argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Sino-British Joint Declaration: Rule of Law — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What recent steps the Government have taken to monitor and promote the rule of law in Hong Kong as set out in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for her tenacious work in this regard. The trials are a matter for the Hong Kong courts. I met Roberto Ribeiro, the deputy chief justice, and the head of the Hong Kong Bar Association when I was there in November. I have every confidence in the continued independence of the Hong Kong judiciary, which remains in high international esteem. But I hope that the incidents to which she refers will not discourage either lawful protests or the young from engaging in politics in Hong Kong.
Sino-British Joint Declaration: Rule of Law — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What recent steps the Government have taken to monitor and promote the rule of law in Hong Kong as set out in the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): May I reassure the hon. Lady that we have done rather a lot? We do not support Hong Kong independence as we feel that would be a clear breach of "one country, two systems". Nevertheless, as she rightly says, the right to stand for election, and the rights to free speech and to freedom of association are absolutely enshrined in the Basic Law. We are also concerned that, if not the letter, then certainly the spirit of "one country, two systems" is being breached by this matter. We have issued a statement and we will continue to apply pressure through diplomatic means; we will do so on an ongoing basis. I share many of her concerns, but she should not believe that there is not a lot of work going on, both from our consulate general there and from London on this matter.
Brazil: Incoming Administration — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Alan James Carter Duncan (Conservative, Centre-right): The Prime Minister has written to President-elect Bolsonaro. Our ambassador in Brazil has seen him, many of the future Ministers and the transition team, and we look forward to working very closely with Brazil in the time ahead.
Brazil: Incoming Administration — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Alan James Carter Duncan (Conservative, Centre-right): The answer to the hon. Lady’s question is a very clear yes—the UK, of course, is fully committed. The Brazilian Government come into office on 1 January. The President-elect has already said that Brazil will remain a party to the Paris agreement. Our ambassador has already discussed this with the incoming Government and we will continue to put pressure on and lobby in the same way as we always do in favour of climate change legislation and adherence to the Paris agreement.
Hazara Population in Afghanistan — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): We have consistently urged the Afghan Government to protect the rights of all ethnic and religious groups, including the Hazaras, in line with the Afghan constitution. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is deeply concerned by recent reports of security incidents affecting the Hazara community, particularly in Ghazni and Uruzgan. We will continue to call on all parties to the conflict to protect the civilian population.
Refugee Crises — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): I am glad that the hon. Lady welcomes the UK’s role, and I assure her that the UK has been fully engaged throughout the whole process since the United Nations agreed to move forward on this issue. We have been working on the wording and the direction of travel, to make sure that it is an agreement that can work for the whole world.
Refugee Crises — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, if Mr Speaker will allow me to put on my other hat from the Department for International Development just very briefly, I will say to my hon. Friend that he will be aware that the Secretary of State for International Development recently announced a range of new programmes to provide support in what has been a neglected area in terms of the psycho-social support and mental health support that particularly children in refugee situations need.
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Leo Docherty (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the Foreign Secretary for his response and for the support that he has given to these critically important peace talks. What reasons does he have for thinking that the Houthis and their Iranian backers will negotiate in good faith?
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): With respect to the hon. Lady, whose views I listen to carefully, it is important to remember that the cause of this conflict was the illegal taking over of power in Yemen by the Houthis, and the Saudi military offensive was authorised by resolution 2216. We have a relationship with Saudi Arabia, which we are using to encourage it to do everything possible to come round the table to talk about peace.
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Geoffrey Robert Clifton-Brown (Conservative, Centre-right): Some humanitarian agencies are warning that, next year, Yemen could have the worst famine in a century. Is it not incumbent on the civilised world, therefore, to lift every sinew to broker a peace settlement under the auspices of Martin Griffiths, our UN special negotiator?
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Ross Thomson (Conservative, Centre-right): Houthi rebels pushed the legitimate Government in Yemen from power, and they have fired Iranian-backed missiles across the border into neighbouring countries and commercial shipping lanes. Does my right hon. Friend agree that any vote in the US Senate to withdraw American support from the coalition would undermine efforts to reach a ceasefire?
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right to point out that there can be no lasting settlement to the terrible conflict in Yemen unless Iranian missiles are prevented from being fired from Yemen into Saudi Arabia and even as far as Riyadh. That is why we must have a balanced way forward that recognises both the humanitarian needs and Saudi Arabian security.
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): We are strongly urging restraint on both sides. I recognise what the hon. Gentleman says about the urgency of the situation, but I also think it is encouraging that, for the first time in two years, the participants are coming together this week in Stockholm.
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Pauline Elizabeth Latham (Conservative, Centre-right): Some 85,000 children under the age of five have starved to death in Yemen over the past three years. Does my right hon. Friend agree that a political solution is the way to a lasting peace and that, more urgently, we need to ensure that imports of food can make it through the port of Hodeidah in the light of the Save the Children Fund report?
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Hodeidah opening is crucial; it is also important to get access to the Red sea mills, which have enough wheat to feed 3.6 million people. The fighting has lessened, but it has still not stopped, which is why we need these peace talks to succeed.
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Matthew Robert Warman (Conservative, Centre-right): Fifty wounded Houthi rebels are to be flown from Yemen to Oman. Does my right hon. Friend agree that that flight on a UN plane for treatment is at least a good sign of good will in advance of the peace talks and that we should pay tribute to all those involved and be hopeful for the future?
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, my hon. Friend is absolutely right. That was one of the conditions that the Houthis made for their participation in the talks in Stockholm, and the Saudi agreement to do so was actually announced when I was in Riyadh a few weeks ago.
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): I am happy to do that. We have circulated a text, and the truth is that we will finalise that text after the talks have concluded. If we could choose what the text would say, we would love it to announce a ceasefire, but there is no point doing that unless it is agreed by all the parties. That is why we want the peace talks to succeed.
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): In principle, I have no problem with doing anything that will help this process along. As my hon. Friend the Member for The Cotswolds (Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown) said, this is by far the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today and possibly the worst that we have had for 100 years. However, I will always be guided by Martin Griffiths on whether my presence would be helpful.
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): The right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to point that out. Indeed, he oversaw those export conditions when he was working in government. It is because of the contracts that we have with the Saudis that we are very closely involved in looking at things like their targeting to make sure that they are indeed compliant with international humanitarian law.
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): First, I did not show a text of the draft resolution to King Salman or the Crown Prince when I went to Saudi Arabia, but I can confirm that both the original text and the current text refer to international humanitarian law. But in the process of getting that text agreed, did we make compromises to please the Saudis? Yes. Did we make compromises to please the Houthis? Yes, we did. As a result of that diplomacy, the talks are happening this week. Rather than criticising that, the right hon. Lady should be celebrating the brilliant work done by British diplomats.
Yemen: Peace Process — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): I simply say to the right hon. Lady that when it comes to the question of arms exports to Saudi Arabia, she seems to feel rather more strongly about it today than she did in 2007, when Labour Foreign Office Minister Kim Howells talked about shared values with Saudi Arabia following a big arms deal. The truth is that we follow the guidelines put in place by a Labour Government. That is what we do. They are the strictest in the world, and if she wants to change them, she should say so.
Human Rights and Freedom of Religion or Belief — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): I know that a number of Members have concerns about this question. As the Prime Minister has stated, our primary concern is the safety and security of Asia Bibi and her family. We want to see a swift and positive resolution to the legal aspect of this case in Pakistan. I should perhaps say that one allied nation has, for some years, been in detailed discussions about providing a safe destination for Asia Bibi and her family once the current legal process is complete. The House will appreciate that going into detail on these discussions would compromise that safety.
Human Rights and Freedom of Religion or Belief — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my right hon. Friend for her question. I could not agree more. We will continue to work as closely as we can with all parties. As I have pointed out, we do a lot of work underneath the radar. The Foreign Secretary and my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Middle East work very closely in relation to these issues and will continue to do so, looking after the rights of religious minorities across the world.
Human Rights and Freedom of Religion or Belief — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: My constitu- ents brought me this message from their friend in Cameroon about Kumbo:“It has become a dead town. The crises are intensifying…and road blocks have also been intensified. Everyone has gone to villages. Villagers are hosting refugees from Kumbo… The Gendarmes have started shooting civilians carelessly. Pray for us in Kumbo. No way to supply essential goods from Bamenda.”What is the Secretary of State doing to protect human rights in Cameroon, particularly in the Anglophone areas?
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): I know that my hon. Friend the Minister for Africa has recently been in Cameroon and speaks regularly with counterparts. We are extremely concerned about the issues in the Anglophone area. As the hon. Lady will be aware, a considerable amount of work goes on with Boko Haram on the porous border between Cameroon and Nigeria. We will continue to do all we can to protect the interests, particularly in the Anglophone area
Human Rights and Freedom of Religion or Belief — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: My constitu- ents brought me this message from their friend in Cameroon about Kumbo:“It has become a dead town. The crises are intensifying…and road blocks have also been intensified. Everyone has gone to villages. Villagers are hosting refugees from Kumbo… The Gendarmes have started shooting civilians carelessly. Pray for us in Kumbo. No way to supply essential goods from Bamenda.”What is the Secretary of State doing to protect human rights in Cameroon, particularly in the Anglophone areas?
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Lady for her question. We remain appalled by the conflict and deteriorating humanitarian situation in South Sudan. We welcome the regionally led peace agreement signed on 12 September. We believe that that is the only real chance and opportunity for the people of South Sudan, who have suffered for so long. There are positive steps, but I accept, as the hon. Lady points out, that progress is very slow and inconsistent. We welcome reductions in violence, and we work with our mission there to try to move towards ceasefire violations coming to an end.
Journalists’ Rights and Freedoms — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Peter Heaton-Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful for that answer. This issue is close to my heart. Will the Foreign Secretary confirm that the UK Government will continue to press other countries to protect the freedoms, rights and securities of journalists, wherever they might be working and however inconvenient their reporting might be in those jurisdictions?
Journalists’ Rights and Freedoms — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): I am happy to confirm that. When I was in Burma, I talked to Aung San Suu Kyi about the two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, because we have serious concerns about how due process was applied in their cases. We should remember in this House that 65 journalists were killed last year, and nine out of 10 times, no perpetrators were brought to justice.
Journalists’ Rights and Freedoms — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): I met David Miliband when I went to New York in September, and I think it would be a good idea to have those discussions. We have great concerns about the safety of aid workers, but our concern with respect to journalists is that this trend seems to be increasing, and it seems to be the new border between free and unfree countries.
Journalists’ Rights and Freedoms — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): I, too, congratulate the Back Bencher of the year I raised this issue when I was in Tehran on 19 November. I pointed out to the Iranian Government that if they are unhappy with the coverage of the BBC Persian service, there is a very simple thing that they can do: allow their representatives to be interviewed on it and allow them to put across their point of view, at which they smiled and changed the subject. We will, however, continue to press on that point.
Illegal Wildlife Trade — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: Law and Crime
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): We will continue to work with international partners to drive progress in tackling this terrible crime and deliver on the commitments made at October’s London conference. Some 57 countries have adopted the conference’s declaration so far.
Illegal Wildlife Trade — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: Environment
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): We are leading from the front. As my hon. Friend knows, we are bringing in an ivory ban in the UK. We have formed a high-level political coalition, the Ivory Alliance 2024, and we are urging everyone to tackle something that is extremely urgent, because the number of African elephants has declined by 30% over the past seven years.
Illegal Wildlife Trade — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the hon. Gentleman for his endorsement of the work, and we truly are working very energetically and vigorously, following the incredibly important and wide-ranging conference. As I say, 1,000 people attended it, and 57 countries have signed up to the declaration. We are encouraging everyone and leading by example with our ivory ban.
Israel and Palestine — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Alistair James Hendrie Burt (Conservative, Centre-right): The recent upsurge of violence in Gaza reminds all of us of the need to ensure that the middle east peace process gets moving, because that is the only thing that will make a difference. Both the Foreign Secretary and I have recently seen US envoy Jason Greenblatt, and we will continue all our efforts.
Israel and Palestine — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Maria Colette Caulfield (Conservative, Centre-right): The UN General Assembly is scheduled to vote on Thursday on the US-sponsored resolution condemning Hamas for the increasing violence and attacks on civilians and for the worsening situation in Gaza. Will the UK Government be supporting that resolution?
Israel and Palestine — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Alistair James Hendrie Burt (Conservative, Centre-right): We do not disclose the intention to vote in advance. What I would say is that it is very clear that we condemn Hamas’s action and conduct; we call for a permanent end to its terror and rocket attacks in relation to Israel; and we continue to proscribe the military wing of Hamas, to impose sanctions against individuals and to have no contact with Hamas.
Israel and Palestine — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Alistair James Hendrie Burt (Conservative, Centre-right): The tunnels demonstrate the continual threat to the state of Israel from those who would mean it harm. Again, however, that emphasises the need—I am sure the whole House shares this view—to ensure that there is a resolution of the issues between Israel and its neighbours, so that there can be permanent peace and security for all in the region.
Israel and Palestine — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Alistair James Hendrie Burt (Conservative, Centre-right): We have said very clearly that we recognise a two-state solution. We are keen to ensure that when the envoy’s proposals come forward, they get a strong reception, and people can work on them to try to bring a resolution to this long-standing crisis. It is the only thing that will deal with the concerns that the hon. Gentleman raises.
Economic and Diplomatic Relations: Africa — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: What progress the Government have made on strengthening economic and diplomatic relations with countries in Africa since the Prime Minister’s visit to that continent in August 2018.
Harriett Mary Morison Baldwin (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is right to highlight the importance of the African Union and its work in Addis Ababa. In the years to come, we will increase the number of posts working with the African Union by, I think, 12.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): Given the stresses and strains in British politics at the moment, I thought I might share with the House some good news: we will open a new British embassy in the Maldives. That small country has made important strides towards democracy with the recent elections and we wish to extend it every support possible, doubtless supported by several colleagues making fact-finding visits.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: Environment
Jeremy Richard Streynsham Hunt (Conservative, Centre-right): Mr Speaker, given that we wish to encourage parliamentary democracy in the Maldives, you might be the right person to go there on that important occasion and I am happy to expedite the process if it would help I completely agree with my hon. Friend about the importance of zero emissions, and Britain can certainly play a leading role.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2018-12-04
Topic: International Affairs
Questions: Does the Minister recognise that after the illegal salvage of HMS Exeter from the Java sea, we need a wrecks at risk register to ensure that our lost Royal Navy ships—those war graves around the world—are not forgotten and are properly protected? Will he meet me to discuss how we can work internationally to create that register?
Mark Christopher Field (Conservative, Centre-right): A nice easy one. Perhaps I should say that I am the last British Minister to visit Malé, the capital of the Maldives, and I would not recommend it for more than a weekend, though the islands around might be more fun. I think that that is why my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary suggests that you should go there, Mr Speaker I will keep my answer to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport (Luke Pollard) simple: yes, of course, I am happy to meet him at any point.