Contributions
1,571 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDVSO: Volunteering for Development ProgrammeAs my noble friend said, the legislation allows for the 0.7% target to not be met in a particular year in light of economic and fiscal circumstances. The Foreign Secretary is…16 Mar 2021HANSARDVSO: Volunteering for Development ProgrammeMy Lords, I am not able to provide that announcement—that declaration—unilaterally. However, the noble Baroness is absolutely right that ICS volunteers like her have made a…16 Mar 2021HANSARDVSO: Volunteering for Development ProgrammeMy Lords, I will not take issue with anything that the noble Lord said in the second part of his question, although I question the cynicism that he has shown on the timing of…16 Mar 2021HANSARDVSO: Volunteering for Development ProgrammeMy Lords, volunteers make a uniquely valuable contribution to sustainable development, including empowering women and girls across the globe. During the Covid response, our…16 Mar 2021HANSARDZimbabwe: Human Rights AbusesMy Lords, we engage with the African Union on all reports of human rights abuses in instances where the African Union has leverage and political will. We are not convinced that…16 Mar 2021HANSARDVSO: Volunteering for Development ProgrammeMy Lords, the impact of the global pandemic on the UK economy has forced us to take the tough decision to temporarily reduce our aid budget. We are now working through the…16 Mar 2021HANSARDZimbabwe: Human Rights AbusesThe UK stands ready in friendship to support a Zimbabwe that fully embraces the rule of law, human rights and reform. The ball is in the court of the Zimbabwean Government. The UK…16 Mar 2021HANSARDZimbabwe: Human Rights AbusesMy Lords, I am afraid I did not catch the whole question; the reception was poor. However, the UK engages often and regularly with South Africa on Zimbabwe, including on human…16 Mar 2021HANSARDZimbabwe: Human Rights AbusesMy Lords, this year, we are providing £81 million in bilateral development assistance to Zimbabwe. When our support through multilateral systems is included, that increases to…16 Mar 2021HANSARDZimbabwe: Human Rights AbusesMy Lords, I was not aware that neither South Africa nor the African Union has commented on the large-scale displacement that the noble Lord has described. The UK has a…16 Mar 2021HANSARDZimbabwe: Human Rights AbusesMy Lords, we have repeatedly made clear our disappointment at the lack of political and economic progress of the Zimbabwean Government. On 1 February, we announced sanctions to…16 Mar 2021HANSARDVSO: Volunteering for Development ProgrammeMy Lords, VSO is a highly valued programme that the FCDO—and DfID, formerly—has been proud to support for many years. I reiterate the earlier point that no decision on the…16 Mar 2021HANSARDIndia: Restrictions on FreedomMy Lords, the right to peaceful protest is vital in any democracy and we encourage all states to ensure that their laws are in line with international standards. Any allegation of…15 Mar 2021HANSARDIndia: Restrictions on FreedomMy Lords, India—as the world’s largest and, as I say, one of the oldest democracies—and the UK have a very deep and broad relationship. Our trade and investment partnership is…15 Mar 2021HANSARDIndia: Restrictions on FreedomMy Lords, I believe that the former Chief Ministers who have been detained under the public safety Act have now been released. We welcome the Indian Government’s assurances that…15 Mar 2021HANSARDIndia: Restrictions on FreedomMy Lords, the Prime Minister will visit India shortly. That will be an opportunity to discuss a very wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues directly with the Indian…15 Mar 2021HANSARDIndia: Restrictions on FreedomMy Lords, the UK is committed to media freedom, democracy and human rights all around the world. Independent media is a prerequisite to any vibrant democracy such as the UK and…15 Mar 2021HANSARDIndia: Restrictions on FreedomMy Lords, I hope I caught the question adequately. I hate to repeat myself, but our approach has always been and will remain one which involves taking our concerns directly to the…15 Mar 2021HANSARDIndia: Restrictions on FreedomAs one of the world’s largest democracies and one of the world’s oldest, India and the UK have a broad and deep relationship. Long may that continue. On Kashmir, India and…15 Mar 2021HANSARDIndia: Restrictions on FreedomMy Lords, our approach has always been to raise any concerns directly with the Indian Government. We will continue to engage India on the full range of human rights matters and…15 Mar 2021