Became Member: 20th January 2011
Speeches made during Parliamentary debates are recorded in Hansard. For ease of browsing we have grouped debates into individual, departmental and legislative categories.
These initiatives were driven by Lord Collins of Highbury, and are more likely to reflect personal policy preferences.
Lord Collins of Highbury has not introduced any legislation before Parliament
Lord Collins of Highbury has not co-sponsored any Bills in the current parliamentary sitting
The Agreement will be enacted after the Space Industry Regulations 2021, currently before Parliament, are in force. The Space Industry Regulations 2021 provide powers for the government to realise its obligations under the Agreement.
Securing global security and national security through non-proliferation are intrinsic objectives of the Technology Safeguards Agreement, which seeks to ensure that sensitive space launch technology is protected and may not be accessed by unauthorised parties.
It is fully consistent with obligations under the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), to which the United Kingdom and the United States are founding members, and with the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation, to which the United Kingdom and United States are subscribing states.
The UK’s observance of international obligations and commitments, in particular in regard to non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the means of their delivery, through its commitments to the multilateral export control regimes, which include the MTCR, and other mechanisms such as the Hague Code of Conduct, has been UK Government policy for many years and was reaffirmed in the written statement to Parliament by the then Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skill, Dr Vince Cable, on the 25th March 2014. In addition, the Government’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy presented to Parliament by my Rt. Hon. Friend the Prime Minister by Command Paper 203 (March 2021) highlighted the UK’s continued commitment and importance of safeguarding access to advance sensitive technologies to both State and non-State actors.
The UK is a world leader in cultural heritage protection and Liverpool's World Heritage Status reflects the important role the city has played in our nation's history. The Government, and our Ambassador to UNESCO, are working closely with UNESCO, Liverpool City Council, Historic England and others to maintain Liverpool’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The UK is a world leader in cultural heritage protection and Liverpool's World Heritage Status reflects the important role the city has played in our nation's history. The Government, and our Ambassador to UNESCO, are working closely with UNESCO, Liverpool City Council, Historic England and others to maintain Liverpool’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The UK Government remains committed to delivering 12 years of quality education for all girls. Education, particularly girls’ education, will remain a top priority in the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and a priority for the Prime Minister personally. In my role as Special Envoy for Girls’ Education, I am working to accelerate progress towards getting marginalised girls into schools, staying there and staying safe, and benefitting from quality learning. I am working closely with international partners to encourage greater global ambition, coordination, and investment on girls’ education.
The UK is committed to working with our Action Coalition co-leads to ensure our joint objectives focus on tackling all forms of violence against women and girls and reaching the most marginalised, including older women.
We recognise that there is a knowledge gap in understanding the different forms, causes, and consequences of violence against older women. To help fill this gap, DFID is investing £6 million to support the UN Women-led flagship programme initiative on gender data – Making Every Woman and Girl Count – and the joint UN Programme on Violence Against Women and Girls data. These programmes are working to improve the production, availability, accessibility and use of quality data and statistics on gender equality and gender-based violence. This includes developing new global methodologies and standards for capturing older women’s experience of violence, including agreeing a minimum set of questions for women over 50 to be added to existing surveys or modules. We will ensure the Action Coalition draws on this learning from Making Every Woman and Girl Count.
DFID’s Inclusive Data Charter Action Plan (March 2019) also sets out our commitment to improve the quality, quantity and availability of inclusive and disaggregated data, including by age, in DFID and across the global system.
Last financial year (2019/20), UK aid helped feed over 650,000 Yemenis every month, treated over 70,000 children for malnutrition and provided over 1 million people with improved water supply and basic sanitation.
Minister Cleverly announced the UK’s new pledge of £160 million in humanitarian funding for Yemen in the 2020/21 financial year at the Yemen Pledging Conference on 2 June. This pledge makes us the third largest donor to Yemen in the world this year and takes our total commitment to Yemen to nearly £1 billion since the conflict began.
Minister Cleverly announced on 2 June at the UN’s Yemen Pledging Conference that the UK will be providing £160 million to the UN’s 2020 Yemen appeal this financial year (2020/21) to help respond to Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. We remain committed to supporting the UN to deliver vital humanitarian assistance across Yemen in order to alleviate suffering and meet the needs of millions of vulnerable Yemenis.
Ministers and officials continue to engage closely with other donors and the UN to ensure a coordinated international approach to the current excessive restrictions on humanitarian access, particularly in Houthi held areas. We welcome recent steps taken by the Houthis to improve humanitarian access but are clear that more progress is needed, or humanitarian organisations will be unable to continue delivering vital assistance.
According to the UN, Yemen remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of the entire population, over 24 million people, requiring some form of humanitarian assistance. More than 20 million people in Yemen do not have reliable access to food and almost 10 million people face extreme food shortages.
We are concerned that the outbreak of COVID-19 in Yemen is already exacerbating this devastating humanitarian situation.
DFID modelling estimates that over 100,000 Yemenis are now likely to have been infected by COVID-19. With only half of Yemen’s health facilities currently functional, we are extremely concerned by the capacity of the Yemen’s healthcare system to respond.
Ultimately, a political settlement is the only way to properly address the worsening humanitarian crisis. We therefore strongly encourage all parties to engage with Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to find a peaceful solution to the conflict.
We recognise that older people, people with pre-existing conditions, people with disabilities and those with complex needs are disproportionately impacted, and at more serious risk of severe complications, due to COVID-19. The UK has so far pledged £544 million of aid to tackle this global pandemic.
This includes support to UN agencies such as Unicef, the World Health Organisation and the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Our support will enable humanitarian actors to work with in-country governments and other stakeholders to plan an inclusive response to the crisis, one which takes into account the needs of older people, women and girls and people with disabilities.
We have also developed specific practical guidance to ensure our country offices around the world, working closely with partner governments, prioritise the needs of vulnerable groups, including older people. We are also working with actors across the development sector to ensure inclusion is built into the response from the very start. The pandemic is fast-moving, but we are committed to supporting the UN system, partner countries and the wider development community to reach those most vulnerable.
We have not raised this case specifically with the Israeli authorities but we stress to them the damage that their restrictions on movement, access, and trade are doing to the living standards of ordinary Palestinians. We are frustrated by the reports of access restrictions to the village of al-Mughayyir and instances of settler-related violence. All Israelis and Palestinians deserve to live in peace and security. As the occupying power, we urge Israel to fulfil its responsibilities, including ensuring the protection of the civilian population, including from acts of violence by Israeli settlers. I [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon] made this clear most recently in a phone call with the Israeli chargé d'affaires on July 4.
We remain strongly committed to helping those most in need in Myanmar. The UK remains one of the leading donors. Since the coup on 1st February 2021, the UK has provided over £100 million to support those in need of humanitarian assistance, to deliver healthcare and education for the most vulnerable, and to protect civic space. We are also working closely with civil society and local organisations to help build the resilience of communities and the foundations for a more open, inclusive and democratic Myanmar.
The first UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution on Myanmar, led by the UK, demands an end to violence and urges immediate action by the military regime to fully implement the ASEAN Five Point Consensus. The resolution requested the UN Secretary-General or his Special Envoy on Myanmar to provide an oral report to the UN Security Council (UNSC) by March. The meeting will take place in March. The resolution is an important step towards further UNSC scrutiny and action on the situation in Myanmar. We are working closely with our partners in New York to seize the momentum of this resolution.
We are clear that there must be accountability for atrocities committed in Myanmar. We condemn the ongoing serious human rights violations by the Myanmar military. We will continue to raise these issues on the international stage, including at the UN Security Council. We have established and funded the Myanmar Witness programme to collect and verify evidence of serious human rights violations and abuses.
On 25 August 2022, the UK announced its intention to intervene in the International Court of Justice case regarding Myanmar's compliance with its obligations under the Genocide Convention, in relation to acts committed against the Rohingya.
We have led international efforts to reduce the military regime's access to revenue, arms and equipment. On 31 January we announced our fourteenth round of sanctions, targeting those who profit from the supply of aviation fuel to the Myanmar Air Force. Following the coup, we strengthened our overseas business risk guidance to ensure that UK businesses are doing thorough due diligence in Myanmar to avoid exposure to the military and its business interests.
We continue to work with our partners to understand how we can take targeted and proportionate action to reduce the military's access to funds to facilitate its campaign of violence.
We are deeply concerned about human rights in Afghanistan and are tracking the situation closely, including violence towards journalists. We are concerned by reports of targeting of journalists, restrictions on the media and self-censorship. We will continue to work closely with international partners to call for freedom of the media to be respected in Afghanistan, to respond to violations and abuses and to push for those responsible to be held to account.
It remains a top priority to help those British nationals and those Afghans eligible to come to the UK to leave Afghanistan, including journalists. Since the end of the military evacuation, the Government has facilitated the departure of both Afghan and British nationals from Afghanistan. Although travel within Afghanistan remains dangerous, and many border crossings have been closed during this period, we have also helped both British nationals and eligible Afghans when they have crossed into third countries, from where our diplomatic missions have been able to support their onward travel to the UK. We will continue to work to take advantage of all opportunities to help those eligible to come to the UK to leave Afghanistan.
The Climate Diplomacy Fund is allocated to British diplomatic posts, with some regional allocations. Posts follow the FCDO's Programme Operating Framework as well as departmental finance and commercial guidance to design and manage projects and ensure value for money. However FCDO does not collate a central list of which companies have been engaged to deliver projects. Asking individual overseas posts to provide this information in the immediate lead-up to COP26 in Glasgow would not be possible.
The Climate Diplomacy Fund is non-ODA and small amounts of funding are devolved to British diplomatic posts, to support projects that meet policy outcomes linked to a successful negotiated outcome at COP26, deliver stronger sectoral action to accelerate transitions to clean growth in the global economy, or raise partner country ambition through increased national commitments (Nationally Determined Contributions) and net zero targets.
The full budget and thematic allocations for the Climate Diplomacy Fund will be published in due course, as per normal practise.
The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund's (CSSF) Cyber and Technology Programme started in April 2020. The final FY20/21 programme spend will be released in the CSSF annual report due to be published in the autumn.
Annual country level allocations will be published in our Annual Report later this year in the usual way and programme level funding is regularly updated on DevTracker. Final country data is published in the Statistics for International Development each year. Final 2021 spend will be published in this document in autumn 2022.
Annual country-level allocations will be published in the FCDO's 2021 Annual Report later this year, and programme-level funding is regularly updated on DevTracker.
Final country data is published in the Statistics for International Development each year, and spend for 2021 will be published in this document in autumn 2022.
Annual country level allocations will be published in our Annual Report later this year in the usual way, and programme level funding is regularly updated on DevTracker. Final country data is published in the Statistics for International Development each year. Final 2021 spend will be published in this document in autumn 2022.
Annual country-level allocations will be published in the FCDO's 2021 Annual Report later this year, and programme-level funding is regularly updated on DevTracker.
Final country data is published in the Statistics for International Development each year, and spend for 2021 will be published in this document in autumn 2022.
Annual country level allocations will be published in our Annual Report later this year in the usual way, and programme level funding is regularly updated on DevTracker.
Final country data is published in the Statistics for International Development each year. Final 2021 spend will be published in this document in autumn 2022.
Full budgets per country and a final audited spend for 2020/21 will be published in due course, including in our regular Statistics on International Development and in the FCDO Annual Report and Accounts.
Annual country-level allocations will be published in the FCDO's 2021 Annual Report later this year, and programme-level funding is regularly updated on DevTracker.
Final country data is published in the Statistics for International Development each year, and spend for 2021 will be published in this document in autumn 2022.
Annual country-level allocations will be published in the FCDO's 2021 Annual Report later this year, and programme-level funding is regularly updated on DevTracker.
Final country data is published in the Statistics for International Development each year, and spend for 2021 will be published in this document in autumn 2022.
Annual country level allocations will be published in our Annual Report later this year in the usual way, and programme level funding is regularly updated on DevTracker.
Final country data is published in the Statistics for International Development each year. Final 2021 spend will be published in this document in autumn 2022.
Annual country-level allocations will be published in the FCDO's 2021 Annual Report later this year, and programme-level funding is regularly updated on DevTracker.
Final country data is published in the Statistics for International Development each year, and spend for 2021 will be published in this document in autumn 2022.
The FCDO considers a range of information regarding human rights in Bahrain, including statements by the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The visit to Jau prison on 3 May enabled the UK Ambassador and other international representatives to see the facilities at Jau prison first hand, understand the Covid-19 measures implemented, and raise human rights matters directly.
The FCDO considers a range of information regarding human rights in Bahrain, including statements by the spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The visit to Jau prison on 3 May enabled the UK Ambassador and other international representatives to see the facilities at Jau prison first hand, understand the Covid-19 measures implemented, and raise human rights matters directly.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) will spend £1,305 million of Official Development Assistance on global health in 2021/22. This will focus on the UK's position at the forefront of the international response to COVID-19 through our commitments to COVAX, Gavi, and the World Health Organisation, and through bilateral spend where the need is greatest, including in Africa. FCDO will now work through what this means for individual programmes in line with the priorities we have outlined.
The UK provides funding to UNAIDS to support its leadership role in the HIV response. Through our programme partnership agreement, the UK assesses the work of UNAIDS against agreed indicators, including those relating to its work on strengthening the rights of marginalised people.
HMG has communicated with UNAIDS as well as the Programme Coordinating Board on which other donors are represented, regarding UNAID's provisional funding allocation for 21/22. The UK regularly consults with civil society organisations, and shares their determination in advocating for the rights and needs of the most marginalised groups affected by HIV. The UK remains committed to addressing HIV and AIDS through our commitments to the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and malaria, and our work in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR). We remain committed to a strong UNAIDS, and are fully engaged in the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board.
Information about our nutrition spend in financial year 2021-22 will be publicly available through Development Tracker in due course.
The portfolio, agreed by the Foreign Secretary, will focus our investment and expertise on issues where the UK can make the most difference and achieve maximum strategic coherence, impact, and value for money.
We have read the news release, along with the Bahraini Ombudsman's response to the Human Rights Watch report which provides important clarification and invites Human Rights Watch to provide further details of the cases in question. We believe the recent ratification of the Correctional Justice Act is a positive development for the protection of children in Bahrain, and will monitor its implementation.
Covid restrictions prevented Embassy staff from attending the hearings in person. Sayed Hasan Ameen was sentenced to 6 months imprisonment, which was replaced with a rehabilitation program under alternative sentencing arrangements within the spirit of the new Child Reform Justice Act. We welcome the retroactive application of the new law's content and purpose, and will monitor its implementation.
Abdulhadi Mushaima was released on 11 March 2021. He served 3 weeks of a 3 month prison sentence. He was released under alternative sentencing measures.
The BBC announced in September 2020 their decision to close the Sinhala radio service, and we understand that plans for the closure are proceeding on the planned schedule. The BBC are maintaining their newsgathering presence in Sri Lanka and will focus on developing digital output. The BBC are operationally and editorially independent from Government, and the FCDO cannot dictate where changes to services may fall. The Sinhala service is also outside of the FCDO-funded World2020 programme.
I raised the cases of Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa during my recent meeting with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. The Minister for the Middle East and I raised the use of the death penalty in Bahrain with the Foreign Minister, reiterating that the UK opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle. The UK also provides technical assistance in support of Bahrain's ongoing reform agenda. Any technical assistance we provide is kept under regular review to ensure compliance with our human rights obligations and the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance process
The Government of Bahrain has made clear that access to appropriate medical care for those in detention continues to be guaranteed, which means under normal circumstances that any prisoner wishing to see a doctor is taken to the prison clinic, with referral to specialist facilities where required; but that as part of Bahrain's COVID-19 precautions, all initial medical consultations now take place via video calls. Where necessary, physical appointments with external medical specialists continue to be available, although, in line with guidance issued by the World Health Organization, prisoners seeing external specialists are required to isolate for 10 days in a separate detention facility before returning to prison ensuring the safety of both patients and medical staff. We welcome these assurances from the Government of Bahrain, urge continued transparency and would encourage those with any concerns about treatment in detention to raise them with the appropriate Bahraini human rights oversight body.
The UK and Bahrain have a close and longstanding relationship. We benefit from a genuine and open dialogue in which we work together on a wide range of mutually beneficial issues while also raising points of significant difference with one another. The UK provides technical assistance in support of Bahrain's ongoing reform agenda. Any technical assistance we provide is kept under regular review to ensure compliance with our human rights obligations and the Overseas Security and Justice Assistance process.
The FCDO suspended in part its Counter Proliferation Programme for FY 20/21 as we reprioritised to tackle the Covid-19 response, and in view of HMG's Overseas Development Assistance prioritisation exercise.
Covid-19 has made it more difficult to carry out international programme work with many Counter Proliferation programmes being deferred to next year.
However, we have made exceptions for critical national security activity for the remainder of FY 20/21 - including support to the IAEA in relation to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran. The Foreign Secretary has since approved remaining programme allocations for this financial year. The Counter Proliferation Arms Control Centre in the new FCDO is now assessing how to deliver a programme to ensure that we meet critical counter proliferation objectives for the remainder of this FY.
As the Foreign Secretary said during a Statement to the House on 20 July, we have particularly grave concerns about the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. We have repeatedly urged China to live up to its international obligations and raised our serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, including at the UN Human Rights Council where we delivered a joint statement on behalf of 27 other countries on 30 June. We have also repeatedly called for China to allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights meaningful access to the region, including on 30 June at the UN Human Rights Council.
We are aware of the Bar Human Rights Committee report published on 22 July and are carefully considering its findings. As the Foreign Secretary said during a Statement to the House on 20 July, we have particularly grave concerns about the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang. We have repeatedly urged China to live up to its international obligations and raised our serious concerns about the human rights situation in Xinjiang, including at the UN Human Rights Council where we delivered a joint statement on behalf of 27 other countries on 30 June.
We are deeply concerned that on 13 July Bahrain's Court of Cassation upheld the death penalty verdicts imposed on Mohammed Ramadhan and Husain Moosa. Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister responsible for Human Rights, reiterated our concern in a tweet of 14 July. We have raised both cases at senior levels with the Government of Bahrain. Lord Ahmad also raised the cases with the Bahraini Ambassador to the UK on 14 July. The Government of Bahrain is fully aware that the UK opposes the death penalty, in all circumstances, as a matter of principle.