Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to honour the UK’s commitments to the NATO military alliance.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
The UK is stronger with its NATO Allies and our commitment to the Alliance is unwavering. We have committed our Continuous at Sea Nuclear Deterrent (CASD) to NATO for the past 50 years and we are contributing well-supported and highly equipped conventional fighting forces across all domains.
The UK remains the highest spending European Ally, meeting the NATO Defence Investment Pledge to spend at least 2% of GDP on Defence. We secured a generous £24 billion uplift in Spending Review 20, cementing our position as the second largest spender in NATO.
The UK contributes heavily to NATO deterrence activity, leading NATO's Forward Presence battlegroup in Estonia alongside Danish and French forces. We have also provided a Reconnaissance Squadron in Poland to support the US led battlegroup and are providing support to the NATO enhanced Air Policing mission.
At the NATO Summit in June, it is expected that NATO leaders will agree the new Strategic Concept. This will reaffirm our commitment to freedom, openness and the rules-based order. It must also ensure that the Alliance is fit for future challenges, including how to modernise and adapt to emerging threats, advanced technologies and improving national resilience.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will reconsider their decision, announced in March 2021, to reduce the size of the army by 10,000 troops by 2025.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
I refer the noble Lord to the reply I gave on 24 May 2022 to the noble Lord, the Lord Coaker, in response to Questions HL43 and HL44.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for an immediate increase in UK defence (1) spending, and (2) equipment.
Answered by Baroness Goldie
We have already secured a generous £24 billion uplift in Spending Review 20 towards delivering the outcomes of the Integrated Review, the largest sustained spending increase since the end of the Cold War. Further analysis is required before we make substantial changes to our Equipment Plan, however the Russian invasion of Ukraine has provided an additional impetus to focus on its delivery.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of lives threatened as a result of President Putin’s decision to cut off grain exports from Ukraine; and what assessment they have made of the remarks by the Executive Director of the United Nations Food Programme that “the war is going to jeopardise the food security of roughly 276 million people”.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Global humanitarian need and acute food insecurity is at unprecedented levels, driven by covid-19 and climate change, and exacerbated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 94 countries are already in crisis or emergency conditions and 49 million people are living a step away from famine. The impact of the invasion is being felt around the world but most acutely in countries already facing dangerous levels of food insecurity. Many have already reported alarming increases in the price of staple commodities since the start of the war. The WFP found the price of a food basket in Ethiopia has risen 66 percent, and in Somalia 36 percent. The UK is working with Ukraine and international partners to find ways, whether by sea or overland, to re-start the export of grain from Ukraine to the countries that desperately need it.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they are aware of any evidence that Ukraine was threatening to attack Russia prior to that country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have seen no credible indication that Ukraine posed a threat to Russia prior to the invasion. Any suggestions by Russia to the contrary are a blatant attempt to justify its unprovoked, premeditated and barbaric invasion of a sovereign democratic state. Indeed, it has been Russia that has continually threatened and violated Ukraine's sovereignty since 2014, including by illegally annexing Crimea, pursuing destabilising activity in eastern Ukraine, and building up over 100,000 troops on Ukraine's border throughout the last year ahead of its illegal invasion.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the indiscriminate bombing of (1) hospitals, and (2) schools, in Ukraine by Russia.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Russia's assault on Ukraine is a premeditated and barbaric invasion of a sovereign democratic state. Russian attacks have killed large numbers of innocent people and caused large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure, amounting to war crimes. Those attacks include the well-documented bombing of schools and hospitals, such as the horrific attack on a school in Bilohorivka. Atrocities such as these, as well as horrific mass graves near Kyiv and reports of illegal abductions and deportations, show the world the true nature of Putin's illegal war in Ukraine. Those responsible must be held to account.
In response to attacks against hospitals, the UK has delivered over 5 million medical items. We will provide up to 20 NHS ambulances and are funding the purchase of new ambulances up to £7 million. Frontline medical aid charity, UK-Med, will also receive funding of up to £300,000 to help train Ukrainian doctors, nurses and paramedics on how to deal with mass casualties.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the remarks by President Putin on the alleged recent spread of Nazism in Ukraine, and (2) of the accuracy of any evidence on which those remarks were based.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
President Putin's claims of Nazi influence in Ukraine have no basis in reality and are a transparent attempt at disinformation to justify his illegal war. Since the invasion began, Russia has used information operations to undermine Ukrainian sovereignty, create false pretexts, obscure the truth, and hide war crimes.
Ukraine has a vibrant democracy. In 2019, Ukrainians voted in record numbers to elect a Jewish President and in Ukrainian Parliamentary elections the same year, a coalition of extreme-right parties achieved just 2% of the vote.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made, if any, to the government of Russia regarding that country’s (1) invasion of, and (2) indiscriminate bombing of civilians in, Ukraine; and whether such representations included discussions of restitution by the government of Russia towards the (a) families, and (b) communities, of those who were injured or killed.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary summoned the Russian Ambassador on 24 February to protest against the Russian invasion and demand that Russia fulfil its obligations under International Humanitarian Law. The Minister for Europe and North America spoke with his Russian counterpart on 25 February, where he condemned Russia's unprovoked and unjustified attack on Ukraine and stressed the invasion is an appalling violation of the UN Charter. The Ministry of Defence summoned the Russian Defence Attaché on 24 February and 21 March and protested in the strongest terms against the persistent and unjustified acts of violence being committed against innocent civilians by Russian forces. Restitution was not discussed in these meetings.
The UK has worked with partners to refer the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court, to establish a Commission of Inquiry through the UN Human Rights Council and, with the support of Ukraine, to establish an OSCE Mission of Experts under the Moscow Mechanism.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the temporary postponement of the proposed ban on imports of hunting trophies.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
We remain committed to bringing forward legislation to ban imports of hunting trophies from thousands of species. This ban will be among the strongest in the world, leading the way in protecting endangered animals. We will bring this forward as soon as parliamentary time allows.
Asked by: Lord Selkirk of Douglas (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 15 March (HL6553), whether the referral to the International Criminal Court (1) names President Putin, and (2) includes orders given by President Putin.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK led efforts to refer the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has now secured the support of 40 other States Parties. The referral was made in accordance with the requirements of article 14 of the Rome Statute. We want to hold accountable those responsible for the atrocities that have been and are being committed in Ukraine, including both military commanders and individuals in the Putin regime. It is for the ICC Prosecutor to independently determine who should be prosecuted for war crimes committed in Ukraine, including those that ordered them, in accordance with his mandate under the Rome Statute.