Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
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 needs of internally displaced people in Gaza.
Answered by David Rutley
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to introduce Magnitsky-style sanctions against Chinese officials involved in human rights abuses in Tibet.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
We are aware of human rights violations in Tibet, including restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, freedom of assembly and association, and reports of forced labour. We coordinate with partners to draw international attention to the human rights situation in Tibet, most recently on 20 May 2023 in the G7 Leaders' Communique, and in March 2023, as part of our Item 4 statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council. It is not appropriate to speculate on who may be sanctioned in the future, as to do so could reduce their impact.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his officials have held discussions with Acteon Group on providing services to the gas industry in Myanmar.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
We are aware of reports that a subsidiary of Acteon Group has previously provided services to the gas industry in Myanmar. We have not discussed this with them directly but we have been clear that all businesses operating in Myanmar should conduct thorough due diligence to ensure they are not inadvertently supporting the Myanmar military. Since the military coup in Myanmar on 1st February 2021, the UK has led international efforts to reduce the military's access to revenue, arms and equipment. We have imposed fourteen rounds of sanctions on the regime, most recently on 31 January, designating companies involved in the supply of aviation fuel to the Myanmar Air Force. We will continue to consider both sanctions and non-sanctions measures to hold this brutal regime to account.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what his planned timetable is for the publication of the independent report by William Shawcross on compensation for victims of Libyan-sponsored IRA terrorism.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK Government reiterates its sympathy for UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism and indeed for all victims of the Troubles. The Government set out its position on Mr Shawcross's report on compensation for UK victims of Qadhafi-sponsored IRA terrorism in a Written Ministerial Statement made on 23 March 2021. Mr Shawcross's report was commissioned as an internal scoping report, to provide internal advice to Ministers. Its content is based on private, confidential conversations and information shared on this basis. The Government will not be publishing the report. The responsibility for providing compensation specifically for the actions of the Qadhafi regime lies with the Libyan State. The Government has repeatedly urged the Libyan authorities, including at the highest levels of the Libyan government, to engage with UK victims and their representatives and to address their claims for compensation.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has had discussions with the UK P&I Club on their role in providing insurance for vessels delivering aviation fuel to Myanmar.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
On 28 February 2022, the UK updated its Overseas Business Risk Guidance to make it clear that UK businesses should conduct thorough supply chain due diligence to ensure that commodities such as aviation fuel do not reach the Myanmar military.
We maintain regular contact with insurance providers to understand the market and update them on policy announcements. We have not had any meetings with the UK P&I Club on Myanmar.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his US counterpart on the role of Chevron and ExxonMobil in supplying aviation fuel to Myanmar.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
On 28 February 2022, the UK updated its Overseas Business Risk Guidance to make it clear that UK businesses should conduct thorough supply chain due diligence to ensure that commodities such as aviation fuel do not reach the Myanmar military. We are engaging regularly with partners, including the US, to ensure a coordinated international effort to prevent the flow of weapons, equipment and aviation fuel to Myanmar. FCDO officials have had in depth discussions with US counterparts about the role Western businesses play in the aviation fuel supply chain.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
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 (a) LGBT activists and (b) other organisations from (i) the Cayman Islands and (ii) Bermuda on the right to marriage for same-sex couples in those countries.
Answered by David Rutley
The inhabited British Overseas Territories are separate, largely self-governing jurisdictions with their own democratically elected representatives. The relationship with the Overseas Territories is based on partnership. Policy on marriage law is an area of devolved responsibility.
The majority of Overseas Territories have legal recognition and protection for same sex relationships, either through marriage or through civil partnerships as is the case in Bermuda. In 2020 the Governor of the Cayman Islands enacted civil partnership legislation to recognise same-sex partnerships in order to comply with the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal. The UK Government continues to engage with and encourage remaining Territories that have not put in place arrangements to recognise and protect same sex relationships, to do so.
The UK Government remains open to further engagement with LGBT+ activists and organisations across the Overseas Territories to support increased recognition and protections for same-sex relationships in the Overseas Territories.
Asked by: Yasmin Qureshi (Labour - Bolton South and Walkden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what funding his Department has provided for (a) sexual and reproductive health and rights, (b) maternal care and (c) other programmes for women's health in Pakistan in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by Leo Docherty
The UK has a long history of financial and technical support to the health sector in Pakistan. Bilateral programmes have focussed on health system strengthening, reproductive health, maternal and child health and nutrition. Since 2012, UK Aid in Pakistan has reached over 9.7 million family planning users and prevented 8,809 maternal deaths, over 8.08 million unwanted pregnancies and 1.89 million unsafe abortions. Currently our family planning programme has pivoted to flood support, providing primary health care to affected communities especially vulnerable women and children. Future Aid prioritisation decisions will be guided by the new UK International Development Strategy to ensure we continue to support women and girls, address increasing global challenges, deliver investment, get humanitarian assistance to those who need it most and continue our work on climate change, nature, and global health.