Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what publicity British embassies worldwide are undertaking to make clear the illegality of female genital mutilation in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK has a zero-tolerance approach for all forms of female genital mutilation (FGM) including medicalisation. There is no medical justification for FGM in any circumstances.
The Government's new strategy for tackling Violence against Women and Girls, published on 18 December, sets out the actions we are taking against so-called honour-based violence in the UK, including FGM. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will play its full part in the implementation of that strategy, including ensuring that our posts around the world are communicating its contents as appropriate through their work in each country.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have made to (1) the government of Pakistan and (2) other international partners including Commonwealth representatives, about the jail conditions of Imran Khan, and what assessment they have made of reports that he has been denied visits or phone calls.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer given by the Minister for the Middle East on 17 September to Question 73142, which - for ease of reference - is reproduced below:
While judicial matters are for Pakistan's courts, the UK has consistently emphasised to its counterparts in Pakistan the need for due process, fair trials, and humane treatment for all, including Mr Imran Khan.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to release funds currently held by Roman Abramovich’s company Fordstam to Ukraine.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
We are determined to see the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine as soon as possible. We are doing everything we can to bring that about quickly. This is a complex legal issue, but the UK is working with international partners, has engaged with Abramovich's team, and is exploring all options to ensure the proceeds reach vulnerable people in Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will list all property seized from Russian nationals with assets of more than £1 million in the United Kingdom which has been sold, and the total amount raised; and whether the proceeds have been donated to Ukraine.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Between February 2022 and October 2023, £22.7 billion in frozen funds had been reported to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in relation to the Russia sanctions regime. This is a cumulative total of assets reported as OFSI do not disclose the value of any funds held by particular designated persons or entities. OFSI intends to publish its 2023-2024 Annual Frozen Asset Review this spring 2025.
An asset freeze does not involve a change in ownership of the frozen funds or economic resources, nor are they transferred to HM Treasury.
It would not be appropriate to comment on future designations or the reasons why an individual is not currently designated. The UK does not hold a consolidated list of Russian nationals with more than £1 million in assets.
To date, the UK has sanctioned over 2200 individual and entities under the Russia regulations, over 2000 of which were sanctioned following Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will list all Russian nationals with more than £1 million in assets in the United Kingdom who are currently not subject to sanctions; and in each case, why any such person is not subject to sanctions.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Between February 2022 and October 2023, £22.7 billion in frozen funds had been reported to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in relation to the Russia sanctions regime. This is a cumulative total of assets reported as OFSI do not disclose the value of any funds held by particular designated persons or entities. OFSI intends to publish its 2023-2024 Annual Frozen Asset Review this spring 2025.
An asset freeze does not involve a change in ownership of the frozen funds or economic resources, nor are they transferred to HM Treasury.
It would not be appropriate to comment on future designations or the reasons why an individual is not currently designated. The UK does not hold a consolidated list of Russian nationals with more than £1 million in assets.
To date, the UK has sanctioned over 2200 individual and entities under the Russia regulations, over 2000 of which were sanctioned following Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will list all property frozen or seized from any Russian national with assets of more than £1 million in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Between February 2022 and October 2023, £22.7 billion in frozen funds had been reported to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in relation to the Russia sanctions regime. This is a cumulative total of assets reported as OFSI do not disclose the value of any funds held by particular designated persons or entities. OFSI intends to publish its 2023-2024 Annual Frozen Asset Review this spring 2025.
An asset freeze does not involve a change in ownership of the frozen funds or economic resources, nor are they transferred to HM Treasury.
It would not be appropriate to comment on future designations or the reasons why an individual is not currently designated. The UK does not hold a consolidated list of Russian nationals with more than £1 million in assets.
To date, the UK has sanctioned over 2200 individual and entities under the Russia regulations, over 2000 of which were sanctioned following Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will list all Russian nationals with more than £1 million in assets in the United Kingdom who are currently subject to sanctions.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Between February 2022 and October 2023, £22.7 billion in frozen funds had been reported to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in relation to the Russia sanctions regime. This is a cumulative total of assets reported as OFSI do not disclose the value of any funds held by particular designated persons or entities. OFSI intends to publish its 2023-2024 Annual Frozen Asset Review this spring 2025.
An asset freeze does not involve a change in ownership of the frozen funds or economic resources, nor are they transferred to HM Treasury.
It would not be appropriate to comment on future designations or the reasons why an individual is not currently designated. The UK does not hold a consolidated list of Russian nationals with more than £1 million in assets.
To date, the UK has sanctioned over 2200 individual and entities under the Russia regulations, over 2000 of which were sanctioned following Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will list all Russian nationals with assets of more than £1 million in (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Between February 2022 and October 2023, £22.7 billion in frozen funds had been reported to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) in relation to the Russia sanctions regime. This is a cumulative total of assets reported as OFSI do not disclose the value of any funds held by particular designated persons or entities. OFSI intends to publish its 2023-2024 Annual Frozen Asset Review this spring 2025.
An asset freeze does not involve a change in ownership of the frozen funds or economic resources, nor are they transferred to HM Treasury.
It would not be appropriate to comment on future designations or the reasons why an individual is not currently designated. The UK does not hold a consolidated list of Russian nationals with more than £1 million in assets.
To date, the UK has sanctioned over 2200 individual and entities under the Russia regulations, over 2000 of which were sanctioned following Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the new administration in the USA about recognising the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as a nuclear power.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK remains committed to the international non-proliferation regime and strongly encourages all UN Member States including our G7 partners to employ strict vigilance over potential proliferation efforts conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). We continue to encourage the DPRK to return to full compliance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and to honour its international obligations in accordance with existing United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). We regularly discuss a range of issues related to international peace and security with our close ally the United States of America.
Asked by: Lord Swire (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the contribution of the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) evacuation work in Ukraine, and what support they provide to MOAS.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
Humanitarian assistance in Ukraine is essential to protecting the lives of innocent civilians. The FCDO is providing at least £120 million in humanitarian aid through to the end of FY 24/25 bringing the total contribution to £477 million to Ukraine and the region since the start of the full-scale invasion, making us one of the largest bilateral humanitarian donors to Ukraine. Although some of our humanitarian partners support frontline medical evacuations like those undertaken by the Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS), we do not directly fund such services.