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Written Question
North Korea: Refugees
Thursday 3rd March 2016

Asked by: Richard Burden (Labour - Birmingham, Northfield)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made to (a) China, (b) Laos, (c) Vietnam and (d) Myanmar on the repatriation of North Korean defectors from those countries to North Korea.

Answered by Lord Swire

We regularly raise the treatment of North Korean refugees in multilateral fora such as the United Nations Security Council and the Human Rights Council. We raise our concerns around refoulement regularly at the annual UK-China Human Rights Dialogue and through our Embassy in Beijing. In addition, we work directly with the Chinese authorities on a number of projects to counter human trafficking, which seek to protect the most vulnerable from exploitation, abuse, neglect and violence. We made bilateral representations to Laos in 2013 (see written answer HL950) regarding the refoulement of DPRK refuges. We have not made any specific representations to Vietnam or Burma on DPRK refugees, but we continue to maintain a dialogue on human rights issues with these countries.


Written Question
UK Trade and Investment: Trade Promotion
Thursday 3rd March 2016

Asked by: Jonathan Ashworth (Labour (Co-op) - Leicester South)

Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, pursuant to the Answer of 26 February 2016 to Question 27903, which countries were visited in each of the overseas visits referred to in the Answer; and which trade envoy undertook each such visit.

Answered by Anna Soubry

The table below outlines which countries were visited, and by which Trade Envoy.

YEAR

TRADE ENVOY

COUNTRY

2012

Baroness Morris

Jordan

2013

Baroness Morris

Palestine, Kuwait

2013

Lord Risby

Algeria

2013

Baroness Scotland

South Africa

2013

Lord Putnam

Vietnam, Laos

2013

Baroness Bonham-Carter

Mexico x2

2013

Richard Graham

Indonesia

2014

Baroness Bonham-Carter

Mexico x2

2014

Richard Graham

Indonesia x2

2014

Mark Prisk

Iceland, Finland, Sweden

2014

Lord Risby

Algeria x3, Tunisia

2014

David Heath

Nigeria x2, Angola x2

2014

Lord Sharman

Morocco x2

2014

Baroness Scotland

South Africa x2

2014

Lord Hollick

Kenya, Tanzania,

2014

Lord Janvrin

Turkey x2

2014

Charles Hendry

Kazakhstan x2

2014

Baroness Morris

Palestine x2, Jordan

2014

Lord King

Saudi Arabia

2014

Charles Hendry

Azerbaijan x2

2015

Charles Hendry

Kazakhstan x2, Azerbaijan

2015

Baroness Morris

Kuwait x3, Palestine

2015

Lord Janvrin

Turkey x2

2015

Lord King

Saudi Arabia x3

2015

Baroness Nicholson

Iraq

2015

Baroness Bonham-Carter

Mexico x2

2015

Lord Putnam

Vietnam x2, Cambodia x2, Laos

2015

Lord Hollick

Tanzania, Kenya

2015

Lord Risby

Algeria

2015

David Heath

Angola, Nigeria

2015

Baroness Scotland

South Africa x2

2015

Richard Graham

Indonesia x3, Singapore, Malaysia

2015

Mark Prisk

Norway, Sweden

2016

Lord Risby

Algeria

2016

Lord Hollick

Tanzania, Kenya

2016

Baroness Northover

Angola

2016

Baroness Scotland

South Africa

2016

Jeffrey Donaldson MP

Egypt

2016

Baroness Morris

Kuwait

2016

Lord Putnam

Vietnam, Cambodia x2, Laos

2016

Richard Graham

Indonesia, Singapore


Written Question
Embassies: Closures
Wednesday 27th January 2016

Asked by: Lord Campbell of Pittenweem (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government how many (1) UK embassies, and (2) UK consular offices, have been closed since 6 May 2010, and where those closures took place.

Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), has not closed any Embassies over this period. Operations were suspended in Tehran, Damascus, Tripoli and Sana’a for security reasons. Tehran re-opened in August 2015.

The FCO currently has 268 posts (Embassies, Consulates-General, Consulates, Multilateral Missions and Trade and Investment Offices – Consular Offices are not classed as posts) worldwide. Since 2010 we have opened nine posts: in Juba (South Sudan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), San Salvador (El Salvador), Seattle (USA), Vientiane (Laos), Mogadishu (Somalia), Port au Prince (Haiti), Asuncion (Paraguay) and Wuhan (China). We have also upgraded eight posts: in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Antananarivo (Madagascar), Calgary (Canada), Monrovia (Liberia), Recife (Brazil), Hyderabad, Chandigarh and Ahmedabad (India).

Since 2010, we have closed the following Consulates and Consular Offices in Europe and elsewhere:

2010: One: Consulate-General Geneva, Switzerland

2011: Three: Consulate-General Lille, France; Consulate-General Venice, Italy; Consulate Florence, Italy

2012: Three: Consulate-General Basra, Iraq; Consulate Funchal, Portugal; Consular Office Oporto, Portugal

2013: Four: Consulate Pattaya, Thailand; Consular Office, Thessaloniki, Greece; Consular Office, Andorra; Consular Office Willemstad, Curaçao

2014: Two: Consular Offices in Cali and Cartagena, Colombia. The FCO also withdrew its Provincial Reconstruction Team from Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan

2015: Two: Consulate Chiang Mai, Thailand; Consular Office Bodrum, Turkey.

The FCO downgraded the following Consulates-General and Consulates to Trade and Investment Offices since 2010:

2012: Two: Consulate-General Lyon, France; Consulate Naples, Italy

2014: One: Consulate Bilbao, Spain.

Since 2010, we have developed new technology and new ways of working that has enabled us to deliver services differently in some areas. We now have three Consular Contact Centres that take calls from all consular customers, and are able to support around 80 per cent of those calling without further escalation to post, helping to ensure that Consular staff in-country are able to focus their time on those most in need of help. Some services have also been centralised, with customers able to access them by post, and increasingly through digital channels.


Written Question
Land Mines: Bomb Disposal
Monday 25th January 2016

Asked by: Lord Steel of Aikwood (Non-affiliated - Life peer)

Question to the Department for International Development:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government which countries they include in their Global Mine Action Programme, and whether they will consider adding Angola to that list.

Answered by Earl of Courtown - Captain of the Queen's Bodyguard of the Yeomen of the Guard (HM Household) (Deputy Chief Whip, House of Lords)

The Global Mine Action Programme which runs from 2014 to 2017 funds mine action projects in Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Further work in Burma, Somalia, South Sudan and Zimbabwe is currently being procured. The countries were selected following an inclusive consultation which took into account factors such as other donor funding and where the impact would be the greatest. In addition, DFID took the decision to shift the UK’s mine action funding to more fragile and conflict affected countries and where DFID could align mine action work with other DFID country programmes to maximise the impact. All funds have already been allocated under this programme therefore there is no scope for Angola to be included. This year DFID will reconsider the list of countries for future mine action programmes.


Written Question
Laos: Christianity
Tuesday 12th January 2016

Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Laos on the treatment of the Christian minority in that country.

Answered by Lord Swire

We raise human rights concerns on a regular basis with the Lao government both bilaterally and through multilateral fora. As part of Laos’ Universal Periodic Review process starting in January 2015, and the EU-Laos Human Rights Dialogue in November 2015, we raised concerns regarding restrictions on the right to freedom of religion or belief. We will continue to look for opportunities to work with the Lao government to implement its human rights obligations and commitments, including those regarding respect for the rights of religious minorities.
Written Question
Tigers: Conservation
Monday 4th January 2016

Asked by: Lord Black of Brentwood (Conservative - Life peer)

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussion they have had with the governments of China, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam about combatting the illegal tiger trade and tiger farming in those countries.

Answered by Lord Gardiner of Kimble

The UK Government remains committed to playing a leading international role in tackling the illegal wildlife trade (IWT), including in tigers, and working with our international partners to bring an end to this scourge.


Issues concerning illegal trade in tigers, their parts and derivatives are addressed through the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). The UK is an active member of the CITES Working Group on tigers and issues discussed include illegal trade and captive tiger breeding. The Working Group has submitted a report of its work for consideration at the CITES Standing Committee meeting to be held in Geneva on 11–15 January 2016.


The UK has engaged with China, Laos and Vietnam on IWT through two high-level international Conferences on IWT, the first of which was hosted by the UK in London in February 2014 and which was attended by all three countries. China and Vietnam also attended the Kasane Conference on IWT in Botswana in March 2015, in which the UK played an active role. The UK will be providing support to Vietnam to host a third high-level international Conference on IWT, due to take place in late 2016, and will be encouraging Thailand’s participation. The UK’s diplomatic posts also engage with the relevant authorities in all three countries about how best to tackle IWT.


The Government has also committed £13 million to support projects around the world to tackle illegal wildlife trade by reducing demand, strengthening law enforcement and developing sustainable livelihoods for communities affected by IWT, primarily through Defra’s Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund. A second round of the Challenge Fund was launched on 5 August and successful applicants will be notified in early 2016.



Written Question
South East Asia: Exports
Wednesday 11th November 2015

Asked by: Adam Afriyie (Conservative - Windsor)

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, what steps he has taken to boost exports to (a) Indonesia, (b) Vietnam, (c) Thailand, (d) Malaysia, (e) the Philippines and (f) other countries in South East Asia.

Answered by Anna Soubry

UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) has established a regional network to support UK trade and investment across South East Asia. This helps provide UK companies with access to the fast-growing markets of the region. The network is on target to assist nearly 10,000 businesses this year. UKTI has directly assisted in export deals with the region worth £2bn in the first six months of this financial year, putting us on track to deliver the UK’s best ever trade figures for the region. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister urged the European Union to accelerate negotiations on the EU-ASEAN FTA, a deal that is worth an additional £3 billion a year to the UK economy.

Closer collaboration across the region, supported by continued investment from government, has enabled UKTI to operate ever more efficiently, working with more British businesses and securing a higher value of business wins. Six regional priority sectors have been identified- reflecting UK strengths as well as the scale of opportunities in the region – enabling a more strategic approach to trade delivery in Infrastructure, Education, Energy, Financial & Professional Services, Consumer Retail and Healthcare.

Significant investment is also being made in the development of additional trade service capacity, being delivered by industry partners in the region, principally through Chambers of Commerce. This represents the government’s growing focus on the region as a global growth engine, and is indicative of the continuing importance that this government places in seeking out global opportunities to boost the UK economy.

In July of this year my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister led a trade mission to Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. The mission was made up of 30 British businesses, and included the signing of trade deals worth over £750 million. Concurrently, my right hon. Friend the Secretary for State for Business, Innovation and Skills led the inaugural Northern Powerhouse delegation, comprising over 50 UK companies, to Singapore and Malaysia.

During his visit to Indonesia, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced that the Government will make available up to £1 billion to finance infrastructure projects involving UK business, in Indonesia through its export guarantee scheme. The UK welcomes the recent commitments made by President Joko Widodo’s government on deregulation and improving the business and investment environment in Indonesia, as well as the talks between Indonesia and the EU on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which will benefit both Indonesia and the UK. Richard Graham MP, the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Indonesia and the Asian Economic Community (AEC) has paid two visits this year to Indonesia, pushing forward trade priorities and promoting work on second-tier cities within Indonesia.

Two-way trade with Vietnam more than doubled between 2009 and 2014, reaching £2.81 billion, with the UK being amongst Vietnam’s largest trading partners within the EU. During my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s visit in July, the first by a serving British Prime Minister, Rolls Royce and Vietnam Airlines signed an agreement totalling £340 million, Prudential announced a £100 million investment and ZincOx agreed a £75 million investment for hazardous waste recycling.

In the past year, over 1000 UK businesses have been helped to trade with Thailand. Notable improvements to the business environment include: British beef and lamb now being allowed to be imported into the Thai market after a 20-year hiatus, which will bring business of some £9m over the next five years; the British Embassy Bangkok, with other embassies and Chambers, encouraged the Thai authorities not to proceed with new regulations which would have directly impacted foreign ownership of over 5000 companies, many British, as well as deter further UK investment opportunities; finally the Government has encouraged the Thai authorities, with strong support from the Thai Prime Minister, to sign up to the Construction Transparency Initiative, which should improve public procurement practice for major infrastructure projects.

Exports to Malaysia (the UK’s second largest export market in ASEAN) have risen by almost 25% between 2010 and 2014. Over the past four years, there have been more UK Ministerial and VIP visits to Malaysia promoting trade and investment than ever before, including two visits by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. Recent successes include a £4.2bn supply and maintenance deal between Rolls Royce and Air Asia. Posts have successfully worked to tackle market access barriers, for example, helping to open up engineering and legal services in Malaysia.

In the first half of this year UK exports to the Philippines grew by 44%, the third highest growth in exports to any country worldwide. Major deals include a £90m contract for the supply of electronic voting machines, a £70m deal for a British solar company and the appointment of Arup as the lead designer on the country’s second largest airport.

Lord Puttnam, UK Trade and Cultural Envoy to Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam has also made two visits to the region this year, strengthening important business and governmental links and working on campaigns ranging from infrastructure to education.


Written Question
Wildlife: Smuggling
Thursday 5th November 2015

Asked by: David Hanson (Labour - Delyn)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many diplomatic staff whose work includes tackling the illegal wildlife trade are based in (a) China, (b) Vietnam, (c) Laos, (d) Malaysia, (e) Botswana, (f) Mozambique, (g) Gabon, (h) South Africa, (i) Thailand and (j) India.

Answered by James Duddridge

The numbers requested of diplomatic staff whose work includes illegal wildlife trade are as follows:

China - 5
Vietnam- 3
Laos- 2
Malaysia – 1
Botswana -2
Mozambique- 2
Gabon -2
South Africa -2
Thailand- 2
India -1

In most cases our diplomatic staff in these Posts spend a proportion of their overall time on this issue and are supported by locally engaged staff who also work on tackling illegal wildlife trade.


Written Question
Sombath Somphone
Wednesday 28th October 2015

Asked by: Angus Brendan MacNeil (Independent - Na h-Eileanan an Iar)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent reports he has received on the whereabouts of Sombath Somphone who disappeared in Laos in December 2012; and what representations his Department has made to the Laos government on Mr Somphone.

Answered by Lord Swire

We remain very concerned as to the whereabouts of Mr Sombath Somphone. We regularly raise his disappearance with the Lao government. Laos underwent its second UN Universal Periodic Review under the auspices of the UN Human Rights Council, earlier this year. The United Kingdom’s recommendation calling on the Lao government to conduct a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation into Mr Somphone’s disappearance was formally accepted by the Lao government. On 11 September, 1000 days since Mr Somphone’s disappearance, I wrote to the Lao Ambassador to the United Kingdom, to urge the Lao government to rapidly proceed with conducting an investigation. Next month, at the EU-Laos Human Rights Dialogue in Vientiane, the United Kingdom, along with our EU partners, will highlight the lack of progress in the investigation into Mr Somphone’s disappearance.


Written Question
Deportation
Thursday 10th September 2015

Asked by: David T C Davies (Conservative - Monmouth)

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, to which countries people have been forcibly removed in the last three years.

Answered by James Brokenshire

The table below shows the number of enforced removals from the United Kingdom by destination country for the last three years.

Table: Enforced removals by country of destination, 2012 to 2014
Country of destination201220132014
Afghanistan518496398
Albania473613823
Algeria1249060
American Samoa000
Andorra000
Angola242011
Anguilla000
Antigua and Barbuda652
Argentina439
Armenia132
Aruba000
Australia81210
Austria566831
Azerbaijan702
Bahamas, The552
Bahrain500
Bangladesh881603651
Barbados14128
Belarus1253
Belgium10011069
Belize010
Benin735
Bermuda000
Bhutan000
Bolivia712724
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba000
Bosnia and Herzegovina332
Botswana1927
Brazil339261131
British overseas citizenszzz
Brunei000
Bulgaria475870
Burkina002
Burma401
Burundi810
Cambodia000
Cameroon492935
Canada273421
Cape Verde000
Cayman Islands000
Central African Republic100
Chad000
Chile322013
China617512423
Christmas Island000
Cocos (Keeling) Islands000
Colombia866434
Comoros000
Congo785
Congo (Democratic Republic)1464
Cook Islands000
Costa Rica133
Croatia7813
Cuba000
Curacao000
Cyprus1489
Cyprus (Northern part of)000
Czech Republic3658110
Denmark161312
Djibouti000
Dominica355
Dominican Republic031
East Timor010
Ecuador1096
Egypt535144
El Salvador010
Equatorial Guinea010
Eritrea010
Estonia11912
Ethiopia1163
Falkland Islands000
Faroe Islands000
Fiji932
Finland974
Former Yugoslavia100
France286327397
French Guiana100
French Polynesia000
Gabon001
Gambia, The725721
Georgia32288
Germany14412379
Ghana229186158
Gibraltar000
Greece766
Greenland000
Grenada1033
Guadeloupe000
Guam000
Guatemala941
Guinea576
Guinea-Bissau100
Guyana644
Haiti000
Heard Island and McDonald Islands000
Honduras132
Hong Kong131011
Hungary274452
Iceland001
India2,0871,3571,135
Indonesia91213
Iran27189
Iraq559942
Ireland214178106
Israel1265
Italy297366377
Ivory Coast12912
Jamaica306287284
Japan4123
Jordan1279
Kazakhstan132
Kenya504251
Kiribati100
Korea (North)000
Korea (South)101010
Kosovo243028
Kuwait123
Kyrgyzstan422
Laos010
Latvia10594189
Lebanon434
Lesotho010
Liberia230
Libya82418
Liechtenstein000
Lithuania193324425
Luxembourg120
Macau323
Macedonia133
Madagascar101
Malawi615122
Malaysia14712782
Maldives010
Mali124
Malta685
Marshall Islands000
Martinique000
Mauritania101
Mauritius525643
Mayotte000
Mexico521914
Micronesia000
Moldova24125
Monaco001
Mongolia231313
Montenegro111
Montserrat000
Morocco313242
Mozambique101
Namibia231815
Nauru000
Nepal174144153
Netherlands10511091
Netherlands Antilleszzz
New Caledonia000
New Zealand773
Nicaragua110
Niger012
Nigeria707698506
Niue000
Norfolk Island000
Northern Mariana Islands000
Norway402523
Occupied Palestinian Territories010
Oman201
Other and unknown273275352
Pakistan1,8451,8701,768
Palau000
Panama000
Papua New Guinea000
Paraguay011
Peru485
Philippines158115108
Pitcairn Islands000
Poland372415579
Portugal7281100
Puerto Rico100
Qatar200
Refugeezzz
Reunion000
Romania463705829
Russia31138
Rwanda621
Samoa000
San Marino000
Sao Tome and Principe000
Saudi Arabia3711
Senegal11129
Serbia644
Serbia and Montenegrozzz
Seychelles343
Sierra Leone241112
Singapore111
Slovakia445895
Slovenia394
Solomon Islands000
Somalia7835
South Africa585734
South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands000
Spain717059
Sri Lanka364164185
St. Helena000
St. Kitts and Nevis341
St. Lucia121211
St. Maarten (Dutch Part)000
St. Martin (French Part)000
St. Pierre and Miquelon000
St. Vincent and the Grenadines1399
Statelesszzz
Sudan727
Sudan (South)000
Surinam020
Svalbard and Jan Mayen000
Swaziland413
Sweden364529
Switzerland253624
Syria100
Taiwan745
Tajikistan100
Tanzania322416
Thailand544232
Togo341
Tokelau000
Tonga210
Trinidad and Tobago253423
Tunisia211131
Turkey13312268
Turkmenistan1081
Turks and Caicos Islands000
Tuvalu000
Uganda614825
Ukraine11279106
United Arab Emirates740
United States669870
Uruguay001
Uzbekistan372417
Vanuatu000
Vatican City000
Venezuela6109
Vietnam589468296
Virgin Islands (British)000
Virgin Islands (US)000
Wallis and Futuna000
Western Sahara000
Yemen121
Zambia19810
Zimbabwe423234
Total14,64713,31112,627

The Home Office publishes quarterly and annual statistics on the number of enforced removals from the United Kingdom for immigration purposes, within the Immigration Statistics release. Data relating to enforced removals by destination are available in tables rv_05 to rv_06_q in Immigration Statistics: April – June 2015 on the GOV.UK website: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/home-office/series/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release