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Tuesday Volume 690 2 March 2021 No. 182 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Tuesday 2 March 2021 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2021 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 97 2 MARCH 2021 98 House of Commons Cameroon: English-speaking Minority Sir Edward Leigh (Gainsborough) (Con): What the Tuesday 2 March 2021 Government’s policy is on the current status of the English-speaking minority in Cameroon. [912750] The House met at half-past Eleven o’clock The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs (James Duddridge): PRAYERS The situation in Cameroon’s anglophone region remains deeply concerning. We continue to call for an end to all violence and the restart of an inclusive dialogue that [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] addresses the root cause of the crisis. When I spoke to Virtual participation in proceedings commenced (Orders, Prime Minister Ngute in December, I reiterated the 4 June and 30 December 2020). UK’s commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution [NB: [V] denotes a Member participating virtually.] to this issue. Sir Edward Leigh: The situation in southern Cameroon is indeed deeply concerning. What is happening there to Oral Answers to Questions the anglophone minority of some 5 million people is terrible. There are numerous human rights abuses. The francophone president—a corrupt dictator—has been in power since 1982, and is refusing to devolve any FOREIGN, COMMONWEALTH AND power at all to the English-speaking minority. Will the DEVELOPMENT OFFICE Government now act? Will the Foreign Secretary, at the highest level, take it up with our French allies, as they The Secretary of State was asked— have enormous influence in francophone Africa? Will the Minister for Africa do the equivalent of old gunboat Iran’s Regional Activities: Islamic Revolutionary diplomacy in our soft-power age, and himself visit Guard Corps southern Cameroon to take up this issue, and try to help our English-speaking friends who we betrayed Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) (Con): What recent back in 1962? assessment he has made of the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran’s regional activities; James Duddridge: I certainly will visit Cameroon at and if he will make a statement. [912749] the earliest possible opportunity. I can reassure my right hon. Friend that we have worked very closely with our The Minister for the Middle East and North Africa French and American partners, alongside other partners. (James Cleverly): Wehave long condemned Iran’s regional We also do an awful lot of work through this House and destabilising activity, including its political, financial through the right hon. Member for Lagan Valley (Sir Jeffrey and military support to militant and proscribed groups M. Donaldson) on bringing peace to that region and including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Syria, militias in sharing experiences. I thank him for his interest and Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen. The Islamic Revolutionary certainly will commit to further activity and a visit in Guard Corps is, in its entirety, subject to the UK’s due course. autonomous sanctions. On 18 February, the Foreign Secretary,alongside his E3 and US counterparts,committed Sri Lanka in a statement to working with regional parties to address their security concerns. We continue to support Sam Tarry (Ilford South) (Lab): What (a) diplomatic the security of our partners working to end the conflict and (b) development work his Department is undertaking in Yemen, and strengthen institutions in Iraq and Lebanon. in Sri Lanka. [912751] Michael Fabricant [V]: As my hon. Friend the Minister will know, it is not just activity in the middle east that Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Slough) (Lab): What the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is responsible steps he is taking to propose a new UN resolution to for; it is not just with Hezbollah. There have been hold the Sri Lankan Government to account on their incidents in France and other parts of Europe, and it responsibilities for justice and reconciliation processes has caused the United States to ban the Revolutionary following that country’s civil war. [912774] Guard and make it a terror organisation. When will the United Kingdom do the same and designate it as a Fleur Anderson (Putney) (Lab): What recent assessment terrorist organisation? he has made of the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. [912775] James Cleverly: We keep the list of proscribed organisations under review. As my hon. Friend knows, The Minister for Asia (Nigel Adams): The Minister we do not routinely comment on whether organisations for South Asia, Lord Ahmad, set out our serious concerns or individuals are under consideration for proscription. about human rights in Sri Lanka in a statement at As I say, the IRGC is, in its entirety, subject to our the UN Human Rights Council on 25 February. On autonomous sanctions regime. The UK, along with our 22 February, the Foreign Secretary confirmed that European partners, wholeheartedly condemned the bomb the UK would lead a new resolution on post-conflict plots in 2018 and 2019, including the one in Paris to reconciliation, accountability and human rights. We which my hon. Friend referred. continue to engage with Sri Lanka on these issues and 99 Oral Answers 2 MARCH 2021 Oral Answers 100 on climate change, trade and the covid-19 response. Foreign Secretary has confirmed that the United Kingdom UK-funded programmes in Sri Lanka support would lead a new resolution on post-conflict reconciliation, peacebuilding, resettlement, police reform and demining. accountability and human rights. Sam Tarry: For decades, the UK has provided extensive Covid-19 Vaccines military and police support to the Sri Lankan police and military, and this support has continued despite deeply troubling reports of the widespread use of torture Theo Clarke (Stafford) (Con): What diplomatic steps by the Sri Lankan police, including the use of the death the Government are taking to support the development penalty for drugs charges. Will the Minister please of covid-19 vaccines (a) in the UK and (b) throughout explain why the UK has spent more than £7 million the world. [912752] through its conflict, stability and security fund to assist the Sri Lankan police and military? More importantly, The Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth will he commit to publishing the full overseas security and Development Affairs and First Secretary of State and justice assistance assessments for activities under (Dominic Raab): The UK will use its G7 presidency this this programme to reassure the House that the UK is year to advance equitable access to safe and effective not contributing to serious human rights violations? vaccines through widespread international co-operation. Nigel Adams: I know the hon. Member takes a very Theo Clarke [V]: Having visited the Kingston vaccination keen interest in Sri Lanka. Our engagement with the centre recently, I have seen first-hand the fantastic work military in Sri Lanka is designed to support the development that our healthcare workers are doing to vaccinate my of a modern, effective and human rights-compliant Stafford constituents, but in order to fully defeat covid-19 military. Engagement with the police is focused on we must vaccinate people around the world. During my community policing, increasing women’s representation, virtual visit to Kenya last week, there was much excitement and improving responses to sexual and gender-based about the upcoming delivery of some covid-19 vaccines. violence. Our engagement is subject to ongoing overseas Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is essential that security and justice assessments, as he says, to ensure we not only allow countries to access our surplus capacity that it supports UK values and is consistent with human via COVAX but donate vaccines to the poorest countries rights obligations. in the world? Mr Dhesi: Many of my Slough constituents, especially Dominic Raab: I pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the those worshipping at Masjid Al-Jannah, were extremely great work she is doing locally but also for raising the distressed by the alarming reports of forced cremations issue of international access to the vaccine. She will of Sri Lankan coronavirus victims, including Muslims know that the UK has contributed £548 million to and Christians, for whom burial rights and traditions COVAX AMC, which is the international mechanism are sacred. As the country hopefully progresses with that will secure over 1 billion doses. In relation to her truth, justice and reconciliation after its devastating virtual Kenya visit, the roll-out of the first deliveries civil war, what representations has the Minister made to under COVAX has now begun in Ghana and Côte his Sri Lankan counterpart on respect for and the d’Ivoire, and by the end of June, in 92 of these poorer protection of everyone’s religious beliefs and freedoms? countries, we want to see all the vulnerable receiving their vaccines. That is global Britain as a force for good. Nigel Adams: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to raise this matter, which I know is of great concern to Stephen Doughty (Cardiff South and Penarth) (Lab/ his constituents and to many other hon. Members’ Co-op): I welcome the news that the Foreign Secretary constituents. My colleague, Lord Ahmad, who is the has just outlined about the COVAX deliveries in Ghana Minister responsible for Sri Lanka, has raised the important and Côte d’Ivoire; that is excellent. Tragically, we have issue of human rights, accountability and reconciliation seen 50,000 deaths in South Africa alone from covid-19, with his counterpart, the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, but we have also seen 409,000 deaths from malaria and and the UN high commissioner, but he also has deep 700,000 deaths from AIDS-related causes.

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