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Written Question
Africa: Diplomatic Relations
Tuesday 29th December 2020

Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to extend the UK’s diplomatic presence across Africa, in particular into smaller countries.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Since 2018, the UK has increased its diplomatic reach by over 350 staff across Africa, including in Mali, Niger, Chad, Mauritania, Eswatini and Lesotho. In addition, the UK contributes to international diplomatic efforts, including through its Sahel Envoys and Sahel Alliance networks. We continue to keep under close review the size and location of our network to ensure that it remains appropriate for delivering HMG priorities across Africa within the overall resources available.


Written Question
Gibraltar: UK Trade with EU
Wednesday 9th December 2020

Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are undertaking trade negotiations with the EU on the basis that any future relationship agreement will apply to Gibraltar.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK continues to negotiate for the whole UK family, which includes Gibraltar. We remain fully committed to finding a solution that supports Gibraltar, its people and its economy.

The UK and the Government of Gibraltar have held a number of constructive discussions with Spain on this issue. It is clearly in all parties' interests to find a solution, to ensure ongoing well-being and prosperity in the region.


Written Question
Gibraltar: Coronavirus
Wednesday 25th March 2020

Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support the government of Gibraltar in dealing with COVID-19; and in particular, whether they are providing advice and access to medical supplies to the government of Gibraltar.

Answered by Baroness Sugg

The British Government is working closely with the Overseas Territories, including Gibraltar, to ensure they receive the help that is necessary. This includes procuring medical equipment and support for Gibraltar immediately, including through Military Aid to Civil Authority (MACA), and standing by Gibraltar in the long run as it deals with the impacts of this pandemic.


Written Question
Commonwealth: Trade
Tuesday 5th March 2019

Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government following the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018 and the launch of the SheTrades Commonwealth programme in Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, how many of the 2,300 women entrepreneurs that registered and 518 companies that attended capacity building events have subsequently initiated or expanded their international trade to date; and what monitoring systems are in place for the future assessment of the efficacy of that programme.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The SheTrades Commonwealth programme has now supported 842 women-owned companies at capacity building and training events. To date, 144 of those companies have consequently participated in trade fairs, subsequently reporting £12.4 million worth of export leads.

The programme adheres to the Department for International Development's monitoring and evaluation standards. Key indicators are tracked through a robust results framework to ensure the women entrepreneurs we support are more competitive and improve their access to markets, and that the taxpayer is getting value for money.


Written Question
Africa: Economic Growth
Thursday 28th February 2019

Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018, what aspects of economic development in Sierra Leone and Malawi have received technical support; and what was the result of any such support.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Since its launch at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2018, the Commonwealth Trade Facilitation Programme has increased the capacity and capability of customs organisations in 18 Commonwealth countries. This in turn facilitates the increase of trade, providing benefits for governments, consumers and producers in these Commonwealth countries. For example:

  • In Eswatini, the programme has conducted a post-clearance audit and delivered workshops aimed at creating more efficient and cost effective customs clearance systems at the border;
  • In Tonga and Zambia, Time Release Studies (TRS) of customs clearance processes have identified possible areas for systematic efficiencies;
  • In Sierra Leone, advanced training has enabled customs officials to more accurately identify the customs value and corresponding rate of duty to be paid on imported goods; and
  • In Malawi, workshops have helped improve the recording of information related to different categories of goods to enable the correct collection of customs duties.


Written Question
Commonwealth: Trade
Thursday 28th February 2019

Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018, what plans there are for the World Trade Organization’s Trade Facilitation Agreement to boost intra-Commonwealth trade; what are the expected outcomes of such plans; and when such outcomes are expected to be delivered.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The UK-funded Commonwealth Trade Facilitation Programme is helping member states implement the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). The two year programme aims to help developing and least developed countries in the Commonwealth adopt faster and more efficient customs procedures that will in turn reduce the cost of doing business and create a more enabling environment for intra-Commonwealth Trade.

While the Commonwealth Trade Facilitation Programme is due to conclude by April 2020, implementation of the TFA will continue for several more years. The Agreement is unique in that it allows developing and least developed countries to set their own timetable for implementing elements of the agreement: developing countries are required to provide definitive dates for implementation by August 2019, and Least Developed Countries by 2022.


Written Question
Commonwealth
Thursday 28th February 2019

Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018, when the conclusions of the scoping missions to Eswatini, Tonga and Zambia will be published.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

Scoping missions conducted by the Commonwealth Trade Facilitation Programme aim to identify where external technical assistance would enhance member states' capacity to implement the World Trade Organization Trade Facilitation Agreement. Tailor-made implementation plans have now been developed or are in the process of being developed for seven Commonwealth countries, including Eswatini, Tonga, and Zambia. The outcomes of these audits, assessments and studies are primarily for the use of those governments and are not intended for publication


Written Question
Commonwealth: Press Freedom
Tuesday 27th November 2018

Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they support the objectives of the Commonwealth principles of freedom of expression and the role of the media in good governance developed by the Commonwealth Working Group on Media and Good Governance; what steps they will take to promote the principles within the Commonwealth; and whether they will advocate for their consideration at the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda in 2020.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is committed to tackling intimidation and violence against journalists wherever it occurs, including in Commonwealth countries, and to challenging impunity for such crimes. The Foreign Secretary highlighted our determination to address this issue on the International Day to End Impunity for Attacks Against Journalists on 2 November, announcing our intention to put the resources of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) behind the cause of media freedom and to hold an international conference on this issue, in 2019. We welcome the attention UNESCO has given to this problem.

We support the work of the Commonwealth Working Group on Media and Good Governance on Commonwealth principles of freedom of expression and the role of the media in good governance, and their continued efforts to prepare them for consideration at the Heads of Government meeting in Rwanda in 2020. Officials from the FCO and Cabinet Office have offered advice and support to members of the Working Group, most recently on 12 November 2018. The Working Group was given the opportunity to brief all member states on the proposed principles at senior official level, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018. However, there was no consensus amongst member states for the principles to be formally included on Heads' agenda or in their official communiqué. We have discussed the principles with the Commonwealth Secretariat on several occasions since the Heads of Government Meeting. We continue to encourage the Working Group to work with member states and the Secretariat to build consensus towards adoption of the principles.


Written Question
Commonwealth: Press Freedom
Tuesday 27th November 2018

Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they were aware of the development of the Commonwealth principles of freedom of expression and the role of the media in good governance by the Commonwealth Working Group on Media and Good Governance ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London in 2018; and what steps they took to support the principles at the summit.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is committed to tackling intimidation and violence against journalists wherever it occurs, including in Commonwealth countries, and to challenging impunity for such crimes. The Foreign Secretary highlighted our determination to address this issue on the International Day to End Impunity for Attacks Against Journalists on 2 November, announcing our intention to put the resources of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) behind the cause of media freedom and to hold an international conference on this issue, in 2019. We welcome the attention UNESCO has given to this problem.

We support the work of the Commonwealth Working Group on Media and Good Governance on Commonwealth principles of freedom of expression and the role of the media in good governance, and their continued efforts to prepare them for consideration at the Heads of Government meeting in Rwanda in 2020. Officials from the FCO and Cabinet Office have offered advice and support to members of the Working Group, most recently on 12 November 2018. The Working Group was given the opportunity to brief all member states on the proposed principles at senior official level, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018. However, there was no consensus amongst member states for the principles to be formally included on Heads' agenda or in their official communiqué. We have discussed the principles with the Commonwealth Secretariat on several occasions since the Heads of Government Meeting. We continue to encourage the Working Group to work with member states and the Secretariat to build consensus towards adoption of the principles.


Written Question
Commonwealth: Press Freedom
Tuesday 27th November 2018

Asked by: Lord Chidgey (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Commonwealth Secretary-General about the Commonwealth Working Group on Media and Good Governance’s 2018 report on Commonwealth principles of freedom of expression and the role of the media in good governance.

Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government is committed to tackling intimidation and violence against journalists wherever it occurs, including in Commonwealth countries, and to challenging impunity for such crimes. The Foreign Secretary highlighted our determination to address this issue on the International Day to End Impunity for Attacks Against Journalists on 2 November, announcing our intention to put the resources of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) behind the cause of media freedom and to hold an international conference on this issue, in 2019. We welcome the attention UNESCO has given to this problem.

We support the work of the Commonwealth Working Group on Media and Good Governance on Commonwealth principles of freedom of expression and the role of the media in good governance, and their continued efforts to prepare them for consideration at the Heads of Government meeting in Rwanda in 2020. Officials from the FCO and Cabinet Office have offered advice and support to members of the Working Group, most recently on 12 November 2018. The Working Group was given the opportunity to brief all member states on the proposed principles at senior official level, ahead of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in April 2018. However, there was no consensus amongst member states for the principles to be formally included on Heads' agenda or in their official communiqué. We have discussed the principles with the Commonwealth Secretariat on several occasions since the Heads of Government Meeting. We continue to encourage the Working Group to work with member states and the Secretariat to build consensus towards adoption of the principles.