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  • Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Stewart Malcolm McDonald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Stewart Malcolm McDonald on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will publicly condemn the killing of Xulhaz Mamas, senior editor of Bangladesh’s first LGBT magazine; if he will make representations to the Bangladeshi government on that matter; and if he will make a statement.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    The British Government unequivocally condemns the murder of Xulhaz Mannan. On 25 April I expressed my deep sadness at the senseless murders of Mr Mannan, his friend Tanay Fahim and Professor Rezaul Karim and I called for the killers to be brought to justice. On 9 April, following the brutal murder of Nazimuddin Samad, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Bournemouth East (Mr Ellwood) called for the right to freedom of expression and open debate to be upheld in Bangladesh.

    Regrettably, the number of violent extremist attacks against minority communities has increased in Bangladesh; many have been claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Indian-Subcontinent and Daesh. Extremism flourishes where there is a culture of intolerance and impunity. I urge the Bangladesh government to do its utmost to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice and to ensure that the right to life, to justice and to free speech for all Bangladeshis is upheld.

  • Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Grahame Morris – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Grahame Morris on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what the Government’s policy is on the proposal from the French government to convene a conference on the Israel-Palestine peace process.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We are in close contact with the French about the proposed conference in Paris next month. We share the frustration at the lack of progress in the Middle East Peace Process. We believe that peace will ultimately only come through negotiations between the parties. Regional players, the EU and the Quartet can play a role in supporting progress.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had (a) with his international counterparts and (b) within international organisations on piracy affecting merchant shipping in international waters.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK plays a leading role in international efforts to suppress piracy affecting merchant shipping. UK officials helped ensure the mandate of Operation Atalanta, the EU’s counter piracy naval mission, was extended until 2018. The UK is also co-chair of the working group on capacity building of the [UN] Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.

    We also support west and central African states to develop their maritime strategies and improve their ability to secure their territorial waters, using a combination of military expertise, development assistance and diplomatic support.

    In South East Asia, the UK is a member of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against ships in Asia (ReCAAP) and has helped improve information sharing and enhanced cooperation.

  • Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kirsten Oswald – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kirsten Oswald on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had (a) with his international counterparts and (b) within international organisations on private sector marine vessels conducting armed anti-piracy operations in support of merchant shipping in international waters.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The UK Government has had no discussions with international counterparts on private sector marine vessels conducting deliberate operations against pirate vessels (i.e. ‘private navies’). The Government does however discuss the use of Vessel Based Armouries (VBAs) at the International Code of Conduct for Private security in Switzerland and with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). VBAs allow Private Maritime Security Companies to off-load and collect weapons from international waters before leaving and entering the High Risk Area for piracy. The UK Government only permits the use of armed guards on UK flagged vessels operating inside the East Africa/Indian Ocean ‘High Risk Area’ as defined by industry.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to degrade and destroy Boko Haram in Nigeria.

    James Duddridge

    The United Kingdom is providing a substantial and increasing package of United Kingdom military, intelligence, development and humanitarian support to help Nigeria and the region tackle Boko Haram. This includes training and advice to Nigerian military units deployed against Boko Haram and £5 million to support the Multinational Joint Taskforce. We are also providing £32 million in humanitarian support over the next three years to the estimated seven million people affected by the conflict in north east Nigeria.

    The Nigerian government will host a high-level Regional Security Summit in Abuja in May. This will bring together regional leaders and international partners, including the United Kingdom, to reaffirm their shared commitment to the fight against Boko Haram.

  • Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Barry Sheerman – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Barry Sheerman on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to support Christians facing persecution in Nigeria.

    James Duddridge

    In Nigeria, the right to freedom of religion is protected by the Constitution. Boko Haram seeks to undermine this right by attacking Nigerians of all faiths who do not subscribe to its extremist views. They have caused immense suffering in both Christian and Muslim communities. We assess that the majority of their victims are Muslim.

    We are providing a substantial package of intelligence, military and development support to Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram, including training and advice on counter-insurgency, £5 million of support to a regional military taskforce and humanitarian aid to support those affected by the conflict.

    Elsewhere Nigeria faces inter-communal conflicts between farmers and herdsmen over land, farming rights, grazing routes and access to water. Through our development assistance, the United Kingdom supports initiatives to reduce these conflicts and build bridges between communities.

    We will continue to work with the Nigerian Government, non-governmental organisations and civil society to improve the security situation and human rights for all in Nigeria.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations the Government has made to the Saudi Arabian-led coalition in relation to reports of the targeting of civilian homes in the al-‘Eram and Sa’da areas of Yemen.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We regularly raise the importance of compliance with International Humanitarian Law with the Saudi Arabian Government and other members of the military Coalition. The Saudis have their own internal procedures for investigations and they announced more detail of how they investigate such incidents on 31 January. It is important that all sides conduct thorough and conclusive investigations into all incidents where it is alleged that civilians have been targeted.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has investigated the airstrikes of 3 June 2015 in al-‘Eram and Sa’da, Yemen.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Saudi Arabian authorities have their own internal procedures for investigations and they announced more detail of how they investigate incidents of concern at a press conference on 31 January. It is important that all sides conduct thorough and conclusive investigations into all incidents where it is alleged that civilians have been targeted.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the case of Giulio Regeni was raised with the Egyptian government by the Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to Egypt during his visit to Egypt in February 2016.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    The Prime Minister’s trade envoy to Egypt, Jeffrey Donaldson MP, visited Egypt between 7 and 11 February 2016. The trade envoy discussed a range of issues but given his role focused on business conversations and promoting trade links. We regularly raise the case of Guilio Regeni with the Egyptian authorities including at Ministerial and senior official level.

  • Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Diana Johnson – 2016 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Diana Johnson on 2016-04-25.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the Government has made representations to the Egyptian government on the case of Giulio Regeni; whether those representations were made by Ministers or by HM Ambassador to Egypt; and which of those representations were made in person.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We regularly raise the case of Giulio Regeni with the Egyptian authorities. Most recently, I raised our concerns in a call to the Egyptian Ambassador on 11 April. These concerns have been reiterated by senior diplomats including the Permanent Under Secretary, Simon McDonald, who raised Mr Regeni’s case with the Egyptian Ambassador when they met on 11 April. Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Cairo raised the case directly with the Egyptian Prime Minister’s security advisor on 3 March; both he and officials in Cairo and London continue to raise the case on a regular basis, most recently in mid April.

    The Government published a response to the petition regarding Mr Regeni on 25th April: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/120832

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