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Tag: Kerry McCarthy

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on the role of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    Foreign and Commonwealth Office representatives regularly discuss MINURSO with their international counterparts, most recently in New York in January 2015. The UK supports the UN-led efforts to reach a lasting and mutually acceptable political solution that provides for the self-determination of the people of Western Sahara.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation of the Saharawi population in Western Sahara; and what discussions he has had with the government of Morocco on this issue.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We assess that there has been progress in the human rights situation. Some concerns remain and we are continuing to follow progress in these areas. My Noble Friend, Lady Anelay, raised Western Sahara at senior levels during her visit to Morocco last month. I discussed Western Sahara issues with the Moroccan Ambassador most recently in January 2015.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of Morocco’s compliance with the (a) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, (b) Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and (c) Convention on the Rights of the Child.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We recognise and support Morocco’s international commitment to adhere to the standards laid down in these universal human rights documents. There has been notable progress on human rights in Morocco. In particular, we welcome their ratification of the Optional Protocol for the Convention against Torture in December 2014.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many British nationals are under sentence of death in Pakistan; and what assistance his Department is providing to each such nationals.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    As of 11 February we are aware of 2 British nationals who have been sentenced to death in Pakistan. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office provides consular assistance to all British nationals sentenced to death, unless they decline this. This includes making representations at all appropriate levels in line with our opposition to the death penalty and welfare support. We also refer British nationals to specialist non-governmental organisations that are able to provide additional support to them.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2015-02-09.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to the government of Pakistan in support of resuming the moratorium on the death penalty in that country; and what assessment he has made of the prospects for a lasting moratorium on the death penalty in Pakistan.

    Mr Tobias Ellwood

    We regularly raise the issue of the death penalty in Pakistan at the highest levels and have consistently pressed the Government of Pakistan to commit to a moratorium on the death penalty. It is our longstanding policy to oppose the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We fully understand Pakistan’s resolve to protect society from terrorism but there is no evidence that capital punishment is an effective deterrent.

  • 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.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-05-07.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with (a) the Sultan of Brunei or (b) his representatives on the introduction of sharia criminal law in Brunei.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We remain concerned about the introduction of sharia criminal law in Brunei and have raised the matter with Brunei on several occasions. I raised the issue with Foreign Minister, Pehin Lim in October 2013. Senior Minister of State, my Rt Hon Noble Friend Lady Warsi, visited Brunei and raised our concerns with HM The Sultan, Foreign Minister Prince Mohamed, the Attorney General and State Mufti on 19 April. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Justice, my hon Friend the Member for North West Cambridgeshire (Mr Vara), discussed the implementation of sharia with Brunei’s Attorney General at the Commonwealth Law Ministers meeting on 6 May. We set out our concerns at the Universal Periodic Review of Brunei at the Human Rights Council on 2 May. We will continue to raise this issue with the Bruneian authorities.

  • Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Prime Minister

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-06-18.

    To ask the Prime Minister, if he will attend (a) Ban Ki Moon’s Climate Summit in September 2014 in New York and (b) the European Council meeting in October 2014 to finalise the EU’s climate and energy goals for 2030.

    Mr David Cameron

    I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Ms Lucas) on 11 June 2014, Official Report, column 176W.

    It is my normal practice to attend Heads of Government EU Council meetings.

  • 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 Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    Kerry McCarthy – 2014 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    The below Parliamentary question was asked by Kerry McCarthy on 2014-06-04.

    To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the resources and effectiveness of the Commonwealth Human Rights Unit; and what discussions he has had with (a) his Commonwealth counterparts and (b) the Commonwealth Secretariat on the role of the Commonwealth Human Rights Unit.

    Mr Hugo Swire

    We support the work of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s Human Rights Unit and welcome the Secretariat’s recent statement confirming that the budget and staffing for the Unit has more than doubled under the Commonwealth’s four-year Strategic Plan, which was agreed by all Commonwealth members in May 2013.

    We monitor the work of the Human Rights Unit through our membership of the Commonwealth Executive Committee and Board of Governors. The Board of Governors last met on 29 May.

    The Human Rights Unit undertakes valuable work in assisting member states with the adoption of international standards on human rights; providing support to member states in the Universal Periodic Review process; and in enhancing the capacity of Commonwealth members’ national human rights institutions. Through our regular dialogue with the Secretariat on human rights, we urge them to work across the Commonwealth to uphold the values and principles agreed in the Commonwealth Charter.