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  • Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Paul Blomfield – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Paul Blomfield on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had at the UN on implementation of Security Council Resolution 47 on Kashmir.

    Alok Sharma

    The United Kingdom does not intend to support an international conference or a plebiscite on Kashmir in line with UN Security Council Resolution 47. I have not had any discussions at the UN on this issue. The longstanding position of the UK is that it is for India and Pakistan to find a lasting resolution to the situation in Kashmir, taking into account the wishes of the Kashmiri people. It is not for the UK to prescribe a solution or to act as a mediator.

  • Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports his Department has received on the changing level of threat of Islamist terrorism in Bangladesh.

    Alok Sharma

    The British Government is concerned by the increase in terrorist and extremist-related violence in Bangladesh. Since the 1 July 2016 attack on the Holey Bakery Café in Dhaka, targeting foreign nationals, the Government has continued to raise its concerns over security directly with senior officials in the Bangladeshi government. We will continue to engage with regional partners and the wider international community to support efforts to address terrorism, extremism and to promote human rights in Bangladesh.

  • Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to assist Bangladeshis living in the UK to bring their families to the UK in the event of an escalation in political violence in Bangladesh.

    Alok Sharma

    The UK has consistently called upon all parties to refrain from using violence, intimidation and confrontational action. The UK will continue to engage constructively with all political parties in Bangladesh and with international partners, to strengthen democratic accountability and build the willingness and capacity to hold future participatory elections. We are under no obligation to consider asylum claims lodged outside UK territory and it is not appropriate to do so. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach; that is the fastest route to safety.

  • Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what account his Department plans to take of alleged human rights abuses in Bangladesh in advising on any future trade deal with that country; and what assessment he has made of the potential merits of imposing sanctions on Bangladesh in order to improve that country’s respect for political and other rights.

    Alok Sharma

    The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the member for Maidenhead (Mrs May) has established the Department for International Trade to promote British trade across the world and ensure the United Kingdom takes advantage of the huge opportunities open to us. The Government is currently reviewing its trade policy. We will engage fully with a broad range of stakeholders, including both governments and business over the coming weeks and months, taking a large number of political and economic factors into consideration.

    We are concerned about protection of human rights in Bangladesh, but believe that engagement, not sanctions, is the correct course of action. Sanctions would isolate Bangladesh at a time when it is, like so many, facing the global threat of terrorism. Trade sanctions would have a damaging effect on Bangladesh’s development and on efforts to bring people out of poverty.

  • Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Graham Jones – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Graham Jones on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to encourage the Prime Minister of Bangladesh to (a) hold fair and open elections in 2019 and (b) ensure Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal investigates impartially the 1971 War of Independence.

    Alok Sharma

    The United Kingdom will continue to engage constructively with all political parties in Bangladesh and with international partners, to strengthen democratic accountability and build the willingness and capacity to hold future participatory elections. Peaceful, credible elections are the true mark of a mature functioning democracy, and all political parties share a responsibility for delivering them. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office named Bangladesh as one of its 30 Human Rights Priority Countries in its 2015 report. The report cited the confrontational actions of the two main political parties as one of the areas of particular concern.

    The Government has made clear its support for Bangladesh’s efforts to bring to justice those accused of atrocities committed during the 1971 War of Independence. However, this must be done in a way that meets appropriate international legal standards. NGOs continue to raise concerns about the process and we urged the Bangladesh government to ensure compliance with these standards during Bangladesh’s second Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in 2013. We continue to emphasise these points in our discussions with the Bangladeshi authorities.

  • Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    Deidre Brock – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Home Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Deidre Brock on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether those parts of the Schengen Agreement which currently apply to the UK will continue to apply after the UK leaves the EU.

    Mr Robert Goodwill

    The future arrangements between the UK and the EU will be decided as part of the negotiations around our exit. Officials are exploring options for future cooperation arrangements, and we will do what is necessary to keep people safe. It would, however, be wrong to set out unilateral positions in advance of the negotiations.

  • Kelly Tolhurst – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kelly Tolhurst – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kelly Tolhurst on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects the follow-up report to Children in Military Custody, a report written by a delegation of British lawyers on the treatment of Palestinian children under Israeli military law, published in June 2012, to be published.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The question of when a follow-up report will be published is a matter for the delegation of lawyers that will write it. Meanwhile, the UK Government continues to push for the full implementation of changes recommended in the 2012 report and will work with the Israeli authorities to identify ways to improve these practices.

  • Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Rachel Reeves – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Rachel Reeves on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how much his Department spent on private school fees for children whose parents are stationed (a) in the UK and (b) overseas in 2015-16.

    Sir Alan Duncan

    The total cost of 179 diplomatic officers stationed in the UK in receipt of school fees is £6,005,124. The total cost of 173 diplomatic officers stationed overseas in receipt of school fees is £6,403.938. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office pays and supports a further 1108 children who are stationed with their parents and educated locally with a total cost of £14,207,444.

  • Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Alex Chalk – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Alex Chalk on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions have taken place between the British and Iranian authorities on the case of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    I am deeply concerned by recent reports that Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been sentenced without confirmation of the charges against her. We continue to raise our strong concerns about British prisoners in Iran, including Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe, at the highest levels in both London and Tehran. The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), did so in her introductory call with Iranian President Rouhani on 9 August. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson), similarly raised this case in his introductory call with Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif on 4 August, and followed up in writing on 29 August. Our Ambassador and embassy staff in Tehran raise this case with their Iranian counterparts at every available opportunity, and will continue to press for further details as well as assurances of Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s welfare. I met Mrs Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s family on 8 September to reassure them that we will continue to do all we can.

  • Scott Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Scott Mann – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Scott Mann on 2016-09-02.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the Chinese government on the treatment of dogs during that country’s Yulin Dog Meat Festival.

    Alok Sharma

    The United Kingdom Government takes seriously all reports of animal cruelty. We are committed to raising standards of animal welfare and to phasing out cruel and inhumane practices both in the UK and overseas. However, there are limits to what the UK can do. Consumption of dog meat is legal in the People’s Republic of China and the UK has no legal grounds to intervene or take trade measures to prevent this.

    We have instead focused our efforts on co-operation with China to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. We also work through the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), to promote the welfare of a range of species internationally, such as stray dogs and farmed animals. We encourage China, as a member of OIE, to meet the required standards.