Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what diplomatic representation they have in Afghanistan.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The British Embassy in Kabul suspended operations in August 2021. The Doha based UK Mission to Afghanistan visits Kabul regularly, raising priority UK issues directly with senior members of the Taliban, falling short of recognition. The Mission presses the Taliban on counter-terrorism, promotes the UN-led Doha process and always raises the unacceptable violations of the rights of women and girls, most recently in October 2024. Not having a permanent presence does not stop the UK from having an impact and directly helping the people of Afghanistan, as shown in the recent Independent Commission for Aid Impact report.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what proportion of (1) educational buildings, (2) mosques, (3) churches, (4) hospitals, and (5) synagogues, have been destroyed or damaged by war in Gaza since October 2023.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As of 24 July, 93 per cent of schools have been damaged or destroyed, and nearly 85 per cent will need either full reconstruction or rehabilitation to function again. As of late September, only 17 out of 36 hospitals were still partially functional. However, as of this week, three hospitals in North Gaza have been ordered to evacuate by the Israeli Defense Forces. We do not have data on the numbers of religious buildings that have been affected. Only when the fighting stops can a proper assessment be done. Experts estimate that Gaza's reconstruction will cost tens of billions of dollars.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government which countries receive grants from the UK to reduce the number of children suffering from malnutrition.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Information on how the FCDO disburses UK Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) is available on Devtracker. Additionally, the FCDO prepares an annual report on our ODA expenditure on nutrition. The most recent report shows that in 2022 we funded work to reduce malnutrition in 30 countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Occupied Palestinian Territories, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Uganda, Ukraine, Yemen, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Israel to discontinue their military action in Palestine, and what steps they are taking to assist Palestinian civilians.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We are calling for an immediate pause to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
Vital steps include the release of all hostages; the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza, accompanied by an international support package; removing Hamas's capacity to launch attacks against Israel; Hamas no longer being in charge of Gaza; and a political horizon which provides a credible and irreversible pathway towards a two-state solution.
The Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have reiterated these messages in their contacts with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other senior Israeli political leaders, as well as leaders in Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon in recent weeks.
Palestinian civilians are facing a devastating and growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.. We have trebled our aid commitment for this financial year and we are doing everything we can to get more aid in and open more crossings.
We have reiterated the need for Israel to open more crossing points into Gaza, for Nitzana and Kerem Shalom to be open for longer, and for Israel to support the UN to distribute aid effectively across the whole of Gaza.
The Foreign Secretary has appointed a Representative for Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Mark Bryson-Richardson. He is based in the region and is working intensively to address the blockages preventing more aid reaching Gaza.
The UK is providing £60 million in humanitarian assistance to support partners including the British Red Cross, UNICEF, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and Egyptian Red Crescent Society to respond to critical food, fuel, water, health, shelter and security needs in Gaza.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist with rebuilding destroyed or damaged areas in Ukraine when the conflict there ends; and what assistance the UK will provide in training citizens in that country to enable them to lead in all work of reconstruction.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK is committed to helping Ukraine recover from Russia's illegal invasion. The UK and Ukraine co-hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London in June 2023, raising over $60 billion towards Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction. We are helping to build Ukraine's capacity to deliver recovery and reconstruction projects at an unprecedented scale. The UK's Infrastructure Projects Authority is providing strategic advice to State Agency for Restoration. We are also working to mobilise private sector investment for reconstruction through initiatives on reforms and good governance, financial markets and insurance, business expertise, infrastructure and energy.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to assist with rebuilding destroyed or damaged areas in Israel/Gaza when the conflict there ends; and what assistance the UK will provide in training citizens in those affected countries to enable them to lead in all work of reconstruction.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We are calling for an immediate stop in fighting to get aid in and hostages out, then progress towards a sustainable, permanent ceasefire, without a return to destruction, fighting and loss of life.
We recognise that we must work with our allies to provide serious, practical and enduring support needed to bolster the Palestinian Authority. We already provide technical and practical support and are ready to do more.
We have regular discussions with Israeli counterparts on all aspects of the conflict.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure voluntary aid to Ukraine reaches its right destination.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK's humanitarian support to Ukraine is delivered through a coordinated system to provide the most value for both the Ukrainian people and the British taxpayer. Outside of this, cash donations through established and well-coordinated emergency response appeal mechanisms, such as the Disaster Emergency Committee, are the most effective way to support populations in crisis. We encourage UK companies wishing to make in-kind donations to explore opportunities through existing partnerships with the United Nations, the Red Cross or Non-Governmental Organisations; or to reach out to established registered charities on The Charity Commission and Fundraising regulator website at GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage a full ceasefire in Gaza.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
No-one wants to see this conflict go on a moment longer than necessary, and an immediate pause is now necessary to get aid in and hostages out. To achieve that, a number of things would need to happen: Hamas agreeing to the release of all hostages, and no longer being in charge of Gaza; the threat from Hamas terror and rocket attacks ending; and an agreement for the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza in order to provide governance and services and, increasingly, security.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ease the escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
The UK continues to seek the de-escalation of tensions in the Middle East. We are employing the full range of our diplomatic and security efforts, working with allies and international partners to counter groups seeking to undermine the region's peace, stability, and prosperity. It is in all our interests to work together to avoid regional escalation.
Asked by: Lord Roberts of Llandudno (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government why the UK abstained in the UN General Assembly vote on resolution A/RES/ES-10/22 on a ceasefire in Gaza.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
We are gravely concerned about the desperate situation in Gaza. The scale of civilian deaths and displacement in Gaza cannot continue. We have been consistent in supporting a sustainable ceasefire, but we abstained as the resolution as it did not condemn the atrocities Hamas committed against Israeli civilians on 7 October. Israel has a right to self-defence and must address the threat posed by Hamas while upholding International Humanitarian Law. We continue to press both at the UN and directly with Israel for unhindered humanitarian access and substantive, repeated humanitarian pauses to allow for this to happen.