Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Melton)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has had discussions with NATO allies on the sale of military jets to Serbia; and whether his Department has made an assessment of the (i) level of risk of escalation in Bosnia and (ii) implications for its policies of the absence of Serbian sanctions against Russia in the context of that matter.
Answered by Jeremy Quin
The Government carefully considers its support to Defence exports given the range of opportunities they can provide to support the UK industrial base and expand our global economic and security partnerships. Export licences are granted only in accordance with the UK’s robust Strategic Export Licensing Criteria, which provide a thorough risk assessment framework and require us to consider the possible impact of providing equipment and capabilities. We do not issue licences where we determine there is a clear risk that the items would, overall, undermine peace and security.
Asked by: Liz Twist (Labour - Blaydon)
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 reported use of flights to and from Russia via Serbia on the effectiveness of the EU-wide ban on flights in and out of Russia; and what steps she is taking to ensure that travel-based sanctions are (a) comprehensive and (b) effective.
Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary
The UK has prohibited all Russian owned, operated or chartered aircraft from entering UK airspace and landing in the UK. The EU, the US and other allies have also implemented similar flight bans to Russian aircraft. We are working with our international allies and partners, to encourage other countries to introduce similar bans.
In addition, since Russia's invasion, the UK has issued travel bans and asset freezes to over a thousand of Russia's most significant and high-value individuals, this includes 18 of Russia's leading oligarchs. The travel bans imposed by the UK and EU apply wherever the individual flies from.
Asked by: Gareth Thomas (Labour (Co-op) - Harrow West)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the Preference Utilisation Rates are in total for UK trade with (a) Mexico, (b) Morocco, (c) North Macedonia, (d) Palestinian Authority, (e) Serbia and (f) Singapore for each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Data up to the end of January 2020 is publicly available, but no comparable data is available for after this period.
Exports analysis 2017-19: https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/html/159047.htm
Imports analysis 2017-19: https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/html/159046.htm
Eurostat preference utilisation data for all periods 2000 to end January 2020: Easy Comext, Adjusted extra-EU imports since 2000 by tariff regime (DS-059281).
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to reports of the unlawful extradition of Ahmed Jaafar Mohammed Ali from Serbia to Bahrain on 24 January 2022 on the basis of an Interpol red notice, what assessment the she has made of the implications for her policies of that extradition.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
In the UK, the Extradition Act 2003 ensures that all individual extradition requests are subject to the same statutory criteria regardless of where the request is from, or the terms of any international agreement that is in place. As extradition cases are subject to judicial process, it is for the UK courts to consider all relevant legal issues and determine whether extradition is appropriate, based on the safeguards and protections afforded within the Act. A requested person will not be extradited if doing so would breach their human rights, if the request is politically motivated, or if they would be at risk of facing the death penalty.
Any misuse of INTERPOL is taken very seriously by this Government. The UK continues to support INTERPOL’s efforts to ensure systems are in place to protect individuals’ rights and uphold Article 3 of INTERPOL’s Constitution, which forbids the organisation to undertake any intervention or activities of a political, military, religious or racial character.
Asked by: Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to (1) the remarks by the Minister for Asia on 20 January (HC Deb, col 563), and (2) the judgment of the International Court of Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia and Montenegro in 2007, when they last reviewed the lawfulness of their policy on genocide.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
It is the long-standing policy of the British Government that any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent national or international court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. It should be decided after consideration of all the evidence available in the context of a credible judicial process. Whether or not a determination of genocide is made, the UK is committed to seeking an end to serious violations of international human rights law; preventing the escalation of any such violations; and alleviating the suffering of those who are affected. The UK's position is legally robust and does not prevent us from fulfilling our legal obligations under the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute.
Asked by: Nusrat Ghani (Conservative - Wealden)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department has made an assessment of the level of potential risk of genocide regarding treatment of Uyghurs and other minorities in the Uyghur region of China, in response to the judgment of the International Court of Justice in Bosnia & Herzegovina v Serbia & Montenegro, 2007.
Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
Any judgment as to whether genocide has occurred is a matter for a competent court, rather than for governments or non-judicial bodies. This does not prevent us from taking robust action to address serious violations of human rights, as we are doing in the case of Xinjiang.
Asked by: Earl of Dundee (Conservative - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to lead new initiatives to sustain (1) trade, and (2) economic growth, in (a) Bosnia and Herzegovina, and (b) the Western Balkans.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
The Government has signed Trade, Partnership and Cooperation Agreements with Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania, supporting jobs and economic growth, allowing us to build on our trade and investment relationships. UK Export Finance is also an important part of our offer to the region, providing competitive financing for large infrastructure projects.
With Bosnia and Herzegovina, we are working to secure a Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement that will ensure preferential terms of trade between the UK and Bosnia and Herzegovina and promote stability and prosperity in the region. We are keen to conclude this as soon as possible.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
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 political dispute between Republika Srpska and the Federation of Bosnia Herzegovina; and whether she has made representations to her respective Bosnian and Serbian counterparts to encourage cooperation between the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina within the framework of the Dayton Agreement.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK is deeply concerned at the deteriorating political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The Foreign Secretary met BiH Foreign Minister Turkovic at the OSCE Ministerial meeting on 1 December, and High Representative Schmidt in London on 2 December.
The UK remains committed to ensuring peace and stability in BiH, and upholding its sovereignty and state integrity. We continue to work closely with political parties, civil society, and community leaders in BiH to support reconciliation efforts, tackle legacy issues, and build common purpose around a brighter future for all citizens.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Wood Green)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the impact of Russian arms sales to (a) Republika Srpska and (b) Serbia on peace and stability in that region.
Answered by Wendy Morton
We reject recent attempts by Russia to undermine the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and to close his Office prematurely. These efforts undermine regional security. We will continue to provide effective support to BiH in implementing domestic reforms, and tackling challenges to peace and stability. The UK's approach to Russia more widely is clearly set out in the Integrated Review.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported threats from Serb separatists in Republika Srpska in Bosnia-Herzegovina to join Serbia; what steps, if any, they intend to take in response; and what discussions have they had with NATO regarding those threats.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK takes very seriously talk of secession and other threats to undo the progress of the last twenty-six years in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). We have called on those responsible to cease this destabilising and divisive rhetoric. The UK works closely with our partners in NATO and the EU to support the integrity of BiH as a single, sovereign state, comprising two entities. In the UN Security Council in recent weeks we helped to renew the stabilisation force's (EUFOR's) mandate for a further 12 months and support the High Representative. We also support the NATO Headquarters in Sarajevo, including though the secondment of UK staff officers, whose work includes building the capacity of the BiH Armed Forces. The UK will continue to support BiH in implementing domestic reforms and tackling challenges to peace and security. Further discussions of how to support stability in BiH took place at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Riga, which the Foreign Secretary attended.