Contributions
834 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDASEAN Countries: UK RelationsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise that. While I was in Manila last week, I met a range of Cabinet Secretaries, including the Health Secretary and the Foreign Minister,…24 Nov 2020HANSARDMyanmar: ICJ CaseI congratulate the hon. Lady on her work on this issue, alongside the former Foreign Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Jeremy Hunt). She is…24 Nov 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend is right to raise that. Protecting and promoting the freedom of religion or belief is an important part of our bilateral and multilateral relationships, and we do…24 Nov 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsI thank the hon. Lady for her question, and for her continued emphasis in this regard. These matters about the region of Kashmir have to be settled bilaterally between Pakistan…24 Nov 2020HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy right hon. Friend is right to raise that case. Deaths abroad of our constituents are always tragic, and our consular staff at post have spoken with the president of the…24 Nov 2020HANSARDDeportation: Human Rights ComplianceAs the hon. Member may already know, changes were made under the previous Government to make the system more balanced. I can tell him that the FCDO is committed to upholding the…24 Nov 2020HANSARDDeportation: Human Rights ComplianceDeportations, removals and returns are a Home Office lead. The Home Office is responsible for ensuring that action is in compliance with the relevant legal frameworks. The Foreign…24 Nov 2020HANSARDASEAN Countries: UK RelationsWe are very much strengthening our relations with the 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Last month, I had a meeting with the ASEAN Secretary-General. I…24 Nov 2020HANSARDMahboob Ahmad KhanI thank the hon. Lady for her question. She may be aware that we had a very robust Adjournment debate highlighting this issue last night. We remain deeply concerned by reports of…24 Nov 2020HANSARDMahboob Ahmad KhanWe strongly condemn the murder of Mr Mahboob Khan, another recent and apparently religiously motivated killing of an Ahmadi Muslim in Pakistan. On 8 November, my ministerial…24 Nov 2020HANSARD Persecution of AhmadisIt is a real pleasure to respond to this debate. I am incredibly grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Wakefield (Imran Ahmad Khan) for securing it, and for his passionate,…23 Nov 2020HANSARD Persecution of AhmadisMy hon. Friend, who is a long-time champion on issues of freedom of religion and belief, raises an important point. We see that issue in other parts of the world too, including…23 Nov 2020HANSARD Persecution of AhmadisI thank my hon. Friend for bringing this debate to the House, and I can assure him that we will obviously continue to stand up for the rights of all religious communities,…23 Nov 2020HANSARD Persecution of AhmadisThe right hon. Gentleman is bang on; of course we should be calling out this behaviour. Many of these activities take place on social media. We will be bringing forward an online…23 Nov 2020HANSARD Persecution of AhmadisThe hon. Gentleman raises a good point. We regularly communicate our concern about these issues. People should be able to practise their religion and belief freely, without…23 Nov 2020HANSARDHong KongWe have been generous with regard to BNOs, and rightly so, given the duty that we owe to them. We have developed proposals for a bespoke immigration route for them and their…12 Nov 2020HANSARDHong KongI thank the Opposition spokesman for his questions. On sanctions, he will be fully aware that it is not appropriate to speculate on who exactly will come under the radar of our…12 Nov 2020HANSARDHong KongYesterday was another sad day for the people of Hong Kong. China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee imposed new restrictions that mean that any Hong Kong legislator…12 Nov 2020HANSARDHong KongI thank the hon. Lady for raising this urgent question. One of her points was about whether I would meet her; of course, I am more than happy to meet her. I know how important…12 Nov 2020HANSARDHong KongI thank the Chair of the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs for his question and for his ongoing leadership on this particular issue. Trade with China is absolutely pivotal and…12 Nov 2020