Asked by: Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Saudi Arabia regarding the increased use of the death penalty in that country, particularly for non-lethal and political acts; and what plans they have, if any, to restrict the sale of arms and military technology in response.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office human rights priority country, in part because of the increased use of the death penalty. I [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon] regularly raise the death penalty with the Saudi authorities, most recently on 11 March and during my visit to Saudi Arabia in February.
The UK Government takes its strategic export control responsibilities very seriously. We will not grant export licences if to do so would be inconsistent with the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, including respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. All licences are kept under careful and continual review as standard.
Asked by: Stuart C McDonald (Scottish National Party - Cumbernauld, Kilsyth and Kirkintilloch East)
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 Cabinet colleagues on potential responses to the Ugandan Government's Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
I have expressed the UK's deep disappointment with the decision of the Parliament of Uganda on 21 March 2023 to pass the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The UK is alarmed by the increasing criminalization of LGBT+ people in Uganda. This Bill threatens minority rights and risks persecution and discrimination of all people across Uganda. Amendments to the Bill, including introduction of the death penalty for 'aggravated homosexuality', are very worrying. The UK Government is firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country.
Asked by: Nadia Whittome (Labour - Nottingham East)
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 his counterparts in Uganda on the Ugandan Government's Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2023.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
I have expressed the UK's deep disappointment with the decision of the Parliament of Uganda on 21 March 2023 to pass the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The UK is alarmed by the increasing criminalization of LGBT+ people in Uganda. This Bill threatens minority rights and risks persecution and discrimination of all people across Uganda. Amendments to the Bill, including introduction of the death penalty for 'aggravated homosexuality', are very worrying. The UK Government is firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country.
Asked by: Stewart Malcolm McDonald (Scottish National Party - Glasgow South)
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 Ugandan counterpart on the anti-LGBTQ+ bill that would make homosexual acts punishable by death in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
I [Minister Mitchell] have expressed the UK's deep disappointment with the decision of the Parliament of Uganda on 21 March 2023 to pass the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. The UK is alarmed by the increasing criminalization of LGBT+ people in Uganda. This Bill threatens minority rights and risks persecution and discrimination of all people across Uganda. Amendments to the Bill, including introduction of the death penalty for 'aggravated homosexuality', are very worrying. The UK Government is firmly opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances and in every country.
Asked by: Kenny MacAskill (Alba Party - East Lothian)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Prime Minister, when he plans to respond to the letter of 14 February 2023 from members of both Houses of Parliament on ongoing human rights concerns in Bahrain.
Answered by Rishi Sunak - Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service, and Minister for the Union
A reply has been sent. The United Kingdom opposes human rights abuses and the death penalty in all circumstances and in all countries, and we continue to reiterate this to the Government of Bahrain. Our long-standing bilateral relationship with Bahrain allows us to assist and encourage continuing human rights reforms.
Asked by: Hilary Benn (Labour - Leeds Central)
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 his counterpart in Saudi Arabia on the case of Abdullah al-Howaiti in the context of (a) the 2018 Juvenile Law, (b) the 2020 Royal Decree and (c) other commitments made by that country to end the execution of child defendants.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office human rights priority country, in part because of the increased use of the death penalty. The FCDO is monitoring the case of Abdullah Al-Howaiti. The Minister responsible for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, has raised the case on multiple occasions with the Saudi authorities, most recently in December 2022. We will continue to monitor and raise the case of Abdullah Al-Howaiti with the Saudi authorities.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
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 counterparts in Iran to (a) press for an end to the death penalty for charges of blasphemy and (b) support greater freedom of religion and belief in that country.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances. On 8 December and 9 January, the Foreign Secretary ordered the summoning of Iran's most senior diplomat in the UK, to protest Iran's continued imposition of the death penalty on protesters. Lord Ahmad also raised the death penalty with the Iranian Charge d'Affaires on 20 December. Promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is a priority for the UK, including in Iran where religious minorities face systematic discrimination and harassment. In July 2022, we hosted the International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief in London. As an FCDO Human Rights Priority Country Iran was discussed in a number of different sessions. We raise our opposition to Iran's use of the death penalty, and its dire record on freedom of religion and belief, at all appropriate opportunities, including through our Ambassador in Tehran.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he raised the case of Abdullah al-Howaiti with his Saudi counterpart during his visit to Riyadh last week; and whether he has called for al-Howaiti’s release following the decision of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in his case.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office human rights priority country, in part because of the increased use of the death penalty. The FCDO is carefully monitoring the case of Abdullah Al-Howaiti. The Minister responsible for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, has raised the case on multiple occasions with the Saudi authorities, most recently in December 2022. During his visit in February, Lord Ahmad discussed a range of human rights issues, including the death penalty. We will continue to monitor and raise the case of Abdullah Al-Howaiti.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps she has taken to tackle trail hunts causing the death of foxes.
Answered by Trudy Harrison
The Hunting Act 2004 makes it an offence to hunt a wild mammal with dogs except where it is carried out in accordance with the exemptions in the Act. Those found guilty under the Act are subject to the full force of the law.
The government recently passed the Animal Welfare (Sentencing) Act 2021, providing one of the toughest sanctions in Europe and strengthening the UK's position as a global leader on animal welfare. This strengthened penalty sends a clear message that animal cruelty will not be tolerated and will enable our courts to take a firmer ap-proach to cases of animal cruelty.
Asked by: Jim Shannon (Democratic Unionist Party - Strangford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the consequences for his policies of the imprisonment of Hassan al-Maliki and Salman al-Oudah.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office human rights priority country and we are following these cases. We raise a range of human rights issues, including the use of the death penalty and individual detentions, with the Saudi authorities at all levels, including most recently during Lord Ahmad's visit to the Kingdom on 15 February.