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Tag: James Clappison

  • James Clappison – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    James Clappison – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for International Development

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Clappison on 2015-02-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assistance her Department provides to religious minorities affected by the activities of ISIL in Iraq and Syria.

    Justine Greening

    UK aid is reaching hundreds of thousands of vulnerable displaced people across Iraq and Syria, including those religious minorities affected by ISIL’s activities. All UK funded aid is distributed on the basis of need to ensure civilians are not discriminated against on the grounds of race, religion, or ethnicity. DFID continues to work with the UN and the international community to ensure all minorities’ rights are protected and our aid reaches those in greatest need. To date, the UK has pledged £800 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Syria and the region, and a further £39.5 million to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq.

  • James Clappison – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    James Clappison – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Clappison on 2014-04-03.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he plans to make to the government of Pakistan following the death sentence imposed on Sawan Masih as a result of an alleged offence of blasphemy; and whether he plans to raise that matter at a Commonwealth level.

    Hugh Robertson

    I am concerned to hear about the case of Sawan Masih and the imposition of the death penalty. We regularly raise the issue of blasphemy laws, and their misuse against both Muslims and religious minorities at the highest levels in Pakistan. During last week’s adjournment debate on the blasphemy law my rt hon Friend the Minister for Europe assured this House that "we must continue to pursue this issue" with the Pakistani authorities. We encourage interfaith dialogue and support those in Pakistan who are working for reform of blasphemy laws. We have also consistently pressed the government of Pakistan on the issue of the death penalty and our principled opposition to it in all cases. We consistently strive to foster debate on the death penalty within the Commonwealth and hope that these issues will be discussed by Commonwealth Law Ministers at their meeting in Botswana in May.

  • James Clappison – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    James Clappison – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by James Clappison on 2014-06-11.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the position of (a) the Christian community and (b) other religious minorities in Mosul, Iraq; what reports he has received of Christians fleeing their homes in Mosul; and if he will make a statement.

    Hugh Robertson

    We are concerned by the impact of the security situation in Mosul for all Iraqis living there, including religious minorities. Reports estimate that 500,000 people have left the Mosul area to escape violence caused when the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) attacked the city on 10 June. Many have sought refuge in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. A team from the Department for International Development arrived in Erbil on 13 June to assess the situation on the ground and co-ordinate with partners. We continue to monitor the situation closely.