Every parliamentary written question tabled by Andrew Rosindell this session, with the full answer and department. Back to the MP page.
Showing 261–280 of 394 · Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason income tax on St Helena is levied at higher rates than on other British Overseas Territories.
The St Helena Government is responsible for its public finances and therefore sets its own income tax rates.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the interim Syrian Government’s capacity to implement security measures to protect (a) Alawite, (b) Christian and (c) Druze communities in controlled areas.
We welcome the Syrian Government's reassurances to the Syrian population and international community that they will protect all civilians in Syria, and their establishment of a fact-finding committee to investigate and prosecute individuals who committed crimes during the violence in early March. I discussed these points in my meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on 17 March. We will continue to monitor the treatment of all civilians in Syria, and this issue will continue to be an important aspect of our engagement with the Syrian Government and with regional and international partners.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues on how the UK can help to protect the Christian minority in Sudan.
Our Special Envoy for freedom of religion or belief (FoRB), David Smith, met with the UN Special Rapporteur on FoRB in Geneva in March, where he reinforced the UK position that there is no space for religious intolerance in pluralistic, modern societies. He also made a statement at the UN Human Rights Council on 4 March, highlighting our concerns regarding the coercion of non-Muslims in Sudan to change their beliefs through denial of work, food aid, and education. We continue to champion the right to FoRB for all by promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding. We will continue to recognise the issue of Christian persecution globally, alongside the persecution of other individuals on the basis of their religion or belief.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to the interim Syrian Foreign Minister on the potential merits of establishing independent oversight mechanisms to monitor the protection of religious minorities.
We welcome the Syrian Government's reassurances to the Syrian population and international community that they will protect all civilians in Syria, and their establishment of a fact-finding committee to investigate and prosecute individuals who committed crimes during the violence in early March. I discussed these points in my meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani on 17 March. We will continue to monitor the treatment of all civilians in Syria, and this issue will continue to be an important aspect of our engagement with the Syrian Government and with regional and international partners.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 March 2025 to Question 38547 on China: Cook Islands, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of that strategic agreement on his negotiations on the proposed treaty with the Government of Mauritius on the sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Under the agreement we will retain full control over Diego Garcia with robust provisions to keep adversaries out. These include unrestricted access to and use of the base for the UK and US; a buffer zone around Diego Garcia; a comprehensive mechanism to ensure no activity in the other islands threatens base operations; and a ban on the presence of any foreign security forces. This will ensure the long term secure and effective operation of the base well into the next century.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with Indo-Pacific counterparts on the risks of increased geopolitical competition over island territories.
Geopolitical competition and its implications are a consistent and central focus of engagement with the UK's Indo-Pacific partners. The Foreign Secretary regularly engages with his counterparts in the region, including most recently with the Foreign Ministers of China, Japan, India and the Philippines.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to the United Nations on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.
The Foreign Secretary has not made representations to the United Nations (UN) on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effectiveness of the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territories.
The Foreign Secretary has not conducted an assessment on the effectiveness of the work of the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made recent representations to the United Nations on statements by UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese on (a) Israel and (b) the causes of the 7 October attacks.
The Foreign Secretary has not made representations to the United Nations (UN) on UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 24 October 2024 to Question 9120 on Francesca Albanese, whether (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have (i) met and (ii) had discussions with UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese since 24 October 2024.
There have been no meetings between FCDO Ministers/Officials and UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese since 24 October 2024.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has met with the Human Rights Council of the United Nations to discuss the reappointment of UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese.
The Foreign Secretary has not met with the Human Rights Council to discuss the reappointment of the UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. UN Appointments are a matter for the UN.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to his Chinese counterpart on the (a) arrest of Bishop Peter Shao Zhumin in Wenzhou and (b) treatment of religious leaders in China.
The environment for freedom of religion or belief in China is restrictive, which includes the persecution of Christians. This Government stands firm on human rights, including the right to freedom of religion or belief. We raise our concerns at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang, Vice Premier He and Vice Premier Ding respectively).More broadly, this Government champions freedom of religion or belief for all abroad. We work to uphold the right to freedom of religion or belief through our position at the UN, G7 and other multilateral fora.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the People's Republic of China's Nine-dash line in the South China Sea on the maritime sovereignty of Commonwealth nations.
We are concerned about China's excessive maritime claims in the South China Sea, which have been ruled inconsistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The UK opposes any maritime claims which are not founded in UNCLOS. We take no sides in sovereignty disputes but we encourage parties to settle disputes peacefully through existing legal mechanisms, particularly UNCLOS.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in the People's Republic of China on the execution of four Canadian nationals earlier this year.
The UK is opposed to the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. This Government believes that the death penalty's use undermines human dignity, that there is no conclusive evidence of its deterrent value, and that any miscarriage of justice leading to its imposition is irreversible and irreparable.We raise our concerns about human rights at the highest levels: the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor and Energy Secretary all raised human rights recently with their counterparts (President Xi, Foreign Minister Wang, Vice Premier He and Vice Premier Ding respectively)
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 36369 Guyana: Politics and Government, what steps have been taken by the Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana to support Guyana's territorial integrity.
The Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana (CMGG) met on 3 September 2024 to discuss developments in the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela. The group reiterated its support for Guyana's territorial integrity and for the ongoing International Court of Justice process. The Group also encouraged the Commonwealth Secretary-General to continue to use her Good Offices to support Guyana in upholding its territorial integrity. On 2 March 2025, the Secretary-General firmly condemned the entry of a Venezuelan coast guard vessel into Guyanese waters. Commonwealth support for Guyana's territorial integrity was also amplified by the Leaders' Statement following the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2024.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2025 to Question 36369 on Guyana: Politics and Government, what steps he plans to take with international counterparts to de-escalate tensions related to Guyana's territorial integrity.
The Foreign Secretary reiterated UK support for Guyana's territorial integrity on 2 March following the incursion of a Venezuelan coast guard vessel into Guyanese waters. The Joint Statement of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Charlevoix further underlined support for Guyana. The UK will continue to work with our international partners to de-escalate tensions and underline support for the ongoing International Court of Justice process, for which Venezuela is due to submit their final written submission in August, as the lawful means of resolving this controversy.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department is providing to help increase levels of marine accessibility to the Cayman Islands.
Marine access is an area of responsibility devolved to the Cayman Islands Government. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and the Department for Transport (DfT) work closely with the Cayman Islands' maritime authorities to ensure appropriate oversight and good governance, including providing technical advice and training through the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to help support Australia following Cyclone Alfred; and whether he has held discussions with his Australian counterpart on natural disaster relief.
The UK stands ready to support our Australian partners as they recover from Cyclone Alfred. The Prime Minister expressed his support for the Australian people when he spoke to Prime Minister Albanese on 8 March.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 10 March 2025 to Question 34796 on China: Cook Islands, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of that strategic agreement on (a) his policies and (b) the policies of the Overseas Territories in the Indo-Pacific.
The UK Government will continue its policy of working to maintain a free, secure and open Indo-Pacific where international norms are respected. As part of the UK Government's constitutional responsibility for the defence, external relations and internal security of the British Overseas Territories, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has considered the impact of the strategic agreement on the one Territory in the Indo-Pacific (Pitcairn). This constitutional responsibility is different from that between New Zealand and the Cook Islands. As the UK retains the responsibility for external relations of the British Overseas Territories, the Territories are not able to enter into bilateral international treaties.
Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to ensure that underwater fibreoptic cables in the (a) Mediterranean, (b) North Sea and (c) Baltic Sea are strengthened to help prevent sabotage.
The UK regularly engages international partners and industry on strengthening the resilience of subsea infrastructure, including from potential sabotage. We work closely with NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) Allies to address threats, which has recently included UK support to NATO and JEF operations in the Baltic Sea. In December, the Prime Minister discussed cooperation with JEF leaders and signed a Strategic Partnership with Norway's Prime Minister committing to closer cooperation to tackle subsea threats. In February, the Foreign Secretary discussed coordination to protect subsea infrastructure with Finland's Foreign Minister while I raised cooperation with European External Action Service Deputy Secretary General Charles Fries. I have also discussed these issues with counterparts from the three regions.