Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the total cost to the United Kingdom of all forms of non-military support to Ukraine since December 2021.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK will continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes to restore Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to secure a just and lasting peace underpinned by the UN Charter. The FCDO's non-military support to Ukraine since the start of the invasion amounts to £4.7 billion. This includes over £4.2 billion fiscal support through World Bank loan guarantees and grants; £357 million in humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and the region; £150 million to support Ukraine's energy security and resilience; and £2.5 million in support for Ukraine's domestic prosecution of international crimes.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that US and Norway forces participated in remote triggered exercises compromising the efficient operations in the case of three of the four Nord Stream pipelines in 2022.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All currently available information indicates that this damage is the result of sabotage. The UK and G7 leaders have been clear: we condemn any deliberate disruption of critical infrastructure.
Intentional damage to civilian infrastructure is reckless and irresponsible. The leaks not only caused risks to shipping but also substantial environmental damage in the Baltic Sea. The UK supports the investigations by Denmark, Sweden and Germany and stand ready to provide necessary support.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Joint Statement between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership of Coordination in the New Era, dated 21 March.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Addressing the threat from Russia to European security is the most pressing security and foreign policy priority in the short to medium term. China poses an epoch-defining and systemic challenge. We are therefore concerned by the deepening strategic partnership between China and Russia and the implications for an open and stable international order. Putin's war in Ukraine is a breach of international law, a violation of the UN Charter, and was condemned by an overwhelming majority of 141 member nations in the UN General Assembly (UNGA) resolution on 23 February 2023 - a resolution we were disappointed China chose to abstain on. As a P5 member, we expect China to stand up for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and uphold its commitment to the principles of UN Charter - principles that underpin Zelenskyy's peace plan.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the statement by Vladimir Putin at the Russian Energy Week event in Moscow on 12 October about deliveries of gas to European countries via surviving pipelines.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has been clear of the need to phase out the use of Russian gas. Russia has demonstrated it can never again be trusted as a reliable energy provider, regardless of the supply route. We are working with international partners to secure alternative energy supplies as quickly as possible, and it is clear that renewables and nuclear offer the most reliable way to secure our long-term energy security and prosperity.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the cause of the damage to Nord Stream gas pipelines; and what evidence they are using as part of that assessment.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All currently available information indicates that this damage is the result of sabotage. The UK and G7 leaders have been clear: we condemn any deliberate disruption of critical infrastructure.
Intentional damage to civilian infrastructure is reckless and irresponsible. The leaks not only caused risks to shipping but also substantial environmental damage in the Baltic Sea. The UK supports the investigations by Denmark, Sweden and Germany and stand ready to provide necessary support.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what resources they are providing to support the investigations into the damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
All currently available information indicates that this damage is the result of sabotage. The UK and G7 leaders have been clear: we condemn any deliberate disruption of critical infrastructure.
Intentional damage to civilian infrastructure is reckless and irresponsible. The leaks not only caused risks to shipping but also substantial environmental damage in the Baltic Sea.
The UK supports the investigations by Denmark, Sweden and Germany and stand ready to provide necessary support.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial support they are providing to help people fleeing from Ukraine; what discussions they have had with other European countries about the provision of such financial support; and what support those countries have committed for that purpose.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are in regular dialogue with our European partners and stand ready to provide humanitarian assistance as needed. Total UK aid to Ukraine and the region for the current crisis comes to almost £400 million. This includes £220 million of humanitarian assistance and £100 million to bolster the Ukrainian economy and reduce Ukraine's reliance on Russian gas imports.
Our humanitarian support will help partners stand up their response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation, and create a lifeline for Ukrainians with access to basic necessities. We have also deployed UK humanitarian experts to support Ukraine's neighbours, who are receiving and supporting the increasing flow of refugees fleeing Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances, to which they were a party, were given to (1) Mikhail Gorbachev, or (2) other representatives of the government of the Soviet Union, on NATO expansion into Eastern Europe at the time of German reunification; whether any such assurances remain valid; and what assessment they have made of whether those assurances are being met.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
During the 1990 discussions on German reunification, no written assurances about the further enlargement of NATO beyond Germany were made to Mr Gorbachev or other representatives of the Government of the Soviet Union. Despite consistent assertion, Russian leaders have been unable to produce any written evidence that such assurances were made.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether embassy or consulate staff in the United States have discussed damaging or malicious online comments posted on TripAdvisor about hotel or catering services based in the United States with representatives of such services; and if not, whether they intend to do so.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Staff of the British Embassy and British Consulates in the United States have not discussed this issue with representatives of these services and there are no current plans to do so.
Asked by: Lord Campbell-Savours (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the role of the National Cyber Security Centre.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was created in 2016 as part of the Government's five-year National Cyber Security Strategy. The NCSC was set up to help protect our critical services from cyber attacks, manage major incidents, develop cyber skills and technology, and provide advice to citizens and organisations. Its vision is to help make the UK the safest place to live and do business online. The NCSC provides a single point of contact for private and public sector organisations for all matters relating to cyber security.