Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether a Minister from his Department plans to attend the aid conference for Lebanon on 4 August 2021.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Attendance at the conference will be confirmed shortly.
Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assurances he has sought from the Government of Bahrain on the strengthening of (a) the Bahraini Ministry of Interior Ombudsman and (b) other human rights oversight institutions in that country in response to the provision of support to Bahrain through the Gulf Strategy Fund.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The FCDO's International Programme (IP), and within it the Gulf Strategy Fund (GSF), is a vital tool in promoting positive change and reforms across the world, including in the Gulf. Our programmes help our partners to continue their human rights reform, address key climate change and green growth opportunities and challenges, tackle illicit finance, improve marine conservation, promote economic diversification, promote diversity and inclusion including on LGBTQ+ rights, and develop their institutions.
All cooperation through the International Programme, including the Gulf Strategy Fund, is subject to rigorous risk assessments to ensure all work meets our human rights obligations and our values. The Government does not shy away from raising legitimate human rights concerns, and encourage other states to respect international law.
We now publish an annual summary of the GSF's work on gov.uk. We will not publish further information where doing so presents risks to our staff, programme suppliers and beneficiaries, or which may impact our relationships with our international partners, and therefore our ability to influence their reform efforts. We will provide updates on an annual basis.
Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the introduction of sanctions against political leaders in Lebanon.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We do not speculate about possible future sanctions designations. The UK, the EU, and others in the International Support Group for Lebanon have long been clear that Lebanon's political leaders must implement the reforms to which they have committed. This is the only way to sustainably address the socioeconomic and political crisis the country faces.
Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the Government of Bahrain on immediate release of Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa from detention in that country.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We continue to monitor and raise the cases of Husain Moosa, Mohammed Ramadhan and others, as necessary, with the Bahraini Government.
Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)
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 Saudi and Emirati led coalition on ensuring the protection of children during the conflict in Yemen.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
We regularly raise the importance of complying with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the Coalition, including requesting investigations into alleged incidents of concern. The Foreign Secretary raised IHL with Saudi National Security Advisor al-Aiban on 7 June. The UK is committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and protecting all children in armed conflict. We condemn in the strongest terms all grave violations and abuses committed against children in Yemen and urge all parties to the conflict to immediately cease all violations of applicable international law, respect human rights and exercise restraint. We continue to press all parties to engage constructively with UN-led peace efforts, which is the only way to end the cycle of violence.
Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his Saudi counterpart on establishing an independent investigation into allegations of sexual assault and torture of human rights activists and other political prisoners in that Kingdom.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
HMG have consistently raised- both publicly and privately- concern over the allegations of torture. In 2019 and 2020, the UK signed two joint statements at the UN Human Rights Council setting out these concerns. The Foreign Secretary, Minister Cleverly and Lord Ahmad raised the cases of the women's rights defenders in their latest engagements with the Saudi authorities.
Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)
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 effect of the reduction in Official Development Assistance spending on the UK’s funding for projects to help protect and rehabilitate vulnerable children from armed conflict.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK is firmly committed to ending the recruitment and use of child soldiers and to protecting all children affected by armed conflict. We demonstrate continued UK diplomatic leadership through our active participation in the UN Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict. The UK aims to embed the reintegration of children in armed conflict into longer-term development and peacebuilding strategies. The UK also supports a set of instruments that contribute to safeguarding the rights of children in armed conflict, including the Safe Schools Declaration to protect education from attack.
Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)
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 for foreign interference in the process towards free and fair elections being held in Libya in December 2021.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
Free, fair and inclusive national elections on 24 December 2021, including women's full, equal and meaningful participation, and the withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries from Libya are top priorities for the UK in Libya. They are captured in UN Security Council Resolution 2570, drafted by the UK as penholder, and unanimously adopted by the UNSC, and in the communiqué agreed by the Berlin II Conference on 24 June at which I represented the UK. The UK is working with international and Libyan partners, including the interim Government of National Unity, to pursue these priorities, restoring Libya's sovereignty and putting the country on a path to sustained security and prosperity.
Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)
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 new Government of Israel on ensuring that the bodies of (a) Mai Afaneh and (b) Ahmed Eriqat are returned to their families.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK continues to urge all sides to treat the dead with respect and Israel to return any bodies that they are holding.
Asked by: Wayne David (Labour - Caerphilly)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the recent outbreak of violence between Hamas and Israel, what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on co-ordinating efforts to encourage Hamas to (a) disclose the fate of the two Israeli civilians seized and (b) release the bodies of the two Israeli soldiers claimed as a result of that violence.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK welcomed the announcement of a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza on 20 May, which is an important step to ending the cycle of violence and loss of civilian life. The UK position is clear: we urge all sides to treat the dead with respect and urge Palestinian authorities to return any bodies they are holding. The UK maintains a no contact policy with Hamas in its entirety.