Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to raise the issue of the mandatory residential school-system in Tibet with his Chinese counterparts at the G7.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
We are aware of reports of human rights violations in Tibet, including severe restrictions on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), Tibetans dying in custody, coercive control, labour transfer schemes and Tibetan parents being coerced and intimidated into sending their children to boarding schools. We continue to raise the situation in Tibet with the Chinese authorities. We also coordinate with partners to draw international attention to the human rights situation in Tibet. In June 2022, a UK led lobbying effort helped to secure the support of 46 other countries for a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) which highlighted the situation in Tibet and called on the Chinese authorities to abide by their human rights obligations. In March, we raised the issue of boarding schools in our Item 4 statement at the UN HRC. We will continue to press China to cease human rights violations.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Chinese counterparts on the mandatory residential school system for children in Tibet.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
We are aware of reports of human rights violations in Tibet, including severe restrictions on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), Tibetans dying in custody, coercive control, labour transfer schemes and Tibetan parents being coerced and intimidated into sending their children to boarding schools. We continue to raise the situation in Tibet with the Chinese authorities. We also coordinate with partners to draw international attention to the human rights situation in Tibet. In June 2022, a UK led lobbying effort helped to secure the support of 46 other countries for a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) which highlighted the situation in Tibet and called on the Chinese authorities to abide by their human rights obligations. In March, we raised the issue of boarding schools in our Item 4 statement at the UN HRC. We will continue to press China to cease human rights violations.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had on coordinated action against the junta in Myanmar with his international counterparts in that region.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The UK is committed to working closely with international partners to coordinate robust action against the Myanmar military. We acknowledge and highlight the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) centrality, reaffirming the regional bloc's strong leadership on the response to the Myanmar crisis. The UK led the UN Security Council Resolution adopted on 21 December 2022 demands an end to violence and urges immediate action by the military regime to fully implement the ASEAN Five Point Consensus and release all those arbitrarily detained.
Asked by: Preet Kaur Gill (Labour (Co-op) - Birmingham Edgbaston)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 27 February 2023 to Question 148590, on Development Aid: Climate Change, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the UK's progress towards fulfilling its commitment to spend £11.6 billion International Climate Finance between 2021-22 and 2025-26.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Tackling climate change remains a key priority for the UK Government as set out in the UK government's strategy for international development and the Integrated Review Refresh. On 30 March 2023 the UK published the UK International Climate Finance (ICF) Strategy which sets out, in detail, our plans to deliver on our commitments. In addition, we publish our ICF results annually, setting out our achievements to date.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the potential contribution of the UK's malaria science sector to preventing, diagnosing and treating malaria; and what steps his Department is taking to support that sector.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK's malaria science sector has made significant contributions to the development of antimalarial drugs, vaccines and diagnostic tools. We continue to support the sector through our research and development investments. This includes support to the Liverpool-based Innovative Vector Control Consortium to develop novel bed-nets and to Oxford university to develop a new generation of antimalarial medicines to tackle the threat posed by emerging drug resistance. In collaboration with UK Research and Innovation we have also funded a study led by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to evaluate the role of malaria vaccines when deployed in combination with seasonal administration of antimalarials.
Asked by: Catherine West (Labour - Hornsey and Friern Barnet)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the level of Chinese support for the junta in Myanmar.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The UK closely monitors the role of all countries engaging on Myanmar, including regional actors such as China. The UK is committed to ending the crisis in Myanmar. We will continue to raise these issues on the international stage, including at the UN Security Council, where we are the pen-holder. Most recently on 21 December 2022 the UK coordinated a landmark UN Security Council Resolution on Myanmar which urged immediate action by the military regime to fully implement the ASEAN Five Point Consensus.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of whether the 2010 arrest and 2012 detention of Victoire Ingabire in Rwanda was arbitrary.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are aware of the case of Victoire Ingabire and note issues around due process in her arrest and detention. The British High Commission in Kigali regularly raises issues of political space and human rights with Rwandan Government. Most recently, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon discussed these issues with Minister of State Manasseh during his visit to Kigali in October.
Asked by: Dan Carden (Labour - Liverpool Walton)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to ensure Official Development Assistance funding for education strengthens public education institutions (a) where state provision is weak or non-existent and (b) generally.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
UK research - including the Research in Improving Systems of Education programme - has improved global understanding of how to support education reform. This has shaped the UK's education portfolio to deliver quality, safe education for all children. We are the largest donor to the Global Partnership for Education which works to strengthen government education systems with government, including in fragile and conflict affected countries. UK-led projects - such as the Girls' Education Challenge - work closely with governments where state provision is weak, using UK-led research, to influence policy on how to reach the most marginalised. The Girls' Education Challenge has supported over 1.5 million children to receive education.
Asked by: Carla Lockhart (Democratic Unionist Party - Upper Bann)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to support Christians in Laos.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan
The UK is committed to promoting and defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), as demonstrated by our hosting the 'International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief' in July 2022. The biennial UK-Laos Political Dialogue includes protection of human rights, which were raised by the former Minister for Asia Pacific (Minister Milling MP) during the Dialogue held in April 2022. We also work through the UN to promote and protect these rights. Our Ambassador regularly calls on the Laos authorities to uphold rights and also promotes human rights, including religious freedom, in public fora.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many UK nationals requested consular assistance in Guatemala in the last 12 months.
Answered by David Rutley
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has provided consular assistance in 42 new cases in Guatemala in the last 12 months.