The below Parliamentary question was asked by Virendra Sharma on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2016 to Question 21111, if he will make an assessment of the effect of delays in the publication of the hepatitis C framework on (a) all people and (b) members of the South Asian population in England with hepatitis C.
Jane Ellison
There are no plans to make such an assessment.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what information his Department holds on potential links between the terrorist attacks in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Diyarbakir, Turkey, in January 2015.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
This Department holds no information on potential links between the terrorist attack in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Diyabakir, Turkey, in January 2016.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Indonesian counterpart on the (a) ISIL attacks in Jakarta in January 2016 and (b) implications of those attacks for the Government’s foreign policy.
Mr Hugo Swire
The UK and Indonesia are already working closely together on a broad range of issues, including counter-terrorism and counter-extremism. We continue to provide support and assistance to the Indonesian government as it works to defeat those who plan and perpetrate acts of terror. Our collaboration in these areas includes an operational capacity-building programme, established in 2005, and incorporates training delivered through the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation. A bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on police cooperation was signed during the Prime Minister, my right hon Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) visit to Jakarta in July. Additionally, we co-operate on a range of issues including foreign terrorist fighters, crisis response and legal frameworks.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Catherine West on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support Indonesia in dealing with the terrorist bombings in Jakarta in January 2016.
Mr Hugo Swire
The UK and Indonesia are already working closely together on a broad range of issues, including counter-terrorism and counter-extremism. We continue to provide support and assistance to the Indonesian government as it works to defeat those who plan and perpetrate acts of terror. Our collaboration in these areas includes an operational capacity-building programme, established in 2005, and incorporates training delivered through the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation. A bilateral Memorandum of Understanding on police cooperation was signed during the Prime Minister, my right hon Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) visit to Jakarta in July. Additionally, we co-operate on a range of issues including foreign terrorist fighters, crisis response and legal frameworks.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Andrew Percy on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many defibrillators are provided in each building his Department manages.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
At the 18 January 2016, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) had a total of 12 public use Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) across the FCO’s four UK sites while FCO tenants at Hanslope Park have an additional 15 AEDs for their own internal use.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Shabana Mahmood on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of (a) the extent of differential treatment of Palestinian and Israeli child detainees by Israel and (b) whether that differential is consistent with Israelis international human rights obligations.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We remain concerned about the use of a dual court system whereby Palestinians, except East Jerusalem residents, are subject to the Israeli military court system, irrespective of the charge, whereas Israeli citizens are dealt with by the Israeli civil justice system. We are clear that Israel has legal obligations as an Occupying Power with respect to the Occupied Palestinian Territories under applicable international law. We regularly discuss with the Government of Israel implementation of those obligations and raise our serious concerns regarding such issues as the treatment of Palestinian children detained in Israeli prisons.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Shabana Mahmood on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to Israel of the implications of its obligations under the Geneva Convention for the practice of forcible transportation of child prisoners from Palestine to Israeli jails.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
As I made clear on 6 January during a Westminster Hall debate, the UK remains concerned about the detention of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons.
On 23 November 2015, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concerns about the treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention with the Israeli Chief Military Prosecutor. We welcome recent improvements made by the Israeli authorities, including increasing the age of majority from 16 to 18 years old. However, we remain concerned at the number of Palestinian minors held in Israeli detention. We will also fund another visit of the delegation who authored the independent report on Children in Military Custody in February to report on further progress.
We continue to push for further measures to ensure that international standards are upheld in regards to the treatment of Palestinian children detained.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Roger Godsiff on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 14 January 2016 to Question 21764, whether the government of Saudi Arabia (a) responded formally, (b) responded informally or (c) did not respond when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and the UK Ambassador raised the UK’s concerns about the recent mass executions; on what date the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and the Ambassador raised those concerns; and whether the exchange referred to in that Answer took place by telephone, in person, or in writing.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
We have raised our objections to executions, and the use of the death penalty on numerous occasions since 2 January, both in person and over the phone. I most recently raised the issue with the Government of Saudi Arabia on 12 January over the phone and in person on 14 January. The Saudi Government is aware of our position.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Shabana Mahmood on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he expects the report on progress on recommendations regarding child detention in Palestine by the delegation of lawyers visiting Palestine in February 2016 to be published.
Mr Tobias Ellwood
The visit is currently scheduled for February 2016 and the report will be published in due course. The original report that produced these recommendations was released in June 2012, following a visit in September 2011.
The below Parliamentary question was asked by Robert Flello on 2016-01-14.
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will raise with his Colombian counterpart (a) the deteriorating health of many former combatant prisoners, (b) the reported human rights violations of prisoners, (c) the reported arbitrary transfers of prisoners and (d) the reported isolation of prisoners in that country which have taken place since its government’s pledges of November 2015 made following the prisoners’ hunger strike there.
Mr Hugo Swire
I am aware of the hunger strike by members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) across 13 prisons in November over prison conditions, and recent Colombian media reports on the same issue.
I understand the Colombian government and the FARC are currently discussing end of conflict issues, which include prisoner rights. It would not be appropriate for the United Kingdom to interfere in matters under negotiation, not least as we near the 23 March deadline for talks to conclude.
The hon. Member will recall that our Embassy in Bogotá has closely followed the cases of specific Colombian prisoners, such as David Ravelo and Húber Ballesteros, discussing concerns with the Presidential advisor for human rights and the prisons authority.