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Some Parliamentary Replies: July – September 2016

Iraq and Syria – GenocideBaroness Anelay of St Johns, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1898):

Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the reply by Baroness Goldie on 13 September (HL Deb, col 1394), what plans are in place, once cities such as Mosul and Raqqa have been liberated from ISIS, to ensure the restoration of property, homes and businesses to their rightful owners, the re-establishment of diverse communities, and the creation of a legal framework to bring to trial those who have been responsible for genocide and ethnic cleansing. (HL1898)

Tabled on: 14 September 2016

Answer:Baroness Anelay of St Johns:

Our goal is to liberate Mosul, and eventually Raqqah, in a way that minimises the humanitarian impact, and supports political reconciliation and the return of local communities. We are engaging with the Government of Iraq and Kurdistan Regional Government, our Coalition partners, the UN and other international organisations to ensure comprehensive plans are in place which do this. On 21 July, the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK will lead a global campaign to bring Daesh to justice, including putting in place processes to assemble evidence for future legal proceedings.

Date and time of answer: 26 Sep 2016 at 16:27.

Baroness Anelay of St Johns, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1259):

Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to table a resolution for discussion at the UN Security Council drawing attention to the failure of member states to assist the International Criminal Court in bringing to justice those indicted for war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide. (HL1259)

Tabled on: 18 July 2016


The International Criminal Court (ICC) has an established procedure for dealing with instances of non-cooperation and reports regularly to the UN Security Council on this matter. We continue to follow closely developments in the ICC, including the level of States’ cooperation with the Court, and will consider further measures as appropriate.

Date and time of answer: 01 Aug 2016 at 15:13.


Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they now recognise that a genocide is underway against minorities in Syria and Iraq; and whether the opinion set out in The Sunday Telegraph on 27 March that ISIS "are engaged in what can only be called genocide of the poor Yazidis" by the new Foreign Secretary reflects their official position. (HL1255)



This Government shares the House of Commons’ condemnation of Daesh atrocities against all civilians, including Christians, Mandeans, Yazidis, and other minorities, as well as the majority Muslim population in Iraq and Syria who continue to bear the brunt of Daesh’s brutality.

It is a long-standing Government policy that any judgements on whether genocide has occurred are a matter for the international judicial system rather than governments or other non-judicial bodies. Our approach is to seek an end to all violations, and to prevent their further escalation, irrespective of whether these violations fit the definition of specific international crimes.

We are fully committed to working internationally to ensure Daesh is held to account for its crimes. Ultimately, the best way of preventing future atrocities is to defeat Daesh and its violent ideology. That is why the UK is playing a leading role in the Global Coalition of more than 66 countries and international organisations united to defeat Daesh.

Date and time of answer: 29 Jul 2016 at 15:00.


Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to participate in the conference about the attacks on Yazidis, Christians and others by ISIS organised by the US State Department in Washington DC on 29 July; if so, who will represent them and whether whilst attending that conference they will explain why they have not supported the genocide declarations passed by the House of Commons and the US Congress. (HL1254)



The UK will attend the State Department Consultation on Threats to Religious and Ethnic Minorities under Daesh on 28 and 29 July. It will be represented by a senior official from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The consultation will be used to discuss what countries are doing to protect minorities under Daesh and what more can be done. As the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Mr Johnson) made clear during his visit to Washington on 21 July, the Government is fully committed to working with international partners to ensure Daesh is held to account for its crimes.


Baroness Anelay of St Johns, the Department for International Development, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1308):

Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian needs of the civilians living in the rebel-held areas of Aleppo, and of reports that those civilians are facing starvation. (HL1308)



The UK is at the forefront of the humanitarian response to the Syria crisis. We have pledged over £2.3 billion to date, our largest ever response to a humanitarian crisis.

The Syrian regime and Kurdish forces have cut the main access route into opposition-held eastern Aleppo City. The UN reports that up to 300,000

people are trapped there, with humanitarian assistance unable to get in. The UN and humanitarian partners have prepositioned some food supplies and rationing of supplies has begun. Further life-saving aid is needed urgently. In other areas of Syria prolonged denial of humanitarian access has led to cases of acute malnutrition and, in some cases, starvation.

There is no excuse for not allowing humanitarian supplies into east Aleppo City and doing so is a violation of International Humanitarian Law. The Syrian Regime approved the UN’s request to deliver humanitarian supplies to East Aleppo City as part of its July humanitarian convoy plan. We call on the Regime to live up to this commitment. We are working with the UN and other humanitarian partners to find ways to alleviate the situation.



Saudi ArabiaQuestion:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they made of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, and its role in Yemen, before announcing that the UK would continue to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia. (HL1603)



The UK Government takes its arms export responsibilities very seriously and operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world. All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking account of all relevant factors at the time of the application.

Risks around human rights violations are a key part of our assessment against the Consolidated Criteria. We do not export equipment where we assess there is a clear risk that it might be used for internal repression, or would provoke or prolong conflict within a country, or where we assess there is a clear risk that the intended recipient would use the items aggressively against another country. Export licensing requires us to consider how the equipment will be used by the end-user. This is done by reference to all currently available and relevant information at the time of application. A licence will not be issued, for any country, if to do so would be inconsistent with any provision of the mandatory Criteria, including where we assess there

is a clear risk that it might be used in the commission of a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law.


SudanBaroness Anelay of St Johns, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1727):

Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government which projects funded by the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund in South Sudan in 2016–17 are directly linked to the implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. (HL1727)


Answer:Baroness Anelay of St Johns: The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) in South Sudan will provide funding for five projects in 2016-17 that seek to reduce conflict at a national and local level, and are therefore directly linked to the implementation of the peace agreement. These projects will help improve public knowledge of the peace agreement, increase the capacity for HMG to engage with implementation, provide technical assistance on the economy and security sectors, and support the Sudan People’s Liberation Army on professionalisation, implementation of the peace agreement and preventing sexual violence in conflict.


Baroness Anelay of St Johns, the Department for International Development, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1728):

Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much development aid has been provided to South Sudan in each of the last three years, and how much of that aid was specifically focused on conflict resolution and promoting reconciliation. (HL1728)



Through DFID the UK provided £158m in 2013/14 and £188m in 2015/16 of development aid to South Sudan, a further £165 million is budgeted to be spent this financial year.

The UK remains committed to helping bring an end to the cycle of violence in South Sudan. Many of our programmes have components aimed at conflict resolution and reconciliation. In terms of specific programming, a £12 million ‘Community Security and Arms Control’ project running from 2012-16 helps to control and regulate small arms, enhance dispute resolution mechanisms and improve security within communities. In addition, through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) the UK spent almost £1.4 million on conflict resolution and promoting reconciliation in 2015/16, and is forecasting to spend a further £1 million in 2016/17, including on community level peacebuilding and the Conflict Sensitivity Programme. DFID works very closely with the FCO, who, along with ‘Troika’ partners the US and Norway, are working to help end the conflict through the implemention of the 2015 peace agreement.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of South Sudan's first Vice President Riek Machar's control over his military forces; what steps they are taking to include all parties in a resolution to the conflict including the Sudan People's Liberation Army’s Chief of General Staff Paul Malong; and what steps they are taking to help resolve the delay of payments to soldiers. (HL1227)



The security situation remains fluid, but several opposition commanders have made clear that they remain under the command of Riek Machar. It is therefore imperative that Machar, as well as other South Sudanese leaders, takes responsibility for his forces’ actions and refuses to engage in further fighting. Through the UN Security Council and our engagement with regional partners we continue to put pressure on the parties to immediately bring an end to the violence, and to ensure their troops respect the ceasefire of 11 July. Payments to soldiers is a matter for the transitional government of national unity.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the preliminary ceasefire agreed in South Sudan on 11 July continues to hold; what steps they are taking to ensure that those displaced by the violence in South Sudan receive humanitarian protection and that the existing infrastructure in place at the Tomping base of the UN Mission in South Sudan is adequate; and what representations they have made to both the first Vice President Riek Machar and President Salva Kiir to encourage constructive political dialogue. (HL1226)



The former Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (James Duddridge), issued a statement on 14 July calling on President Kiir and First Vice-President Machar to ensure their troops abide by the ceasefire and refrain from further violence. We are now working with our regional partners to support this. At the UN Security Council we continue to make clear that the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) needs to be strengthened and an arms embargo and targeted sanctions should be applied.

The UK’s humanitarian partners are providing water, food and health services to those affected by the recent fighting in Juba. Our humanitarian programme continues to deliver assistance across South Sudan to support the 1.6 million internally displaced people. We are also working to ensure that UNMISS has the equipment and unrestricted access it needs to fulfil its mandated task of providing a secure environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with the government of Rwanda about the visit to that country by Omar al Bashir,

President of Sudan, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and crimes against humanity. (HL1256)



Rwanda is not a State party to the International Criminal Court (ICC). It is important that fugitives from international justice do not enjoy impunity and we note the UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR 1593) has urged all States to cooperate fully with the ICC and its Prosecutor with regards to the situation in Darfur. We continue to follow closely developments in the ICC, including the level of States’ cooperation with the Court, and will consider further measures as appropriate.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have held with the Secretary General of the Commonwealth about recent visits to Rwanda and Uganda by Omar al Bashir, President of Sudan, who has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for genocide and crimes against humanity. (HL1257)



We have not held any discussions with the Secretary General of the Commonwealth on this matter. However we continue to believe that State cooperation, in particular with respect to enforcement of arrest warrants is vital for the International Criminal Court to be effective in fulfilling its mandate to achieve justice for the victims of atrocities. We look forward to future meetings and discussions with the Secretary General on shared priorities for the Commonwealth.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to the imposition of sanctions and penalties on countries that host visits by those indicted for genocide or crimes against humanity such as Omar al Bashir, President of Sudan; and what discussions they have had with other signatories to the creation of the International Criminal Court about that issue. (HL1258)



The International Criminal Court (ICC) has an established procedure for dealing with instances of non-cooperation and reports regularly to the UN Security Council on this matter. We continue to follow closely developments in the ICC, including the level of States’ cooperation with the Court, and will consider further measures as appropriate.


North Korea Baroness Anelay of St Johns, the Department for International Development, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1900):

Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what humanitarian aid they are providing to injured and displaced persons in North Korea following the recent flooding in that country. (HL1900)



The UK supports organisations such as the UN through core contributions. UN agencies are delivering humanitarian assistance to people affected.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether, following North Korea’s launch of three ballistic missiles on 5 September, the UN Security Council will be convened to consider the implications of that launch and an international response. (HL1544)



The UN Security Council (UNSC) met on 6 September to discuss a response to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) ballistic missiles launches on 5 September. The UNSC subsequently issued a statement condemning these launches as a flagrant violation of UN Security Council Resolutions. The UK strongly supports this statement, as we have with previous UNSC statements condemning DPRK provocations in 2016. We will continue to discuss at the UNSC, and with close partners, further measures in response to the DPRK’s destabilising and provocative actions.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of North Korea’s launch of three ballistic missiles on 5 September. (HL1543)



The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) ballistic missile launches of 5 September are a clear violation of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs). The DPRK’s repeated provocations in 2016 are a threat to regional stability and international security. The UN Security Council statement of 6 September, which the UK fully supports, clearly demonstrates that the international community is united and will not tolerate this destabilising behaviour. We urge the DPRK to abide by UNSCRs and return to credible and authentic discussions on its nuclear and ballistic missile programme.

Date and time of answer: 12 Sep 2016 at 12:18


Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the US Treasury decision to impose sanctions on North Korean senior officials in the light of reported human rights abuses; and whether they plan to impose similar sanctions. (HL1077)



The US decision to designate senior members of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) regime follows its decision to introduce the US North Korea Sanctions Policy Enhancement Act in February 2016. The British Government shares the objective of maintaining pressure on the DPRK to fulfil its international human rights obligations and is deeply concerned by the human rights situation in the DPRK. It regularly consults with partners such as the US, the EU and regional partners on the best way to achieve this.


BangladeshBaroness Anelay of St Johns, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1223):

Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government following the decision to ban Zakir Naik from visiting the UK what discussions they have had with other governments about the nature and content of the broadcasts for which he is reportedly responsible and his ability to travel to their jurisdictions. (HL1223)



Since the decision to exclude Zakir Naik from the UK, the British Government has had no discussions with other governments about the nature and content of his broadcasts, nor his ability to travel to their jurisdictions.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of links between the reported recent upsurge of jihadist violence in Bangladesh and Zakir Naik’s television channel Peace TV; whether they have discussed with the government of Bangladesh the reasons why it has banned Peace TV broadcasts; whether they have discussed its content with the government of Dubai from where it broadcasts; and whether they have established the veracity of the claims that Zakir Naik has received substantial financial support from sources in the UK to fund his broadcasts. (HL1222)



As with many other countries, Bangladesh has suffered from an increase in violent extremism in recent years. In part this may be motivated by broadcasts and online material of an extremist nature. The British Government has not discussed Peace TV with either the Government of Bangladesh or the Government of Dubai. However, we are in regular dialogue with the Government of Bangladesh about how we can assist and share best practice in combating extremism and in understanding the root causes of why young people in particular are vulnerable to such messaging. In November 2015, the former Prime Minister, my Right Hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), commissioned a review into the funding of Islamist extremism in the UK. The review will improve our understanding of how extremists operating in the UK sustain their activities.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of reports of the dousing with gasoline and setting alight of a Catholic woman in the village of Kajura, what representations they have made to the government of Bangladesh and its representatives in London about the protection of atheists, moderate Muslims and religious minorities in Bangladesh and the bringing to justice of those responsible for recent reported killings and violent attacks. (HL1224)



We are in regular contact with the Bangladesh government about extremism, human rights and a range of other issues. The former Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) most recently spoke to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh about countering extremism in the margins of the G7 meeting in Japan on 27 May. The former Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) raised this with Foreign Minister Ali on 5 July. The British High Commissioner regularly discusses these issues with Bangladesh government ministers.

In September 2015 the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief visited Bangladesh. We urge the Bangladesh government to implement the recommendations in his report, which include a call for the government to “protect the vibrant civil society and pluralistic society in Bangladesh”.


Indian Dalits


Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the findings of India’s National Crime Records Bureau that, in a three-year period there was an almost 40 per cent increase of crime against Dalits throughout India; that in 2015, in Gujarat, there was a 163.3 per cent increase in crime against Dalits; and that sexual assaults against women and rape are listed as the top crimes against scheduled castes. (HL1541)



India has a strong democratic framework, independent and accountable law enforcement and judicial institutions. Its constitution guarantees fundamental human rights. However, it also faces numerous challenges relating to its size and social and economic development.

We are aware of the particular concerns around violence against minority groups and women and girls in India. We are committed to working with the

Government of India, international partners and civil society groups on these important issues.

The British High Commission works with civil society and government bodies on projects which provide advice to lawyers and grassroots organisations that directly support the protection of minorities and Dalits. For example, we support a project which helps survivors of sexual violence understand their legal rights in the Indian criminal justice system. UK Government-funded training has helped to empower over 1000 Dalit women and men to exercise their legal rights. In November 2015, I met a group of senior Indian women advocates to discuss the challenges faced by women in India and how the UK Government could support their efforts to strengthen enforcement of the law.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of violence against Dalits and minorities in India, and what discussions they have had with the government of India about that issue. (HL1540)



India has a strong democratic framework, robust and independent institutions and its constitution guarantees fundamental human rights. However, it also faces numerous challenges relating to its size and social and economic development. We welcome Prime Minister Modi’s comments on 6 August when he spoke against “cow vigilantes” attacking minority groups and urged state governments in India to investigate such attacks.

The UK discusses a wide range of matters with India, including religious tolerance and minority rights, both bilaterally and through the EU. The former Prime Minister (The Right Hon. David Cameron) discussed human rights with Prime Minister Modi in November 2015. Mr Modi reaffirmed his commitment and respect for India’s core values of tolerance and freedoms; points which he also stressed in his speech in Parliament on 12 November 2015.

The British High Commission in India discusses the treatment of minorities with the Indian National Commission for Minorities and with state governments across India. They are in regular contact with civil society organisations working on the protection of minority rights across India, including key issues for minorities such as freedom of religious belief.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the Joint Statement of UK anti-caste organisations submitted on 18 August to the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary, the United National Human Rights Commissioner and the UN Secretary General, and whether they will press for those British organisations that submitted the Joint Statement to be given the opportunity to express their concerns to the United Nations office in Geneva and to report on the condition of Dalits and minorities in India. (HL1542)



We have received the Joint Statement from the Anti Caste Discrimination Alliance (ACDA) and will respond. We are aware of the particular concerns raised around minority rights highlighted by the ACDA.


PakistanBaroness Anelay of St Johns, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1307):

Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they last raised with the government of Pakistan the issues of (1) the honour killing of women, (2) the exclusion of minority communities from full citizenship, and (3) the imprisonment of citizens under the blasphemy laws; and what response they received. (HL1307)



We remain concerned by ongoing reports of so-called honour killings, the persecution of minority communities and the misuse of blasphemy laws in

Pakistan. We regularly raise human rights with the Government of Pakistan. The former Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), pressed Pakistan to guarantee the rights of all its citizens during his visit to Islamabad in March. He also attended an event to stimulate debate about honour killings. It is encouraging that Pakistan has enacted laws to protect religious minorities. We urge Pakistan to implement this legislation, uphold the rule of law and ensure the rights of all citizens are respected regardless of gender, ethnicity or religious belief.


ChinaBaroness Anelay of St Johns, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1838):

Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what consideration they have given to ways to prohibit British citizens from travelling to China for the purpose of obtaining an organ transplant until the practice of forced organ harvesting ceases. (HL1838)



I refer the noble Lord to the answer the Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Reading West (Mr Sharma) gave on 14 September in response to Written Question 45143 from the Hon. Member for Strangford (Mr Jim Shannon), copied below for ease of reference:

“As My Rt Hon. Friend, the former Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Hugo Swire, stated to the house on the 12 July 2016, we have raised concerns about reports of organ harvesting, as well as about the torture and mistreatment of detainees, during the annual UK-China human rights dialogue. We will do so again at the next round. My officials also raised the issue with their Chinese counterparts on 1 September 2016. However, despite the fact that UK physicians always advise patients against, it is very difficult to prevent UK citizens travelling to less well-regulated countries to seek an organ transplant. Although numbers are not known, it is thought that very few patients in the UK choose to do so.”



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to work with other countries to seek the establishment of an international commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of forced organ harvesting in China. (HL1837)



We have no plans to seek the establishment of an International Commission of inquiry to investigate allegations of forced organ harvesting in China.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they are making to the government of the People’s Republic of China about releasing all human rights lawyers detained since July 2015, ceasing the harassment of lawyers and activists, and upholding the rule of law. (HL1815)



We have repeatedly raised our concerns with the Chinese authorities about the detention, arrest and disappearance of Chinese lawyers and human rights defenders. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Reading West (Mr Sharma), raised their cases most recently with the Chinese Ambassador on 1 August. We urge the Chinese authorities to release the detained lawyers and ensure all detainees have access to legal counsel of their choice.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to engage in increased consultation with civil society and UK-based and international human rights NGOs around the UK–China Human Rights Dialogue, including increasing transparency and accountability. (HL1813)



Ministers and officials meet civil society representatives on a regular basis to hear their views and benefit from their expertise on the human rights situation in China. The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member for Reading West (Mr Sharma) met Chinese NGOs during his recent visit to China. He plans to host a round table with UK-based NGOs at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the near future.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the government of China about the case of Guo Feixiong; and what response they have received. (HL1078)



The former Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire), raised the case of Guo Feixiong with the Chinese Ambassador on 3 December 2015, who said the case was being handled according to Chinese law. More recently, we supported an EU statement on 22 June 2016. That statement called for Guo, along with several other individuals detained for seeking to protect the rights of others, such as their right to freedom of expression, to be released.

We continue to monitor Guo’s case and report on it via the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy. We will raise Guo’s case at the next round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the evidence of the practice of forced organ harvesting in China set out in the report published in June by David Kilgour, David Matas and Ethan Gutmann, and in the film The Bleeding Edge. (HL1816)



As the former Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for East Devon (Mr Swire) stated to the House of Commons on the 12 July 2016, we have raised concerns about reports of organ harvesting, as well as about the torture and mistreatment of detainees, during the annual UK-China human rights dialogue. We will do so again at the next round which is scheduled to take place in October. My officials most recently raised the issue with the Chinese authorities on 1 September 2016.

The Kilgour/Matas/Gutmann report is an important source of information about China's organ transplant system, which we take seriously, but we are unable to substantiate all the evidence presented in the report. We have not assessed any evidence from 'the Bleeding Edge', as we understand it to be a semi-fictional feature film.We encourage the Chinese authorities to provide more information about the sources of organs for transplant, and about the implementation of existing Chinese regulations in this area.

Date and time of answer: 26 Sep 2016 at 14:20


Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the effectiveness of the UK–China Human Rights Dialogue and the EU–China Human Rights Dialogue, and whether they will establish specific benchmarks for progress in those dialogues. (HL1814)



The UK-China Human Rights Dialogue provides a platform to highlight a wide range of the Government’s human rights concerns to relevant Chinese officials. It also provides an opportunity for frank, expert exchanges on policies as they are applied in the UK and China. In recent years workshop themes have included: judicial procedures; disability rights; and minority languages.

The Dialogue is an addition to, rather than a replacement for discussions in other bilateral and multilateral fora. It is one part of our strategy to promote British values in China, and we do not have benchmarks to measure the Dialogue in isolation. We do measure progress against our overall strategy and we report on it in the FCO Annual Human Rights report.

The EU-China Human Rights dialogue functions in a similar way, and we engage closely with the organisers to share views and objectives. We are confident that the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue is coherent with UK objectives.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they plan to conduct a comprehensive review of British foreign policy towards China, including consulting human rights NGOs, human rights lawyers, activists, religious communities and NGOs in China, exiled Chinese dissidents, journalists, academics and other experts, as recommended by the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission. (HL1812)



The Government’s policy towards China is set by the National Security Council. We have a strong relationship with China, as described in the Global Partnership announced at the State Visit of President Xi to the UK in 2015, and reiterated by the Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), during her recent visit to China. In addition to working with China to solve global challenges, and to develop strong trade, investment and people links, we also promote British values. To inform our policy, we maintain contact with a wide range of stakeholders, including human rights NGOs, journalists and academics. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Hon. Friend the Member

for Reading West (Alok Sharma) met Chinese human rights activists when he visited China in August.



Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the findings and recommendations in the report published in June by the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission, The Darkest Moment: The Crackdown on Human Rights in China 2013–2016. (HL1811)



My officials and I have read the report with interest. Although the Government was not asked to give evidence to it and the views stated within it do not reflect Government policy, there is much in the report with which we agree. We are already pursuing an approach consistent with many of the recommendations. For example my ministerial colleagues and I regularly raise concerns about the crackdown on human rights lawyers, repressive legislation, and challenges to freedom of religion or belief. Equally, there are parts of the report which require further investigation to substantiate the claims made, for instance about organ harvesting.


BurmaBaroness Anelay of St Johns, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (HL1079):

Question:To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information they have about (1) land confiscation, (2) military activity, (3) health, (4) education, (5) drug use and its consequences, (6) local drug supply and drug use, (7) the killing of civilians, (8) arbitrary taxation, and (9) the displacement of villagers and forced recruitment, in Burma’s Karen state; and whether they plan to discuss those issues with the new government of Burma. (HL1079)



The British Government follows events in Burma's Karen State closely, including those listed in the noble Lord's question. Staff from our Embassy in Rangoon visit regularly. Many of these issues are connected to the legacy of conflict. We play a key role in international efforts to resolve the conflict across Burma. As part of these efforts, we have supported both the previous and current Governments of Burma, as well as the Ethnic Armed Groups that are party to the conflict (including the Karen), to find a negotiated political settlement. In addition, the Department for International Development (DFID) has a major development programme in Burma, of which Karen State is a beneficiary, including on health and education. For example, DFID works with several non-government organisations to fund programmes for the prevention and treatment of malaria which is prevalent in Karen State, and to establish community based schools and centres for early childhood development. The UK discusses conflict-related issues with the Government of Burma on a regular basis.


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