Alok Sharma: ...Zafarullah Khan, the Prime Minister's Special Assistant for Human Rights. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) discussed the misuse of the blasphemy laws and the importance we attach to safeguarding the rights of all Pakistan's citizens during his visit to Pakistan in November 2016.
Alok Sharma: ...Khan, the Prime Minister's Special Assistant for Human Rights. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) discussed our human rights concerns and the importance we attach to upholding the rule of law during his visit to Pakistan in November 2016.
Alok Sharma: ...Rt. Hon Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Theresa May) spoke to Acting President Hwang Kyo-Ahn on 24 March and the Foreign Secretary, my Rt. Hon Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) spoke to Foreign Minister Yun Byung-Se on 30 March, as well as hosting him for annual strategic level dialogue on 22 February. The British Ambassador in Seoul is also in frequent...
Alok Sharma: ...and I have written to her. The Prime Minister, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Theresa May) and the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) have also written to the Chief Executive-elect Carrie Lam to congratulate her. I have had no recent discussions with the Chinese or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Governments...
Alok Sharma: ...Affairs, U Kyaw Tin, on 27 February at the Human Rights Council in Geneva. During his visit to Burma in January, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), also raised similar concerns with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as well as military-appointed government ministers. When the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth...
Alok Sharma: ...Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister Abul Ali, and opposition leaders Begum Khaleda Zia and Raushan Ershad. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) hopes that the opportunity to travel to Bangladesh will arise in the future but he does not currently have any firm plans to visit.
Alok Sharma: ...to convey this message to Pyongyang in the strongest possible terms. As the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) stated after the DPRK's ballistic missile launch on 5 March, we urge DPRK to stop their provocative actions, which threaten international peace and security.
Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 23 March 2017 There have been no formal discussions between the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) and the private sector on the construction or commissioning of a new royal yacht. A new royal yacht is not on the Government's agenda. If private money is raised, we wish donors well.
Alok Sharma: Holding answer received on 23 March 2017 The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) has not had any formal discussions with the Secretary of State for Department for International Trade, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Dr Fox) on the effect of a privately-funded royal yacht for securing trade deals.
Alok Sharma: ...access and a credible investigation into reports of violations. During his recent visit to Burma in January, the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), raised similar concerns with State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi as well as military-appointed government ministers. The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my...
Alok Sharma: The six-monthly report to the House from the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), published on 24 February, sets out the Government's latest assessment on developments in Hong Kong. The report makes clear the Government's view that the 'One Country, Two Systems' framework established by the Sino-British Joint Declaration continues to...
Alok Sharma: ...partners regarding the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) provocative and destabilising behaviour. The Foreign Secretary's, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), statement of 6 March condemned the latest missile tests as a clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
Alok Sharma: The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) has no contact with his counterpart.
Alok Sharma: When the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), visited Burma in January he raised a number of human rights concerns with both the civilian and military authorities. Specifically he called for a restrained security response in Rakhine State, for immediate humanitarian access there and for an end to discrimination against the Rohingya....
Alok Sharma: Neither the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), nor I have met representatives from Burma Campaign UK during our time in office. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office last met representatives from Burma Campaign UK on 31 January.
Alok Sharma: The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), raised two areas of human rights concern during his visit to Burma on 20-21 January. On Rakhine, he raised concerns about human rights violations with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and with military-appointed Government Ministers; he stressed the need for a smarter security approach, full...
Alok Sharma: ...activists, with the Chinese Assistant Minister for Europe, Liu Haixing on 16 February during my visit to China. The Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson), also raised human rights issues with Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi at the UK/China Strategic dialogue on 20 December 2016. We discussed the full range of our human rights...
Alok Sharma: ...freedoms and the rule of law are key elements of this framework. We have highlighted in six-monthly reports from the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) to the House those areas where challenges have arisen or on which we have had concerns. The Government raises such concerns with the Chinese and Hong Kong Special Administrative...
Alok Sharma: ...the implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, including through six-monthly reports to Parliament by the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson). These six-monthly reports reflect the Government's continuing interest in developments in Hong Kong and our ongoing commitment to the faithful implementation of the Sino-British...
Alok Sharma: ...my Hon. Friend to my answer of 1 February 2017 (PQ 61986). The six-monthly reports submitted to the House by the Foreign Secretary, my Rt Hon. Friend the Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip (Boris Johnson) reflect the Government's continuing interest in developments in Hong Kong and our commitment to the faithful implementation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Most recently, the...