Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the consequences the (1) imprisonment of, and (2) lack of consular access to, Alaa Abd El-Fattah could have on the COP 27 conference in Egypt.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since his sentencing in December 2021, the UK Government have consistently called on the Egyptian Government to grant consular access to Alaa Abd El-Fattah and continues to raise his case at the highest levels in order to obtain his release. The UK Government's efforts regarding COP 27 are vital for our wider climate objectives and are an opportunity to cement Glasgow's legacy. The UK have been in close dialogue with Egypt at both Ministerial and official levels to accelerate global climate action, deliver the Glasgow Climate Pact and secure an impactful COP27.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many successful consular visits they have paid to Alaa Abd El-Fattah in prison in Cairo this year; on what occasions; and how many visits they have (1) paid, or (2) attempted, since his hunger strike began on 2 May.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since his sentencing in December 2021, consular staff have been unable to visit Mr Alaa Abd El-Fattah in prison due to a lack of permission from the Egyptian authorities. FCDO officials have consistently called on the Egyptian Government to grant consular access to Alaa Abd El-Fattah after his obtaining British citizenship in December 2021. The first request was submitted to the Egyptian authorities on 20 December 2021. There have been a number of follow-up requests submitted at the highest levels, most recently during the visit to Cairo by the FCDO Minister for Africa, who raised his case with Foreign Minister Shoukry on 19 October 2022.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any impact assessment of the effect of the (1) imprisonment, and (2) treatment, of Alaa Abd El-Fattah on the UK's (a) political, and (b) cultural, relations with Egypt; and whether such an impact assessment has been communicated to the government of Egypt.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government continues to raise Alaa Abd El Fattah's case at the highest levels of the Egyptian Government, including in the Foreign Secretary's meeting with the Egyptian Foreign Minister on 21 September and the Minister for Africa's meeting in Cairo with the Egyptian Foreign Minister on 19 October. It is the strength of our bilateral relationship with Egypt that allows us to speak frankly about sensitive issues and human rights, and to be able to raise them when we have concerns.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made with negotiations with the government of Egypt regarding the release of Alaa Abd el-Fattah, who has been in prison in that country on hunger strike since April.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Since his sentencing in December 2021, FCDO officials have consistently called on the Egyptian Government urgently to grant consular access to Alaa Abdel Fattah. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad and the then Foreign Secretary also raised the case with Foreign Minister Shoukry during his visit to London in July. The previous Prime Minister raised the case with President Sisi during a call on 25 August, expressing his hope for swift and positive progress. We continue to support the family of Alaa Abdel Fattah.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will (1) carry out, and (2) publish, an assessment of the causes of the floods in (a) Pakistan, and (b) elsewhere on the India sub-continent, to assist them in their longer term response.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Undertaking an assessment of the causes of the flooding in Pakistan and elsewhere on the Indian sub-continent would be at the discretion of the respective national governments. However, the UK Government works closely with the Met Office to monitor hazards around the world, and shares key climate information with our partners. The UK has committed to double the amount of climate finance to support adaptation to the impacts of climate change. Between 2011 and 2021 UK International Climate Finance supported 88 million people to cope with the impacts of climate change, installed 2,400MW of clean energy, providing 41 million people with improved access, and helped mobilise £8 billion of public and private finance for climate change purposes in developing countries.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what engagement they have had with representatives of the Sundanese National Congress Party in 2022.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Sudanese authorities banned the National Congress Party (NCP) following the Sudanese revolution in 2019. In the course of our diplomatic engagement, particularly in supporting an end to the political crisis, we speak to a broad spectrum of political actors. This includes ex-ministers and ex-officials, some of whom may have been NCP members. Such engagement allows us to encourage all Sudanese actors to deliver a civilian-led government and a democratic transition.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the shortfall in grain allocated to (1) African, and (2) Middle East, countries as humanitarian aid through United Nations agencies in (1) 2022, and (2) 2023.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is closely assessing the food security situation in the Middle East and Africa, including with our international partners. These regions account for most of the 49 million people living a step away from famine are and the 14 countries that are face at least a high risk of political instability from price increases. The pursuit of practical solutions is a key priority for HMG. Over the next three years the UK will direct £3 billion of humanitarian assistance to prevent famine and alleviate suffering. We have already committed funding from this year to UN humanitarian appeals for Somalia (£38.5 million), Yemen (£88 million) and Afghanistan (£286 million). The UK is also the largest overall contributor (£1.4 billion since 2006) to the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). We welcome CERF's recent £83 million allocation to tackle the disruption to global food markets.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to (1) the African Union, and (2) other bodies, to broker new peace negotiations following the recent release of political prisoners in Sudan.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
On 30 May, the British Ambassador to Sudan welcomed the lifting of the state of emergency and release of detainees as important steps to help create a favourable environment for political talks. We reiterated this at the UN Security Council (UNSC) on 3 June, but continue to call for all those detained arbitrarily to be released, for civil and political freedoms to be respected, and for an end to violence against protestors. At the UNSC, we also expressed our support for talks facilitated by the UN, African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development; a message reiterated in a tweet by the Minister for Africa on 8 June.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have provided (1) aid, and (2) diplomatic support, in response to recent attacks on Massalit communities in Darfur, Sudan, by the Janjaweed militia.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We issued a statement on 25 April, setting out our concerns and the need for the Sudanese authorities to deliver their responsibilities to protect civilians. We underscored the importance of an independent investigation into the violence at the UN Security Council (UNSC) on 27 April and helped to secure a UNSC statement condemning the violence on 29 April. We are also in contact with the UN over providing humanitarian assistance to those affected. We have frequently raised our concerns at violence in Darfur with the Sudanese authorities, including the leadership of the Rapid Support Forces, during a visit by the UK Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea on 27-29 April. We will continue to do so.
The fragile security situation across Sudan has been exacerbated by the ongoing political crisis. Since the military coup in October 2021, we have encouraged all Sudanese political actors to engage in talks to restore a civilian-led government. Our Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea delivered this message directly to Sudan's military leadership during his 27-29 April visit.
Asked by: Earl of Sandwich (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what specialised (1) care, and (2) advice, they are providing to Ukrainian refugees who are currently in Poland; what work they are doing with (a) UN agencies, and (b) NGOs, in reception centres in that country; and what particular support they are providing to (i) women, and (ii) children, who may be vulnerable to abuse or trafficking.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has deployed a field team of humanitarian experts to Poland to provide logistics advice and analyse the evolving refugee situation ensuring support provided to refugees, including women and girls, is tailored to the local context, including the threats they face. Our humanitarian support will be implemented by trusted humanitarian partners with expertise in protection and safeguarding. FCDO staff are reiterating the importance of protection and safeguarding considerations in this response, including the risk of human trafficking, when liaising with HQ and regional staff of multilateral and NGO agencies. More broadly we will continue to coordinate law enforcement efforts by working closely with EU partners to target trafficking routes across Europe, provide protection to the most vulnerable and take tough action against those who seek to exploit people for financial gain.