Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the agreement signed by the governments of France and Serbia pertaining to the sale of 12 Rafale fighter jets to Serbia; and (2) of the implications for peace and security in the Western Balkans.

Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Serbia's acquisition of French Rafale aircraft to replace MiG fast jets is a part of modernising its capabilities, and indicates Serbia is moving to diversify its defence procurement and reduce dependency on Russian military equipment and influence. In terms of the implications for peace and security in the Western Balkans, we continue to encourage Serbia to play a constructive role in reducing tensions and promoting good neighbourly relations across the region. Minister for Europe, North America and UK Overseas Territories most recently spoke to Minister Đurić on the importance of this on 1 October and the Serbian Ambassador on 9 October.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the World Health Organization evacuate women and children from Gaza to Europe for medical treatment; and whether any of the patients being evacuated will be treated in the UK.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The plight of sick and injured people in Gaza is deeply distressing. We urge Israel to open safe, regular routes for those requiring medical evacuation. The UK is supporting the provision of essential healthcare to Palestinian civilians, including through field hospitals operated by UK-Med in Gaza, and through the World Health Organization in Egypt to support medically evacuated Palestinians.

There are provisions that allow Palestinians to come to the UK for Private Medical Treatment under the Immigration Rules. Where a relevant application is made consideration will be given to exceptional circumstances, compelling or compassionate grounds. We are keeping all existing visa pathways under review.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Reporters Without Borders article One year in Gaza: how Israel orchestrated a media blackout on a region at war, published on 3 October; and what representations, if any, they have made to the government of Israel regarding the barring of international journalists from the Gaza Strip.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The UK has endorsed the Media Freedom Coalition's statement, which raises concerns about the safety of journalists and their access to information due to the escalation of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, as indicated by the Reporters Without Borders article. The statement called on all parties to the conflict to comply with international law and guarantee the protection of journalists and media workers covering the conflict. The UK remains committed to Media Freedom and to championing democracy and human rights around the world. Independent media is essential to a functioning society.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of the government of Uganda in supporting armed groups allegedly responsible for human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, considering the aid and economic partnership between the United Kingdom and Uganda.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We have consistently condemned in the strongest terms the actions of all armed groups including the UN-sanctioned M23 and reiterated our full support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We call on all parties to respect UN obligations and international law. Counter-terrorism and regional security is a shared priority for the UK and Uganda. We prioritise supporting engagements in Uganda that contribute to stability. Uganda has an important role to play, including by working with the government of the DRC on the joint Operation Shujaa to counter the Daesh-aligned Allied Democratic Forces in Eastern DRC.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Rwandan cross-border military operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, considering the responsibilities of Rwanda under the UN Charter and International Law.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We are closely monitoring the situation in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including any cross-border military operations. We continue to privately engage with both DRC and Rwanda at the highest levels to encourage de-escalation of violence and meaningful engagement in political peace processes. We call on all parties to respect UN obligations and international law. The Foreign Secretary raised the conflict in eastern DRC with the Rwandan Foreign Minister in October. I visited Rwanda in September, where I encouraged delivery on commitments made under the ceasefire brokered by Angola as part of the Luanda peace process.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of Rwanda in the exploitation and forcible extraction of natural resources, such as coltan, gold and diamonds, and other precious minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Illicit mining remains a problem in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and supports the models of armed groups, exacerbating the conflict and its humanitarian consequences. We are determined to work with partners to find solutions, particularly given the increasing global reliance on the DRC's critical minerals for the green energy transition. The UK supports the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which aims to improve transparency and governance in the mining sector.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Rwanda concerning their reported support for the M23 rebel movement and their alleged role in unlawful killings, war crimes and sexual violence in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

In October, the Foreign Secretary raised the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with the Rwandan Foreign Minister. I visited Rwanda in September and met with President Kagame and urged cooperation with negotiations under the Luanda process. In August, I visited both Angola and DRC and met with Presidents Lourenço and Tshisekedi and welcomed the ceasefire and continued cooperation. Women and girls in DRC face some of the highest rates of sexual violence globally. Through funding of civil society partners, the UK is strengthening access to justice for survivors.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to comply with the International Development (Gender Equality) Act 2014 in conditioning the £370 million in development funding for the government of Rwanda, in relation to the allegation of its role in fuelling conflict-related sexual violence.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Our Official Development Assistance (ODA) portfolio in Rwanda is explicitly designed to support women and girls: gender equality is a significant or principal objective of all our programmes. In all our programme business cases we provide evidence as to how the interventions will impact on gender equality and we then assess progress against this at each Annual Review. The UK is a member of the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict and is a partner under the platform for action promoting the rights and wellbeing of children born of conflict related sexual violence.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian and healthcare situation in Gaza; and what representations, if any, they have made to the government of Israel regarding the reported systematic targeting of civilians and critical infrastructure.

Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic, and reports of continued destruction of health infrastructure, civilian detentions and deaths are deeply troubling. It is unacceptable that northern Gaza now has no fully functioning hospitals after strikes on Kamal Adwan hospital resumed this week. On 5 November, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Middle East raised the UK's grave concerns that Kamal Adwan continues to come under fire with the Israeli Ambassador. This Government has been clear that Israel must do much more to protect civilians and humanitarian workers, including the medics northern Gaza desperately needs. The Foreign Secretary raised this with the then Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, on 28 October. We continue to work with our international partners including at the UN to put pressure on Israel to show the world it is complying with international humanitarian law.

Found: Jamie Angus, and Baroness Helic Oral Evidence