Asked by: Alex Sobel (Labour (Co-op) - Leeds North West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with his Czech counterpart on the purchase of artillery shells for Ukraine.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
The Foreign Secretary has discussed with his Czech counterpart how we can assist with their scheme. The UK will spend £245 million throughout the next year to procure and invigorate supply chains to produce urgently needed artillery ammunition for Ukraine.
We continue to engage in intensive bilateral and multilateral lobbying efforts to ensure Ukraine gets the military support it needs, leveraging the additional support we have announced this year to secure new commitments.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what discussions he has had with counterparts in Tajikistan on reports of recent disappearances of activists and opposition leaders in that country.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
We discuss Tajikistan's human rights situation both bilaterally and in international fora, including during the Foreign Secretary's visit this week, and during Minister Docherty's visit to Tajikistan in 2023 and through the British Embassy in Dushanbe.
Asked by: Lisa Nandy (Labour - Wigan)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he has had recent discussions with (a) his Ethiopian counterpart and (b) other international partners on ensuring the adequacy of access for humanitarian deliveries in the Amhara region of Ethiopia.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK is committed to providing support to the most vulnerable and those in desperate need in Ethiopia. We have already increased our humanitarian support this financial year to £74 million. Almost 1.9 million people benefit from UK-supported programmes in Amhara, although access is currently limited. The UK is continuing to provide support where possible and consistently raises humanitarian access with the government of Ethiopia. Most recently Minister Mitchell met the Ethiopian Foreign Minister Taye on 17 April at the Ethiopian high-level pledging conference in Geneva, where the government committed to reforms to improve humanitarian operations in Ethiopia. At the conference, which was co-hosted by the UK, international partners successfully raised $610 million to meet humanitarian needs in Ethiopia, including in Amhara.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the recovery efforts in Tanzania after the recent floods.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
On 14 April the Government of Tanzania confirmed that 58 people had died as a result of heavy rains and floods, with over 126,000 people, many of them from the most vulnerable communities, also affected. While the UK has not been asked to provide support, we will aid relief efforts through our contribution to the multi-donor pooled Start Network. Initial indications from discussions with partners in Tanzania suggest that humanitarian efforts will focus on economic recovery through livelihood support, food aid and hygiene assistance for women.
Asked by: Ellie Reeves (Labour - Lewisham West and Penge)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps his Department is taking to (a) support the (i) recruitment, (ii) retention and (iii) professional development of (A) teachers and (B) educational staff in crisis-affected countries and (b) invest in their (1) safety and (2) working conditions.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The FCDO supports the education workforce in crises-affected countries through our support to multilateral partners; our bilateral programmes; and our wider policy work on strengthening education systems and foundational learning. The UK is the second largest donor to Education Cannot Wait, which has funded the recruitment and/or financial support for nearly 170,000 teachers between 2016 and 2022. The UK is also the second largest donor to the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), which spends over 60 percent of its funds in fragile and conflict affected states and directly supports teacher recruitment, training and safer school environments.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Conservative - Romford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what plans he has to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the signing of the Entente Cordiale.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
On 8 April, the UK and France celebrated the 120th anniversary of the Entente Cordiale with joint changing of the guard ceremonies at Buckingham Palace and the Élysée Palace. Throughout this anniversary year, our respective embassies are organising events reflecting the breadth of the UK-France relationship, showcasing our longstanding cooperation on issues including climate change, science, sport, culture, defence, education, and trade. In meetings last week, I reflected on this anniversary and positive state of the relationship with my French counterpart and with the French Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Layla Moran (Liberal Democrat - Oxford West and Abingdon)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, if he will publish the (a) minutes, (b) attendee lists, (c) expenses, (d) gifts exchanged and (e) other relevant details of the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs' meeting with President Donald Trump on 8 April 2024.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Relevant transparency data relating to the Secretary of State's recent visit to the USA will be published on Gov.uk in line with the usual reporting requirements.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, how many members of the Government will be attending the Paris Olympic Games.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani - Minister of State (Minister for Europe)
We wish Team GB and ParalympicsGB every success at what promise to be very special Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer. Attendance by members of His Majesty's Government at Paris 2024 remains under consideration.
Asked by: Ruth Jones (Labour - Newport West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what discussions he has had with his Caribbean Community counterparts on the security situation in Haiti.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains concerned by the deteriorating security situation in Haiti that exacerbates pre-existing humanitarian and economic crises. I [Minister Rutley] have engaged significantly on this issue, discussing it with regional and international partners over many months. I most recently engaged with Caribbean partners during my attendance at the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Guyana on 26 February, where I discussed concerns about - and options to respond to - the security situation in Haiti with interlocuters. The UK strongly supported the UN Resolution to authorise a Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) to Haiti. And on 9 April, in his press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the Foreign Secretary announced that the UK would be providing over £5m to the MSS.
Asked by: Patrick Grady (Scottish National Party - Glasgow North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what assessment his Department has made of the situation of Hindus in Sri Lanka after the recent arrest and assault of Tamil Hindu worshippers.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Promoting Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) is a UK priority in Sri Lanka. The UK Government regularly raises human rights, including the importance of religious tolerance and protecting the rights of all Sri Lankans to practise their faith. Through UK funded programmes, we support Sri Lankan youth to advocate for FoRB and improve religious harmony.
We continue to be concerned by increasing tensions around land in Sri Lanka, including at the Vedukkunaari Aadhi Sivan temple in Vavuniya. We welcome the release of the eight arrested Hindu worshippers but note that this incident has troubling implications for FoRB.