A service from mySociety A service from mySociety

TheyWorkForYou

Menu

Uzbekistan

Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs written question – answered at on 1 March 2004.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Mr Harold Best Mr Harold Best Labour, Leeds North West

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Uzbekistan about human rights.

Photo of Bill Rammell Bill Rammell Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Foreign & Commonwealth Office

We remain deeply concerned by the human rights situation in Uzbekistan and regularly discuss human rights with the Uzbek Government both bilaterally and with our EU partners.

Last year I discussed our concerns about the human rights situation in a meeting with the Uzbek Ambassador on 8 October, urging the Uzbek authorities to implement the UN Special Rapporteur for Torture's recommendations immediately. At the EU Uzbekistan Co-operation Council on 27 January, the EU reiterated its serious concern about the human rights situation in Uzbekistan. The Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, my hon. Friend Mr. O'Brien raised human rights issues with the Uzbek Deputy prime minister on 4 February.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office frequently discusses human rights with the Uzbek Ambassador in London and raises human rights issues and individual cases with our EU partners. Our Ambassador in Tashkent continues to raise individual cases, as well as our general concerns, at ministerial level both bilaterally and in conjunction with EU colleagues.

Does this answer the above question?

Yes3 people think so

No2 people think not

Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.

Secretary of State

Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

Deputy Prime Minister

The office of Deputy Prime Minister is one that has only existed occasionally in the history of the United Kingdom. Unlike analogous offices in other nations, the Deputy Prime Minister does not have any of the powers of the Prime Minister in the latter's absence and there is no presumption that the Deputy Prime Minister will succeed the Prime Minister.

The post has existed intermittently and there have been a number of disputed occasions as to whether or not the title has actually been conferred.

More from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deputy_Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom

Minister

Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.