Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what conditions, criteria and evidence they used to inform the decisions to lift certain sanctions on Syria.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Sanctions Act and the Regulations made under it provides the legal basis for the UK to impose, vary, and revoke sanctions designations and sectoral sanctions. On 25 April the UK lifted sanctions on several sectors, including trade, energy production, transport (aircraft) and finance, in order to reflect the change in circumstances in Syria, facilitate investment and support the Syrian people to rebuild their country and economy. The UK's sanctions regime continues to hold Assad and his associates to account for atrocities committed against the Syrian people. We keep our sanctions regime under review.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether ministers have sought legal advice following the escalation of violence between Israel and Iran.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers receive legal advice as appropriate. It is long-standing practice that Governments of all colours do not disclose the fact that legal advice has or has not been given, nor the content of any such advice. This practice provides the fullest guarantee that government business will be conducted at all times in the light of thorough and candid legal advice.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with Hayat Tahrir al-Sham and the interim government of Syria; and what steps they are taking to work with allies to maintain stability in that country.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary visited Damascus on 5 July, to renew UK-Syria relations and reiterate UK support to the new Syrian Government as it seeks to rebuild the economy and deliver an inclusive political transition. A stable Syria is in the UK's interest and we have committed an additional £94.5 million of funding to provide urgent humanitarian aid, and support for Syria's longer-term recovery through education and livelihoods. We also lifted sanctions on some sectors, to help facilitate essential investment. Alongside allies, we continue to advocate and offer support for an inclusive political transition which protects the rights of all Syrians.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to limit the influence of the government of Iran in Syria since the fall of the Assad regime.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to support the Syrian Government to deliver its commitments to build a more stable, free and prosperous future for all Syrians. We have long condemned Iran's reckless and destabilising activity, which puts regional stability at risk. Following Assad's fall, we continue to monitor Iranian activity in Syria.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of the increased naval and infrastructure presence of China in Southeast Asia for the UK's strategic and economic interests.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK has enduring interests in South-East Asia and is committed to maintaining regional security and stability. In the South China Sea, we are committed to international law, the primacy of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and to freedom of navigation and overflight. We oppose any action that raises tensions or the risk of miscalculation, take no sides in sovereignty disputes and encourage all parties to settle their disputes peacefully through the existing legal mechanisms, particularly UNCLOS.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that UK development aid to Cambodia is not used to indirectly support the objectives of the government of China in Cambodia.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK's development assistance support for Cambodia is strategically aligned with our goals of promoting livelihoods, climate resilience, education and healthcare. Our funding has contributed to the clearance of over 65,000 landmines, the education of thousands of students, trained hundreds of farmers in the use of climate-smart agriculture and improved access to healthcare for communities across the country. Every programme undergoes rigorous assessment before approval, including checks to ensure it delivers impact in line with Cambodia's needs and UK objectives and is distinct from the efforts of other governments.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that British assets in the Middle East are protected.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
During the crisis, we took all necessary measures to protect UK interests, UK personnel, and to work with our allies to protect their interests as well.
The Ministry of Defence keep the force protection measures of our military assets under constant review. The Ministry of Defence have put force protection measures at their highest level to safeguard our personnel in the region. The Ministry of Defence have robust measures in place to protect our armed forces personnel, and their safety is our top priority.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear weapons.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon. We will use all diplomatic levers at our disposal to support a negotiated outcome and ensure Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon including through the UN snapback mechanism, if necessary.
The ceasefire provides a diplomatic window for US/Iran talks to resume. Through numerous bilateral conversations with counterparts since 13 June, the UK is urging Iran to engage urgently and directly in negotiation and working with the US to support this.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of their agreement with the government of Mauritius about the British Indian Ocean Territory in the light of recent developments in the Middle East, and the strategic position of the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The Diego Garcia military base deal is absolutely vital for our defence and intelligence, and therefore for the safety and security of the British people and our allies. All UK overseas bases are operated in accordance with our obligations under international law. This includes Diego Garcia.
Asked by: Lord Callanan (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how many policy reviews and consultations the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has launched since the General Election on 4 July 2024; what the subject of each review is; and what the anticipated timescales are for their completion.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Following the election, this Government has outlined its ambitions through the Plan for Change, which sets out an ambitious set of milestones - across the missions - for this Parliament.
As the House would expect, Government continually reviews its work to ensure that it is delivering the best outcomes for the people of the United Kingdom, and that its policies continue to represent the best value for the taxpayer.
Headline findings from the Foreign Secretary's three reviews into Economic Diplomacy, Development and Global Impact will be available on Gov.uk as they are published.