Asked by: Lord Leigh of Hurley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 7 May (HL Deb cols 1637–1638), whether they have had contact with any Palestinian representatives, other than from Hamas, in their efforts to promote peace in the Middle East.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A long-lasting ceasefire is the only credible pathway towards a sustainable peace, a two-state solution and the reconstruction of Gaza. The Government regularly engages with counterparts in the Palestinian Authority, the Palestine Liberation Organization and Fatah in support of this. The Foreign Secretary has engaged with President Abbas and Prime Minister Mustafa, including during Prime Minister Mustafa's visit to the UK on 28 April 2025. Minister Falconer also met Prime Minister Mustafa in Madrid on 25 May. An effective Palestinian Authority is vital for lasting peace and progress towards a two-state solution, and the UK has offered its support to the Palestinian Authority as it delivers much-needed reforms.
Asked by: Lord Leigh of Hurley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further the answer by Baroness Chapman of Darlington on 29 April (HL Deb col 1188), whether the question of Palestinian children’s textbooks advocating violence was raised with Prime Minister Mustafa on his visit to the UK; and if not, when it will next be raised with the Palestinian Authority.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have a regular dialogue with both the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Government of Israel in which we reiterate the need for both sides to prepare their populations for peaceful coexistence, including by promoting a more positive portrayal of one another to contribute to building the conditions needed for a peace. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to avoid engaging in, or encouraging, any type of action and language that makes it more difficult to achieve a culture of peaceful coexistence and a negotiated solution to the conflict. Instead, we encourage promoting a more positive portrayal of one another to contribute to building the conditions needed for a peace. Our partnership with the PA includes a commitment from the Palestinian leadership to adhere to the principle of non-violence and to tackle language and actions that could incite violence or hatred. We have been clear that any incitement to hatred or violence in children's textbooks is unacceptable and has no place in education. The UK regularly raises this issue with the Palestinian Authority, including most recently at official level on the 9 May.
Asked by: Lord Leigh of Hurley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether any of the £85 million recently announced to tackle antimicrobial resistance will be used to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) globally, given the commitments outlined on WASH in the new national action plan, Confronting antimicrobial resistance 2024 to 2029.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The UK has committed up to £85 million in additional funding to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Of this, up to £50 million will be used to support low- and middle-income countries improve access to essential antimicrobial drugs; up to £25 million will be used to support action on AMR in the Caribbean; and up to £10 million will support a new independent science panel for AMR. It is not anticipated that these three components will directly be used to support improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). The UK recognises the key importance of WASH for preventing infections and thereby preventing the emergence of AMR. In 2022, the UK invested £48 million in water supply and sanitation in developing countries. For example, we fund the multi-year £18.5 million WASH Systems for Health programme, which supports governments in six developing countries to strengthen the systems that provide sustainable WASH services - a key part of reducing the global infectious disease burden.
Asked by: Lord Leigh of Hurley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support healthcare facilities in developing countries to have clean water, decent toilets and better hygiene, as a cost-effective means for reducing the global infectious disease burden.
Answered by Lord Benyon - Lord Chamberlain (HM Household)
The UK is committed to supporting access to water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), including in healthcare facilities, as part of our approach to Ending Preventable Deaths. Our £18.5m WASH Systems for Health programme will support governments in low- and lower-middle income countries to develop stronger systems crucial to the delivery of sustainable and climate resilient WASH services - a vital part of reducing the global infectious disease burden. Additionally, the Hygiene and Behaviour Change Coalition, funded by the UK, trained 460,000 health workers on hygiene improvements, and supported 14,800 facilities with WASH supplies.
Asked by: Lord Leigh of Hurley (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to improve the (1) procedures, and (2) policies, for UK citizens seeking assistance following a death abroad, in particular in respect of repatriation of deceased relatives, subsequent to the murder of Daniel and Amelie Linsey in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday 2020.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) consular staff are available to offer appropriate and tailored support to British nationals and their families, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. The support we can provide is set out in Support for British nationals abroad: A guide, available on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/support-for-british-nationals-abroad-a-guide). The FCDO seek continuously to improve our processes and services by acting on feedback and reviewing what we do. The FCDO is an active member of international consular forums and learns from, and shares experiences and best practice with, a range of other countries.
The FCDO provides tailored support to families bereaved overseas, including providing information on local police and judicial procedures. Since 2015, the FCDO's Murder and Manslaughter Team have provided dedicated tailored support to families bereaved through homicide abroad. This includes working closely with a range of other organisations such as police Family Liaison Officers where these are deployed, and the Homicide Service in England and Wales, to help families access specialist services. A Memorandum of Understanding between the FCDO, National Police Chiefs Council, and the Chief Coroner of England and Wales has been updated and was published on GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/murder-manslaughter-and-infanticide-of-british-nationals-abroad--2) in September 2020, setting out how each organisation coordinates delivery of their respective roles and responsibilities.