coalition (ERC) a grouping of 42 countries working to advance LGBTI equality, led on the drafting of the ERC's first five year Strategy. The Strategy launched in July 2021 and includes a commitment for all ERC Member States to work collaboratively to advance ending Conversion Therapy.
Asked by: Virendra Sharma (Labour - Ealing, Southall)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions her Department has had with the US Administration on designating Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva under the Global Human Rights (GHR) Sanctions regime.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is grateful for the submission by the International Truth and Justice Project on General Shavendra Silva. We keep all evidence and potential designations under close review. However, it is not appropriate to speculate on future designations under the Global Human Rights Sanctions regime, as to do so could reduce their impact. Sanctions are one response among a number of tools we can deploy.
The UK Government, alongside our partners in the Core Group on Sri Lanka including the US, has led international efforts to promote accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. This effort includes the passing of Resolution 46/1 in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to promote and protect human rights, and truth, justice, reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka. We will continue to seek increased accountability and respect for human rights, including through activities funded under our Conflict, Security and Stability Fund programmes.