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  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage businesses in the fishing sector to operate in the Falkland Islands.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Honourable Member will be aware that responsibility for the promotion of business and trade opportunities in the Falkland Islands, including in the fishing sector, lies with the Falkland Islands Government (FIG). FIG itself would be the best source of further information as it has responsibility for fishing policy, licence applications and most other maritime matters in the Islands.

    As noted in the Overseas Territories White Paper of 2012, the UK is strongly committed to supporting British companies who wish to do business in the Territories. The investment opportunities in the Overseas Territories were highlighted in November last year as part of the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC), with a half day Investment Forum at which over 150 businesses attended. A similar event is planned as part of the JMC programme for this year.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Colombian government on human rights and the deaths of striking agricultural workers.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The UK is fully engaged on a range of human rights issues in Colombia. The UK’s priority areas include access to justice, support to human rights defenders, work to prevent sexual violence against women and encouraging business to implement human rights protocols in their operations. The British Embassy continues to monitor and raise human rights issues with the Colombian government. The Foreign Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister both raised human rights with President Santos during their separate visits to Colombia in February.

    In June 2013, the British Embassy in Bogota met with representatives of peasant associations and civil society and requested that the Colombian government initiate dialogue and investigate the alleged excessive use of force during the social protests involving striking agricultural workers in Catatumbo. The British Embassy also raised concerns with the Finance Minister, Defence Minister and the Head of the Colombian police.

    On 17 March 2014, senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials in the UK also met with the visiting Colombian Vice-Fiscal, General, Jorge Perdomo, and discussed the progress made in the investigations into the deaths of the striking agricultural workers. They also discussed the reform of the Criminal Justice System, which would ensure the protection of fundamental human rights and the human rights situation in Colombia.

    Most recently on 9 April 2014, senior FCO Officials in the UK and the British Embassy in Colombia discussed the Colombia chapter in the FCO’s 2013 Annual Human Rights Report, in which we raised the need for conclusive investigations into members of the security forces accused of excessive use of force during the protests of June to August 2013.

  • Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Jim Shannon – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jim Shannon on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with UK companies to encourage them to take part in construction and development projects in the Falkland Islands.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The Honourable Member will be aware that responsibility for the promotion of business and trade opportunities in an Overseas Territory belongs to the government of that Territory: in this case the Falkland Islands Government (FIG). We understand that FIG is planning to revise its Economic Development Strategy in the coming months to provide for the future development of all sectors of the Falkland Islands economy, and that they actively welcome the interest of UK companies. FIG itself would be best placed to provide the Hon. Member with further details.

    As noted in the Overseas Territories White Paper of 2012, the UK is strongly committed to supporting British companies who wish to do business in the Territories. The investment opportunities in the Overseas Territories were highlighted in November last year as part of the Joint Ministerial Council (JMC), with a half day Investment Forum at which over 150 businesses attended. A similar event is planned as part of the JMC programme for this year.

  • Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ian Lucas – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ian Lucas on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what estimate he has made of the number of (a) Palestinians and (b) Jews displaced from their country of origin in the Middle East since 1984.

    Hugh Robertson

    We have not made an estimate on this issue and do not keep records of this type.

  • Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Gregory Campbell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Gregory Campbell on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Pakistan government on the case of Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar who have been sentenced to death for allegedly sending a text message regarding the prophet Mohamed.

    Hugh Robertson

    I am concerned to hear about the case of Shafqat Emmanuel and Shagufta Kausar and the imposition of the death penalty on them. We regularly raise the issue of blasphemy laws, and their misuse against both Muslims and religious minorities, at the highest levels in Pakistan. We have consistently pressed the government of Pakistan on the issue of the death penalty and our principled opposition to it in all cases and we will continue to raise both these issues with the government of Pakistan.

  • Ann McKechin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Ann McKechin – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann McKechin on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has made any recent representations to the government of Uzbekistan regarding the imprisonment of the journalist, Salidzhon Abdurakhmanov.

    Mr David Lidington

    We, along with our European partners, have raised the case of Mr Abdurakhmanov with the Uzbek authorities at Ministerial and official level on several occasions. The Senior Minister of State, my noble Friend the Rt. Hon. Baroness Warsi, raised this issue with the Uzbek Foreign Minister when he visited London last November. Our Embassy in Tashkent is in contact with the Uzbek human rights organisation, Ezgulik, which visited Mr. Abdurakhmanov in custody in January. Baroness Warsi discussed a range of human rights issues, including freedom of expression, with Ministers and senior officials when she visited Uzbekistan earlier this month.

    Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) reporting has consistently highlighted our concerns about freedom of the press and harassment of journalists in Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan remains on the list of Countries of Concern in the FCO’s annual Human Rights and Democracy Report, reflecting longstanding concerns about the overall human rights situation in Uzbekistan. Our Embassy in Tashkent regularly raises these issues with the Uzbek authorities and funds projects that support good governance and human rights. We also continue to encourage further progress towards full implementation of Uzbekistan’s international human rights commitments.

  • Fiona O’Donnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Fiona O’Donnell – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Fiona O’Donnell on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Israel regarding plans for the creation of a new settlement in the Old City of Hebron.

    Hugh Robertson

    The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend, the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) issued a statement on 17 April 2014 condemning the Israeli decision to create a new settlement in Hebron.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress has been made on implementing a regional wildlife enforcement strategy in the Horn of Africa and addressing the illegal trade in shark fins.

    George Eustice

    Countries and stakeholders in the Horn of Africa held a wildlife trafficking workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 3 to 4 October 2012 to discuss the formation of a regional enforcement network to address the illegal wildlife trade. Participants concluded that a Horn of Africa Wildlife Enforcement Network (HAWEN) should be set up. Ethiopia, on behalf of Horn of Africa countries that attended the workshop, submitted a progress report to the Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP16) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which took place in Bangkok from 3 to 14 March 2013.

    The work of Wildlife Enforcement Networks was welcomed at the recent London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade, chaired by my right honourable friend the Foreign Secretary. Action XVI in the Declaration adopted at the Conference commits participating governments to strengthening cross‐border and regional co‐operation, through better co‐ordination and full support for regional wildlife law enforcement networks. Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, all of which are members of HAWEN, attended the London Conference.

    The UK Government is wholly opposed to the wasteful and unsustainable practice of shark finning, and the illegal trade in fins. We continue to lead the way in pressing for the adoption of appropriate fisheries and trade controls within bodies such as the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) and CITES, in order to ensure any trade in shark products is rooted in sustainable fishing practices. At CoP16 the UK played a critical role in securing increased protection under CITES for five shark species, all of which form an important component of the shark fin trade. This now means that these species will be protected from unmanaged and unsustainable trade in their fins. UK officials continue to work closely with other likeminded countries and non-governmental organisations to help build capacity and ensure that the CITES rules are fully implemented.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on renegotiating overseas fishing agreements with Guinea-Bissau and other countries along the West African coast.

    George Eustice

    The fisheries agreement between the European Union and Guinea-Bissau has been inactive since 2012 when the protocol was suspended due to political tensions in the country. I am unaware of any further discussion about this agreement since that time.

    At present, the EU has active fisheries agreements with the following countries in Western Africa: Cape Verde,Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, São Tomé e Príncipe and Mauritania. In addition, there are a number of agreements which are currently dormant.

    The UK plays an active role within the EU when these agreements are negotiated. Our views are based on the following principles: that agreements allow EU fleets only to fish against genuinely surplus stocks; that best available scientific advice is taken into account to fish sustainably; that due consideration is given to human rights issues; and that agreements be financially beneficial to the EU and thethird country in question, with sufficient controls in place to ensure funds received by third countries are used in appropriate ways. Furthermore, the UK also believes that the financial burden of agreements should be moved towards vessel operators, from the EU taxpayer, taking into account the profitability of the stock.

  • Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    Simon Kirby – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Simon Kirby on 2014-04-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote the health of (a) domestic and (b) wild rabbits; and if he will make a statement.

    George Eustice

    No specific initiatives are currently underway to promote the health of domestic or wild rabbits.