Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The UK Government has emphasised to the Nigerian authorities the importance of a fair and transparent legal process for Professor Tarfa, in accordance with Nigerian law and international human rights standards. We understand that Professor Tarfa is still facing an additional charge and we will continue to monitor the case closely.

The welfare of the children relocated from the Du Merci orphanage remains paramount. The UK Government will continue to engage with the Nigerian authorities to reiterate the need to ensure the children's safety and wellbeing, in the most appropriate care setting for their needs.

The UK Government has emphasised to the Nigerian authorities the importance of a fair and transparent legal process for Professor Tarfa, in accordance with Nigerian law and international human rights standards. We understand that Professor Tarfa is still facing an additional charge and we will continue to monitor the case closely.

The welfare of the children relocated from the Du Merci orphanage remains paramount. The UK Government will continue to engage with the Nigerian authorities to reiterate the need to ensure the children's safety and wellbeing, in the most appropriate care setting for their needs.

Language skills are critical to the FCDO's operations and impact. Full-time language training is offered for some overseas roles (known as 'speaker slots'), and its successful outcome is measured by examination. In 2018, the proportion of FCDO officers in speaker slots with a valid exam pass at their target level was 55%. Following considerable efforts to improve teaching quality, employee performance and results monitoring, that figure now stands at 70%. The FCDO is committed to further improving target level attainment and expanding the language skills of our staff.

The UK is committed to ending the acute phase of the pandemic as soon as possible, and strongly supports the COVAX Facility as a key mechanism to deliver this. COVAX has now delivered over one billion vaccine doses to 144 countries and territories. The UK is among the largest donors to COVAX's Advance Market Commitment, committing £548 million to supply vaccines in up to 92 low and middle income countries. The UK has also donated more than 30 million doses, with millions more to be sent globally in 2022.

Many factors contribute to vaccination coverage levels, including supply, health system capacity and demand. The UK worked closely with the Independent Allocation of Vaccines Group established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to develop WHO's global vaccination strategy and endorsed it at the G20 Leaders' Summit in October 2021. The UK recognises its recommendation for 70% vaccination coverage as well as its advice that countries need to set their own national targets based on local context and demographics.

We welcome the release of Professor Faizullah Jalal. Following his arrest, we joined international partners in raising our concern over his detention. FCDO officials continue to regularly raise human rights with the Taliban, including the importance of freedom of expression. We will continue to work closely with others to call for freedom of the media to be respected in Afghanistan, to respond to human rights violations and abuses and to push for those responsible to be held to account.

The Government has taken a number of measures to help ensure that no British organisations are profiting from or contributing to human rights violations against the Uyghurs or other minorities. We have introduced new guidance for UK businesses on the risks of doing business in Xinjiang - supported by a programme of Ministerial engagement - and announced enhanced export controls, as well as a commitment to introduce financial penalties for non-compliance with section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act. Our overseas business risk guidance makes clear to UK companies the risks of operating in Xinjiang, and urges them to conduct appropriate due diligence and consider their corporate responsibilities when making investment decisions.

The PM welcomes this US initiative and was pleased to be able to deliver the UK statement. The UK was also able to field Ministers across a range of summit events, including on Democracy-Affirming Technology and Disability-Inclusive Democracy. We will continue to partner with the US, and others, to make the "Year of Action" on democracy a success, building momentum for the planned in-person second Summit. This is an opportunity to advance the Network of Liberty through collaborating on technology, trade, investment and infrastructure so that together, democracies can advance the cause of freedom from a position of strength. We look forward to continued engagement with the US and our allies on this vital agenda.

The UK has been a world leader in ensuring developing countries can access vaccines, through our early support to the COVAX scheme and commitment to donate surplus vaccines. The Prime Minister has been clear that no one is safe until we are all safe.

The UK has fulfilled its pledge to donate 30 million coronavirus vaccine doses by the end of 2021, with 25.4 million of these doses already deployed to countries in need. We are managing our vaccine supply so that all vaccines are either used as quickly as possible in our domestic programme or shared internationally. Decisions on vaccine donations will continue to depend on supply chain reliability, Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation advice and the ability of countries to absorb and deploy vaccines.

We condemn any instances of discrimination because of religion or belief, regardless of the country or faith involved. We look to India to uphold all freedoms and rights guaranteed in its strong constitution and by the international instruments to which India is a party. We engage with India on a range of human rights matters, working with Union and State Governments, and with non-governmental organisations, to build capacity and share expertise to promote human rights for all. Where we have concerns, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at ministerial level.

The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions regularly meet religious representatives and engage with Indian faith communities. The British High Commission supports a UK-India Interfaith Leadership Programme for a cohort of emerging Indian faith leaders, including Muslims, creating an opportunity to promote values of tolerance and multi-culturalism. The UK will host an international Ministerial conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) in 2022 to energise collective efforts on this agenda, demonstrating our enduring commitment to promoting FoRB for all. We also work with the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, G7 and other multilateral fora to promote FoRB.

The Government is clear that more trade will not come at the expense of human rights. The UK will continue to show global leadership in encouraging all states to uphold international human rights obligations and hold those who violate human rights to account. In doing so we will continue to bring to bear all of the diplomatic and development tools available to us. We have, for example, used the powers provided by the Global Human Rights sanctions regulations to impose sanctions on 81 individuals and entities involved in serious human rights violations or abuses around the world.

The total spend on centrally commissioned health related research by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office over the last three financial years is as follows:

2018/19 - £132.33 million

2019/20 - £155.41 million

2020/21 - £371.86 million

2021/22 - Final and audited spend for 2021/22 will be published in our annual report later this year.

As referenced in my response to written questions 100589 and 100590, FCDO Ministers and officials regularly meet members of the Uyghur diaspora and maintain a dialogue with leading human rights Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) about the situation in Xinjiang. Most recently, in December, I hosted a roundtable for human rights NGOs attended by a representative of the World Uyghur Congress.

The UK is very concerned by the appalling devastation caused by the volcanic eruption and tsunami in Tonga. The Tongan authorities, with the support of the Australian and New Zealand defence forces, are conducting an urgent humanitarian assessment of the islands. Once this assessment is complete, we will have a fuller picture of the scale of damage and the nature of the assistance that is needed, so that we can assess what assistance the UK can most helpfully provide. Most UK aid in the Pacific Island countries is delivered through multilateral institutions, which have the capacity and scale to deliver strong development impact in the region on our behalf. Since 2015, Tonga received over £25.9 million of UK aid through our core funding to multilateral institutions.

We have no plans to publish guidance on assistance for Afghan nationals in third countries, as this is dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

The UK is committed to promoting and protecting universal rights for all, including people with disabilities. The UK is aiming to launch the new FCDO Disability Inclusion Strategy next month to mark the Global Disability Summit. The strategy continues to be guided by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The International Development Strategy will be published in the Spring.

The first FCDO Disability Inclusion Board took place last month. The Board covered the forthcoming strategy, disability inclusive climate action and the Board Terms of Reference. The FCDO's work on Overseas Development Assistance disability mainstreaming across other departments will commence in the new financial year.

The UK is committed to promoting and protecting universal rights for all, including people with disabilities. The UK is aiming to launch the new FCDO Disability Inclusion Strategy next month to mark the Global Disability Summit. The strategy continues to be guided by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The International Development Strategy will be published in the Spring.

The first FCDO Disability Inclusion Board took place last month. The Board covered the forthcoming strategy, disability inclusive climate action and the Board Terms of Reference. The FCDO's work on Overseas Development Assistance disability mainstreaming across other departments will commence in the new financial year.

The UK is committed to promoting and protecting universal rights for all, including people with disabilities. The UK is aiming to launch the new FCDO Disability Inclusion Strategy next month to mark the Global Disability Summit. The strategy continues to be guided by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The International Development Strategy will be published in the Spring.

The first FCDO Disability Inclusion Board took place last month. The Board covered the forthcoming strategy, disability inclusive climate action and the Board Terms of Reference. The FCDO's work on Overseas Development Assistance disability mainstreaming across other departments will commence in the new financial year.

The UK is committed to promoting and protecting universal rights for all, including people with disabilities. The UK is aiming to launch the new FCDO Disability Inclusion Strategy next month to mark the Global Disability Summit. The strategy continues to be guided by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The International Development Strategy will be published in the Spring.

The first FCDO Disability Inclusion Board took place last month. The Board covered the forthcoming strategy, disability inclusive climate action and the Board Terms of Reference. The FCDO's work on Overseas Development Assistance disability mainstreaming across other departments will commence in the new financial year.

We are concerned by deteriorating security in North West Nigeria. Intercommunal violence and attacks by criminal groups are having a devastating impact on communities in this region, as well as in the Maradi region of Niger. I discussed insecurity in Nigeria with Foreign Minister Onyeama in a bilateral meeting in November and I will hold further such discussions with the Nigerian Government during the upcoming Security and Defence Dialogue.

We condemn the recent attacks in Zamfara State in North West Nigeria. On 10 January, I publicly expressed my concern about these horrific attacks and reiterated our commitment to working with the Government of Nigeria to support sustainable peace and security. We are working with our Nigerian partners to monitor the situation. In 2020 we supported more than 15,000 displaced people in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria, with cash grants to address food security as well as water and sanitation needs. Furthermore, we are supporting local peace-building efforts, including through our work with the Nigeria Governors' Forum. The UK Government is also supporting the International Organisation for Migration's work with the Governments of Niger and Nigeria to improve border management.

We are concerned by deteriorating security in North West Nigeria. Intercommunal violence and attacks by criminal groups are having a devastating impact on communities in this region, as well as in the Maradi region of Niger. I discussed insecurity in Nigeria with Foreign Minister Onyeama in a bilateral meeting in November and I will hold further such discussions with the Nigerian Government during the upcoming Security and Defence Dialogue.

We condemn the recent attacks in Zamfara State in North West Nigeria. On 10 January, I publicly expressed my concern about these horrific attacks and reiterated our commitment to working with the Government of Nigeria to support sustainable peace and security. We are working with our Nigerian partners to monitor the situation. In 2020 we supported more than 15,000 displaced people in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria, with cash grants to address food security as well as water and sanitation needs. Furthermore, we are supporting local peace-building efforts, including through our work with the Nigeria Governors' Forum. The UK Government is also supporting the International Organisation for Migration's work with the Governments of Niger and Nigeria to improve border management.

We are aware that some NGOs have faced difficulties in India due to the application of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) by the Indian authorities and that some, like Missionaries of Charity, have recently had applications to renew their foreign funding licenses rejected. We continue to support a wide range of local Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) partners in India, including through programmes, and officials have discussed issues facing NGOs directly with the Indian Government.

We are pleased to note, on 8 January, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs restored the FCRA license of the Missionaries of Charity, meaning the NGO will be able to receive and use foreign funding again. The British High Commission in New Delhi will continue to monitor developments.

We have not had discussions with the Cuban Government or with counterparts in Venezuela, where we do not recognise the Maduro regime. We are, however, concerned by Russia's refusal to rule out military deployments to Venezuela and Cuba.

We note that Abdifatah Mohamoud Abdi, Khadar Farah Rikaah, Hamze Abdi Ahmed and Mukhtaar Hersi Waal were released on 3 January without any charges. The UK engages with the Somaliland Government on an ongoing basis, including with regular meetings between the UK Ambassador to Somalia and President Muse Bihi Abdi, most recently on 18 December 2021. This meeting did not involve specific discussion of the four cases; however, our regular engagement covers a broad range of issues, including discussion of our shared interests in upholding human rights in Somaliland - of which freedom of expression and freedom from arbitrary arrest or detention are important elements.

The volcanic eruption in Tonga caused anomalous waves and temporary changes in sea-level along parts of the Peruvian coast, which sadly led to the loss of two lives. Whilst some buildings were damaged by flooding, this was on a limited scale and the Peruvian Government has not requested any assistance from the international community.

We are committed to working with our friends and allies in the Commonwealth to remove unnecessary barriers to free and fair trade. At CHOGM18, Heads of Government adopted the Commonwealth Connectivity Agenda for Trade and Investment with the ambition of enhancing cooperation and boosting intra-Commonwealth trade to $2 trillion by 2030. Programmes such as the UK-funded Commonwealth Trade Facilitation Programme have helped member states implement the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement, and our SheTrades programme has supported over 3,500 women-owned businesses in the Commonwealth to participate in international trade and helped generate £32million in sales for Women Owned Businesses.

The UK already has trade deals with 33 Commonwealth members. In addition, a further 15 Commonwealth members who qualify as developing countries benefit from reduced tariffs under the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP). The Government is currently reviewing the GSP, with the aim of making it more generous and simpler for partner countries and businesses to use, and will launch a new Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) in 2022. The DCTS will be a major opportunity to grow free and fair-trade with our Commonwealth partners,  allowing them to diversify and grow their economies.

The UK is very concerned by the increase in conflict in the Horn of Africa and the unprecedented range and severity of humanitarian crises in the region - where drought and flooding, alongside ongoing conflict and issues of access, are putting tens of millions of people at risk. We hope that greater international interest will result in increased support for international efforts to deescalate and resolve conflicts, and address the substantial humanitarian needs. The UK Special Envoy for the Red Sea and Horn of Africa has been working with international partners to help coordinate international efforts. We welcome China's recent calls for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ethiopia at the United Nations Security Council. We look forward to China naming its new Envoy and discussing with them how we can work together to address these most pressing concerns.

The global Integrated food security Phase Classification (IPC) estimates there will be over 223 million people living in crisis or worse levels of acute food insecurity by the middle of 2022. This is up from 164 million at the end of 2020. Conflict is the primary cause of this increase in need, but it is being exacerbated by climate change and the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as global food price rises, compromising people's access to nutritious food. Our recently launched approach paper to Ending Preventable Deaths includes strengthening and transforming food systems to make safe and nutritious food accessible.

The UK's humanitarian response helps address the rising need in the short term. In 2021, the UK brokered the first-ever G7 Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Crises Compact to tackle this challenge, securing £5 billion in humanitarian assistance and resilience strengthening, helping to address people's immediate food insecurity in the 42 countries one-step from famine. FCDO have committed additional funding to deteriorating food crises since, including £50 million for Afghanistan and £76 million for Ethiopia, helping to tackle food insecurity and malnutrition.

The Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), who is also Director of Research, has oversight across all of the Department's allocations of Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) to research. She proposes a detailed plan for spending to the responsible Minister of State, with whom rests the final decision on allocations.

Other government Departments remain responsible for their allocations of ODA. The FCDO CSA liaises regularly with counterparts in these departments, both directly and through the Strategic Coherence for ODA-funded Research (SCOR) Board.

The Foreign Secretary last spoke with the Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian and Polish Foreign Ministers at the NATO summit in Riga on 30 November/1 December.

The Foreign Secretary and European Commission Vice-President Šefčovič held their first face-to-face meeting at Chevening on 13-14 January. They agreed that officials would meet this week (w/c 17 January) in intensified talks and that they will meet again on 24 January to assess progress.

The UK's preference remains for a negotiated solution but if this is not possible, we remain ready to use the safeguard measures (Article 16) in order to preserve stability in Northern Ireland and protect the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement.

The Common Travel Area (CTA) is a longstanding administrative arrangement between the UK and Ireland, as well as the Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey. It allows British and Irish citizens to travel freely between the UK and Ireland and reside in either jurisdiction. It also facilitates the enjoyment of associated rights and privileges including the right to work, to study and to access social security benefits and health services.

This is already underpinned by current domestic legislation. In 2019, the British and Irish governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding reaffirming our mutual commitments on rights and privileges enjoyed by British and Irish citizens in each other's state.

It is estimated that some 60 million UK Citizens benefit from these administrative arrangements, with some 5 million Irish citizens benefitting.

Sanctions are one response among a number of diplomatic tools we can deploy around the world as part of a broader political strategy in order to change or send a political signal regarding particular behaviours. The Global Human Rights Sanctions regime gives the UK a powerful tool to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations or abuses. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is grateful for the submission by the International Truth and Justice Project in relation to General Shavendra Silva. We will continue to consider targets globally, guided by the objectives of the human rights sanctions regime and the evidence. However, it is not appropriate to speculate on who may be designated in the future, as to do so could reduce their impact.

The Russian State's record of unprovoked, reckless and destabilising activity, including industrial-scale disinformation, is a stain on Russia's reputation, damages its international standing and undermines the Russian Government's claims to be a responsible global actor.

The Government takes the issue of disinformation very seriously. We know that certain states routinely use disinformation as a foreign policy tool.

FCDO continues to apply the policies that were in place prior to the pandemic in regard to working time. Staff have contracted hours which do not exceed the limit specified in the Working Time Regulations 1998. Staff working from home are required to work their contracted hours as if they were attending a workplace. The policy includes provision for 'time off in lieu' to be authorised for any ad-hoc instances where staff have been required to work over their contracted hours for business reasons. Each employee's contracted hours are recorded on FCDO's payroll systems and ensuring staff work their contracted hours, and are not routinely working beyond this, is part of the role of the line manager.

Investigations into this incident are ongoing. The UK provides support to Ukraine in many areas, including supporting the implementation of their cyber strategy. We enjoy close political cooperation on cyber security and provide programme support as part of this. The UK's recently announced National Cyber Strategy will be supported by £2.6 billion of fresh investment in cyber and legacy IT over the next three years, including a £114 million increase in the National Cyber Security Programme. This is in addition to investment in the National Cyber Force announced in the Spending Review 2020.

In her meetings with the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers, on 4 and 17 November 2021 respectively, the former Minister for Europe and Americas raised the importance of the return of all prisoners of war and detainees. I will continue to raise this important issue in my future engagements with representatives of the Armenian and Azerbaijani governments. The UK Government continues to support the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to facilitate discussions with a view to settling all outstanding matters related to the conflict.

We are deeply saddened by the recent fire in the Rohingya refugee camp 16 in Cox's Bazar, which has affected approximately 2,000 people and damaged shelters, water and sanitation facilities, and learning centres. Lord Ahmad, the Minister for South Asia, tweeted his condolences to those impacted by the fire on 10 January. We are providing immediate support to the UN to replenish destroyed stoves and cooking gas, and to rehabilitate camp infrastructure. We stand ready to provide further humanitarian assistance once the UN concludes the needs assessment.

We are concerned that the Ugandan novelist, Kakwenza Rukirabashija, following a series of tweets, was detained at his home on 28 December 2021 and then held without charge for 14 days at an unknown facility. Using legislation, such as the Computer Misuse Act, to stifle freedom of expression is very worrying. We welcome the decisions of the Chief Magistrate's Court and the High Court in relation to Rukirabashija's release and habeas corpus. We note, however, that Rukirabashija was subsequently charged and placed on remand.

We urge the Government of Uganda to ensure that the rule of law is upheld as a vital component of democracy. Rukirabashija must be afforded all of his rights under the Constitution of Uganda, including access to legal representation. I (Minister for Africa) expressed the importance of upholding human rights with the President of Uganda during my visit to Uganda on 19 January 2022. Our High Commission in Kampala issued a tweet on 7 January publicly stating our concern over Rukirabashija's continued detention. The High Commission has also set out our concerns over his detention with the Government of Uganda, Uganda's human rights institutions and the security services. We have urged all to ensure that Uganda honours its constitutional commitments and international human rights law.

Conflict, climate change and now Covid-19 have caused food insecurity and acute hunger to reach record levels. Agriculture investment has plummeted, and recovery is not yet visible. Food prices have risen above a 10-year high. The poor are highly vulnerable to food price inflation, and within that are women who are traditionally land poor and more dependent on the informal economy or in poorly paid, precarious jobs.

The UK provides humanitarian aid but also invests in building resilience to crises and supporting sustainable recovery. We provided assistance to 40 countries to help adapting social protection in response to COVID-19, integrating gender equality and social inclusion to support women and girls and other groups disproportionately impacted by the crisis.

The FCDO also adapted ongoing programmes, preventing countries from deteriorating into full-blown emergency and influenced partners, including to promote women's economic empowerment. For example:

• FCDO's CASA programme works to improve food security by attracting investment into the agri-food sector and helping to keep food supply chains flowing. Women account for nearly half of the farmers reached.
• The multilateral GAFSP has adapted its commitments to mitigating COVID-19 impacts and build resilience for the most vulnerable. In 2021 the total share of women reached has increased to 38%, while 54% of the full-time equivalent jobs created has gone to women.

The UK's Integrated Review sets out the UK Government's approach to fighting corruption and illicit finance as threats to democratic values and open societies around the world. We are fully committed to driving forward this commitment in South Africa and across the African continent, including through our law enforcement agencies. In South Africa, President Ramaphosa has identified the fight against corruption as one of his top priorities; we are working in close partnership with his government on this agenda. As an example of our commitment to tackling corruption in South Africa, in May 2021 under the UK Global Anti-Corruption Sanctions regime, the UK imposed sanctions against Ajay Gupta, Atul Gupta, Rajesh Gupta and Salim Essa for their roles in serious corruption. As a long-standing friend of South Africa, the UK will continue to engage the South African authorities, business and civil society on a shared agenda of security, economic and social issues including in light of the conclusions of the Zondo Report. We will, of course, also consider carefully any implications for UK public procurement.

The contract with Heathrow Airport does not cover movements by UK Ministers.

Details of Government contracts above £10,000 are published on Contracts Finder: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Search

Details of ministerial meetings are published quarterly and can be found on GOV.UK.

We understand that the UN will be organising an international pledging conference in the coming months, which we fully support.

The UK remains fully committed to supporting Afghanistan and we have already announced a doubling of our humanitarian aid and development assistance commitment to £286 million. We have now disbursed over £145 million which will support over 3.4 million people in Afghanistan and the region, providing emergency food, health, shelter, water and protection.

The UK regularly engages with indigenous leaders and civil society organisations regarding the Amazon. Senior HMG officials discussed the indigenous lands' situation with Brazilian authorities most recently in December 2021. We have hosted indigenous leaders at our Embassy in Brasilia and we are in contact with the Brazilian National Foundation for Indigenous People (FUNAI), which is responsible for promoting indigenous people's rights and territorial protection in Brazil. The UK is committed to defending and promoting the human rights of all, and we will continue to monitor developments around indigenous land rights in Brazil.