Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Serbia about the death of the UK resident Alexei Zimin, and whether any UK police will support the investigation into his death.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Subsequent to the answer to question 14475, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) have been in contact with the Serbian authorities and provided consular support to Alexei Zimin's family following his death in Belgrade. It is for the Serbian authorities to decide whether to conduct investigations following deaths in Serbia. UK police do not have jurisdiction to investigate deaths overseas unless invited to by the relevant overseas authority.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Pakistan with a view to preventing the persecution of Christians in that country.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK condemns the persecution of religious minorities, including Christians, in Pakistan. Minister Falconer underlined the importance of promoting religious tolerance and harmony when he met with Pakistan's Human Rights Minister Azam Tarar on 4 September. Officials at BHC Islamabad regularly raise our concerns surrounding the mistreatment of minorities with the Pakistani authorities, including law enforcement officials. We continue to support projects promoting the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan, including facilitating interfaith dialogue and protecting marginalised communities from hate speech online.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what public funds have been made available, through the aid budget, to the Gaza Strip in each of the last three years; what safeguards they have put in place to ensure that such funds were not diverted to military purposes by Hamas; and whether such safeguards were applied.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
FCDO delivers its aid in Gaza through trusted partners with a proven record of delivery. Thorough due diligence assessment of all aid donations is carried out and the FCDO ensures partners have procedures in place to manage the main risks of aid diversion from activities it funds, including specific controls to ensure that cash/food assistance goes direct to the intended beneficiaries. Additionally, FCDO humanitarian assistance in the Occupied Palestinian Territories operates with an enhanced sensitivity and existing additional safeguards to protect against any possibility of aid diversion. These safeguards include measures on verification and mapping of downstream partners, non-payment of local taxes and enhanced due diligence processes. The Actual Spend for Occupied Palestinian Territories for the last three financial years:
2020/2021 - £79.7 million
2021/2022 - £29.8 million
2022/2023 - £25.7 million.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with other NATO members concerning the reasons why (1) Finland, and (2) Sweden, have not yet been granted full membership of NATO; and when they expect full membership for those countries to be achieved.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK Government has engaged regularly with NATO Allies to advance the NATO accession process for Sweden and Finland. Once the Accession Protocols were signed, we expedited our ratification, recognising the importance of bringing both countries quickly into NATO. We continue to encourage all Allies to also ratify swiftly. Rapid integration into NATO will make both countries safer, the Alliance stronger, and the Euro-Atlantic area more secure.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 30 November (HL3473), whether they regard the Russian Wagner Group as a group whose behaviour is considered unacceptable by the international community.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The Wagner Group is directly connected to the Russian state. The UK condemns Russia's use of such proxies in Ukraine. Wagner mercenaries are operating in Ukraine in support of Russian invasion, and are present in other conflict settings, including Mali and the Central African Republic, where they have a destabilising impact and are responsible for human rights abuses. We work closely with our international partners to counter the malign use of such proxies by Russia. We have designated both the Wagner Group, and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, under the Russia Sanctions Regime.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what consular access is granted to (1) citizens of the UK who are in prison in a foreign country, and (2) those who are also citizens of that country in which they are imprisoned.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Consular access to nationals detained in another State is generally governed by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR). Where a British national consents to the British Embassy or Consulate being informed about their detention, consular officers have the right to visit and communicate with them. The VCCR also states that these rights are to be exercised in conformity with the laws and regulations of the detaining State. The Government's ability to provide consular assistance remains at all times dependent on other states respecting the VCCR and must be done in accordance with the laws of that country. Providing assistance to dual nationals in their other country of nationality can be difficult and the help we can provide depends on what the host government will allow.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications for the British peacekeeping force in Mali of the proposed withdrawal of French troops from that country.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The UK is in contact with our French partners on their planned changes to operations in the Sahel. We have had assurances that France will retain the critical support functions such as force protection, medical and logistical support, which allow the UK to effectively contribute to operations in the Sahel. The UK remains committed to UN peacekeeping.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to help resolve the dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the effect of the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the flow of water in the River Nile; and what representations they have made to the governments of (1) Egypt, and (2) Ethiopia, on this issue.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK continues to urge all parties involved in the dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam - Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan - to come to an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam. We support the efforts by the African Union (AU) to help find agreement, and ensure that water resources are managed in a way that ensures their long-term sustainable use for all parties. We continue to speak to all three Governments through our Embassies in those countries, and regularly engage the US and EU as observers to the AU-led process, including through the UK Special Envoy for the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. The Minister for Africa also raised the issue with the Ethiopian Ambassador on 24 February.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to make a decision on the future of the long-term partnership between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
The Foreign Secretary announced that we would provide funding to Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) this year in his statement on ODA allocations to Parliament on 21 April. We have offered VSO funding for the V4D programme until the end of this financial year 2021/22. Officials have also started discussions with VSO on our future relationship.
Asked by: Lord Marlesford (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the appointment of Ibrahim Mounir to the role of Acting General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood; and what assessment they have made of any threat posed by his presence (1) to national security, and (2) to their international relations.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We do not comment on individuals, but the Government keeps under review the views promoted and activities undertaken by the Muslim Brotherhood, including their associates in the UK. Any allegations of threats to UK national security or misuse of charity funding within the UK are robustly investigated and appropriate action taken.