Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps the Treasury are taking to regulate higher transparency and due diligence standards in the UK’s maritime services sector to prevent Protection and Indemnity insurers from facilitating the operations of vessels within Russia's shadow fleet.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The action the UK and its partners have taken to limit Russian energy revenues is having a significant impact, including reducing Russia's oil and gas revenues by 24 percent in 2023 compared to 2022. It is illegal for UK maritime services including insurers to engage with oil tankers where the oil is traded above a given price. The FCDO regularly engages with maritime service providers including to emphasise that if they facilitate shadow fleet activity they may be in in breach of UK sanctions and could be at risk of enforcement action. The Government is committed to rigorously enforcing our sanctions and keeps all our sanctions under review.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to deter third-country service providers from engaging with UK sanctioned vessels in Russia's shadow fleet.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has sanctioned 25 oil tankers operating within Putin's shadow fleet. This has disrupted those vessels' ability to take part in the Russian oil trade. We frequently engage with third countries on the shadow fleet, as these vessels undermine international maritime standards and practices, pose environmental risks, and support Russia's illegal war in Ukraine. While the UK cannot comment on future sanctions, anyone assisting UK-sanctioned vessels and the activity of Russia's shadow fleet more generally may be in breach of our sanctions and be liable in the event of an accident.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on 2 September (HC Deb cols 37–40), whether they plan to publish a comprehensive list of licences for the sale of arms to Israel that are not covered by the partial suspension announced in that statement.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK has some of the most robust export licencing criteria in the world. The Government will not issue export licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used in violations of International Humanitarian Law. This government has concluded that a clear risk does exist, with regards to certain items. This means that under the Criteria we are required to suspend around 30 licences which we assess could be used in the current conflict in Gaza. This is around a third of the total number of our export licences for equipment to the Israeli military. The remaining licences for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) include trainer aircraft parts, naval equipment, and air defence. Affected exporters have been notified of those suspensions. Further information on the decision to suspend certain export licences to Israel is provided in the Secretary of State for Business and Trade's Written Ministerial Statement [https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-09-02/hcws64].
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs on 2 September (HC Deb cols 37–40), whether components for F-16s transferred to Israel via the United States of America under incorporation licences have been excluded from the partial suspension of arms to Israel; and if so, why.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Strategic Export Licensing Criteria (SELC) state that the Government will not issue or maintain export licences if there is a clear risk that the items might be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). We have deemed that such a risk exists for items that are for use in military operations in the current conflict in Gaza and have made the decision to suspend these exports immediately. This consists of approximately 30 export licences to the Israeli military, including parts for F-16 fighter jets, as detailed in the Secretary of State for Business and Trade's Written Ministerial Statement [https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2024-09-02/hcws64].
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to convene with civil society organisations and education ministers from other governments on developing an international strategy for global learning.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Foundational learning for all (numeracy, literacy and socio-emotional learning) is crucial to make progress in school, attain higher order skills, and reap education's full rewards. The UK works with civil society and education ministers from other governments to address the global learning crisis through The Global Coalition for Foundational Learning. The Global Coalition is working together to ensure that we meet undertakings set out in the 2022 Commitment to Action on Foundational Learning. This includes national governments committing to reducing by half, by 2030, the global share of children unable to read and understand a simple text by age ten, and to take urgent and decisive action to do so. 32 countries and 34 organisations, including civil society, have signed the commitment to action to date.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Official Development Assistance budget for overseas aid.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Ensuring that we are using the Official Development Assistance (ODA) budget effectively is key to delivering value for money for the British taxpayer. The effectiveness of all FCDO ODA programmes is measured and assessed regularly throughout their lifecycle. We are committed to working with the Independent Commission for Aid Impact to apply the highest standards to our ODA spend, including robust measures on development effectiveness.
This will allow us to achieve better outcomes on our priorities. This includes delivering humanitarian aid to those who need it most, tackling the climate and nature crisis, working for peace, and accelerating economic development and growth, with equality and women and girls at the heart of everything we do.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the El Niño floods, upon children and families in Somalia.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
El Niño-related weather events in the past year significantly exceeded the UN's projections, with an estimated 2.4 million people displaced and over 120 people killed in Somalia due to flooding. Women and children suffer disproportionately from these displacements. HMG has continued to monitor the impacts of this on the Somali population and support recovery. We have disbursed £17.7 million to support rapid responses and build community resilience to El Niño-related events, including repairing access to healthcare and education facilities.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what conditions they have attached to the renewal of funding and support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, and whether they plan to increase funding to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) plays a critical role in Gaza and the wider region. The Foreign Secretary announced on 19 July that the UK will resume funding to UNRWA, releasing £21 million. Some of the UK's funding will be directed at supporting the implementation of UNRWA's management reforms, that will implement the recommendations made by Catherine Colonna's independent report. The reforms include delivering stronger independent oversight, better detection systems, improved screening procedures and other areas.
The UK continues to play a leadership role in trying to alleviate the suffering - on 14 July, the Foreign Secretary also announced £5.5 million new funding to UK-Med to fund their life-saving medical work in Gaza.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how they have responded to the Israeli Knesset's decision to designate the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East as a terrorist organisation, and whether this will impact on future UK support and funding to that agency.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Foreign Secretary announced on 19 July that the UK will resume funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), providing £21 million. We are committed to continuing our support to UNRWA, which plays a critical role in delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza and contributing to regional stability. Some of the UK's funding will be directed at supporting the implementation of management reforms recommended by Catherine Colonna's independent review. We are deeply concerned that draft legislation is being considered by the Israeli Knesset which would designate UNRWA as a terrorist organisation and will continue to monitor developments closely.
Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to remarks by the Secretary of State for the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero on 18 July that "the biggest threat to nature and food security ... is the climate crisis" (HC Deb col 189), what plans they have to appoint a Climate Envoy.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We cannot address the urgency of the climate and nature crisis without co-ordinated global action. Failure to act would cause environmental devastation, fuelling displacement, conflict and famine. We are committed to reinvigorating the UK's international leadership on climate and nature, working with our international partners. We will set out further details of our approach in due course.