Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the effect of new visa requirements on outbound tourism from the UK into Europe.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The EU has legislated such that British citizens do not need a visa when travelling to and within the Schengen Area for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. This applies to all British citizens travelling to and within the Schengen Area for activities including attending cultural or sports events and tourism.
In addition to this, a separate short stay of 90 days in any 180-day period can be spent in each of the following EU Member States that are outside the Schengen Area: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the rise in COVID-19 infections in Uganda; what assessment they have made of the scale of the shortage of (1) oxygen, (2) personal protective equipment, and (3) other medical supplies in that country; and whether they intend to provide emergency aid to the government of Uganda to assist with these problems.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Uganda is currently experiencing a COVID resurgence with a rise in weekly cases from 3,228 to 9,525 from May 23-29 to June 13-19. Although a lock down was put in place on 18th June, cases are expected to remain high. The surge in cases has increased demand for critical supplies including oxygen, with current capacity meeting only 10% of projected daily oxygen cylinder consumption rates. The expansion of patient care to more health facilities has also resulted in increased consumption of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), testing supplies and kits. An increased supply, particularly of gloves and masks, is needed.
In response to the current crisis the UK has committed £500,000 to UNICEF Uganda's COVID-19 appeal - vital support that will benefit over 1.8 million people across Uganda. The funding will support an increase in oxygen production and delivery, and improve the availability of PPE at selected health facilities, to help keep health care workers safe. Immediate benefits include the purchase of 100 7,500-litre oxygen cylinders and the provision of operational support to four oxygen plants for three months. UK support will also enable the procurement and installation of a new oxygen plant, boosting Uganda's oxygen production capabilities. In addition, funding will support the training of health care workers in PPE and oxygen use.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of cuts to Official Development Assistance on (1) university research, and (2) the UK’s soft power across the world.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Covid pandemic's economic impact has forced the government to take the difficult decision to temporarily reduce ODA to 0.5% of GNI. Despite this reduction, we will remain a world-leading ODA donor, spending around £10 billion on ODA in 2021-22. The Foreign Secretary has set out a strategic approach to ensure maximum impact for our aid spend for 2021-22, laying a Written Ministerial Statement for Parliament in January, summarising overall departmental cross-government allocations of ODA. FCDO and other departments are working through the implications of their allocations for the research programmes they manage with universities.
The UK has led funding for scientific advances that have helped drive significant reductions in extreme poverty, increases in agricultural productivity, declines in childhood mortality, and increases in life expectancy across the developing world. We remain committed to the use of ODA to support research that can provide new solutions to critical challenges in development.
Asked by: Baroness Randerson (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the political and human rights situation in Uganda following the election earlier this year.
Answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns
I commend the people of Uganda for turning out in large numbers to cast their vote on 18 February 2016 and for their determination to participate in the electoral process. President Museveni was inaugurated on 12 May 2016. With the new cabinet in place, it is important for the Government of Uganda to refocus its efforts on domestic and regional issues. The British Government has raised concerns with the Government of Uganda about the conduct of the elections and the post-election environment, most recently during Article 8 discussions on 28 June 2016. These include the continuing harassment and intimidation of members of the opposition and journalists by the Uganda Police Force.
With international partners, we seek to work with the Government of Uganda to ensure human rights are respected in the country and to aid substantive electoral reform. Where human rights disputes are raised these must be addressed through appropriate legal channels.