Tag: Ann Clwyd

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to recommendation 5 on page 251 of the Report of the Macur Review, published in March 2016, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of a police investigation to consider whether there is sufficient evidence and public interest relating to matters of malfeasance in public office or perverting the course of justice in North West Wales Police in relation to the abuse of children in care in North Wales.

Caroline Dinenage

As the then Secretary of State for Wales said in his statement to the House on 17 March, the police and the Crown Prosecution Service are aware of the specifics of this matter and it is for them to consider further.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2015-12-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the government of Kyrgyzstan about the role and future of international non-governmental organisations working on human rights; and whether he has raised with that government the ban on the head of the Human Rights Watch office in Bishkek.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

During his visit to Kyrgyzstan in October 2014, Minister of State for Justice Lord Faulks discussed with Kyrgyz interlocutors a number of human rights issues, including the Foreign Agents Bill and other legislation that might restrict freedoms of expression and association. Our Embassy in Bishkek has also raised our concerns on a number of occasions with the Government of Kyrgyzstan and with Kyrgyz parliamentarians. We were concerned to hear of the refusal to grant entry to the Kyrgyz Republic to a representative from Human Rights Watch on 2 December. We are seeking further clarification from the Kyrgyz authorities. We will continue to raise our concerns about human rights directly with the government of Kyrgyzstan, and in suitable international fora, at every appropriate opportunity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will establish an independent inquiry into the cases of 792 miners in Wales who were arrested during the miners’ strike in 1984.

Mike Penning

There are no plans to establish an independent inquiry into the cases of 792 miners in Wales who were arrested during the miners’ strike in 1984.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-06-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will place in the library an unredacted copy of Lady Macur’s review of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the abuse of children in North Wales.

Alun Cairns

No. Lady Justice Macur specifically cautioned Ministers against publishing certain groups of names, for example to protect against prejudicing pending and ongoing criminal investigations and prosecutions.

An unredacted version of the report has been provided to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, chaired by Justice Lowell Goddard, and was seen by representatives from Operations Pallial, Hydrant and Orarian.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2015-12-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what support the Government has provided to the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Global Coalition has provided air support to the Syrian Democratic Forces in their fight against Daesh. The US is leading international efforts to support the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and has provided ammunition and other equipment. The UK has not provided any ammunition or equipment to the SDF, but is playing a full role in the Coalition air campaign in Syria. We will work closely with the US, and other Coalition allies, to consider additional support to all partner forces in Syria fighting Daesh, including the SDF.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-02-02.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, if he will release all departmental papers relating to the role his Department allegedly played in co-ordinating and facilitating strike breaking activities during the miners’ strike in 1984.

Stephen Crabb

The Wales Office holds no records of the papers referred to.

When the National Assembly for Wales was established in 1999, all documents held by the Welsh Office at that point were transferred to the Assembly.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-06-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assistance, education and training the Government is providing to the Burmese Army; and whether the Government provides training on human rights and humanitarian obligations.

Penny Mordaunt

Her Majesty’s Government provides educational training to the Burmese military. In 2015 this included the Managing Defence in a Wider Security Context and Strategic Leadership Programmes, both delivered by the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in partnership with Cranfield University. In addition, the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst delivered a Psychology of Leadership programme in Burma, and we have also provided English language training. Both programmes delivered by the Defence Academy included dedicated modules on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. Ethics in Leadership and the issue of Child Soldiers and Women and Girls in Conflict Zones are also included in the syllabus. The Government does not provide any form of combat training to the Burmese army.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2015-12-16.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations his Department has made about the exclusion of Syrian Kurdish groups from peace talks in Riyadh.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The Kurds will play an important role in a political settlement for Syria. Members of all major communities within Syrian society participated in the Riyadh Opposition Conference. This included minorities such as the Kurds within the major political parties. The meeting participants agreed to form a delegation to negotiate with Syrian regime representatives in accordance with the Geneva Communiqué, under the auspices of the UN and supported by the International Syria Support Group (ISSG). The ISSG has agreed that protecting the rights of all Syrians regardless of ethnicity or religious domination is fundamental. The UK will continue to work for this, as political discussions continue.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-03-07.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if his Department will take steps to protect and improve the security of women human rights defenders in Honduras to take account of the implications of the recent murder of Berta Cáceres.

Mr Hugo Swire

I am deeply concerned by the murder on 3 March of Honduran human rights and environmental activist Berta Cáceres. As one of the most prominent activists in Honduras, Berta Cáceres worked tirelessly over many years to promote the rights of indigenous communities. Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my noble Friend, the Rt Hon. the Baroness of Anelay of St John’s, condemned the murder in the clearest terms on 4 March and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice. These points, and a wider call for a commitment to human rights and those who defend them, were also set out in an EU statement which the UK has strongly supported. The Honduran authorities are now taking forward an investigation into what happened. We welcome their swift action to initiate an investigation.

Cáceres’ death – and the injuries sustained by Gustavo Castro Soto, a human rights defender who was also a victim in the attack – are clear evidence of the risks activists face in Honduras every day. We continue to call on the Honduran Government to take steps to improve the security situation, and we discuss our human rights concerns with them regularly – as I did during a visit to the UK by a Honduran parliamentary delegation in September 2015. Our Ambassador to Honduras regularly discusses human rights issues with the Honduran authorities. We seek to improve the situation on the ground through a range of Embassy-sponsored projects, for example with Oxfam and the Tribunal for Women against Femicide. We also maintain a close dialogue with non-government organisations and others with an interest in Honduras.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Ann Clwyd on 2016-06-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Bahraini counterpart on the prison sentence handed down to Sheikh Ali Salman; and if he will make a statement.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

We are concerned about the recent extension of the imprisonment of Al Wefaq’s Secretary-General, Sheikh Ali Salman. We continue to raise his case with the Government of Bahrain, including most recently on 30 May when The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), raised his case at the highest levels during a visit to Manama. We understand there is a further stage in the legal process.