Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what aid is currently being provided to the government of Syria and its arm's-length bodies.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We have not given any humanitarian funds to the interim Syrian authorities. We provide funding to non-governmental organisations and United Nations organisations operating in Syria to deliver assistance and meet the needs of the most vulnerable across the country. As with all our work, we have controls in place to ensure our aid reaches those who need it. In this financial year (2024/25), the UK provided £148 million to support people across Syria with food, healthcare, protection, agricultural support, education, and other lifesaving services.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to reimpose restrictions on the Central Bank of Syria.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories announced in Parliament on 13 February, we are making changes to the Syrian sanctions regulations to support the Syrian people in re-building their country and promote security and stability while maintaining sanctions for those responsible for abuses committed during the conflict. On 6 March, the Government lifted asset freezes on 24 Syrian entities, including the Central Bank of Syria, that were previously used by the Assad regime to fund the oppression of the Syrian people. We keep our sanctions under close review to ensure they are used as a responsive tool. We do not comment on future designations as to do so lessens their potential impact.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what sanctions they intend to place on the government of Syria.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
As the Minister of State for Europe, North America and Overseas Territories announced in Parliament on 13 February, we are making changes to the Syrian sanctions regulations to support the Syrian people in re-building their country and promote security and stability while maintaining sanctions for those responsible for abuses committed during the conflict. On 6 March, the Government lifted asset freezes on 24 Syrian entities, including the Central Bank of Syria, that were previously used by the Assad regime to fund the oppression of the Syrian people. We keep our sanctions under close review to ensure they are used as a responsive tool. We do not comment on future designations as to do so lessens their potential impact.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking through the provision of development assistance to protect freedom of religion and religious minorities globally.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) for all abroad. It is our firm opinion that no one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in. We are championing the right to FoRB and promoting tolerance and mutual respect through our engagement in multilateral fora, our bilateral work, and our programme funding. This includes the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's (FCDO) designated programme for FoRB-focused projects overseas, the John Bunyan Fund (JBF). The JBF supports a range of projects aimed at protecting and promoting FoRB. The FCDO works to ensure that Official Development Assistance (ODA) is allocated to those who are most vulnerable and most in need of this assistance irrespective of race, religion, or ethnicity. This includes minority religious or belief communities, who are assessed by our partners when determining those most in need of protection and assistance.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that development assistance is not provided to regimes engaged in or permitting the killing of their citizens.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Programme Operating Framework (PrOF) sets out the mandatory rules for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) programme delivery and is published on gov.uk. The framework includes a requirement that the FCDO's programmes and projects comply with all relevant UK laws, legislation and guidance. The UK's obligations under international law, including human rights and humanitarian law, should be fulfilled, and reputational risks must also be considered.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what is the (1) remit, and (2) budget, of the newly appointed UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls will work alongside the Foreign Secretary and Minister for Development, to progress the UK's foreign policy and international development objectives on women and girls. More information on the Special Envoy's responsibilities can be found at: Harriet Harman KC - GOV.UK. The UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls is an unremunerated role. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will reimburse all reasonable expenses properly and necessarily incurred in respect of the appointment.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 5 February (HL 4343), what steps they are taking to support interfaith dialogue and religious tolerance in Gaza's future governance structure.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK is pressing for a Palestinian-led process for recovery and reconstruction in Gaza and a strong role for civil society. This is crucial to lay the groundwork for inclusive governance, accountability, and transparency so that the needs, desires, rights and freedoms and voices of all Gazans are protected. The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religious belief for all abroad. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Collins of Highbury on 5 Feburary (HL4343), whether in assisting the political reconstruction of Gaza they will seek to ensure the protection of all religious communities, equal rights and the safeguarding of freedom of religion and belief for all groups.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK is pressing for a Palestinian-led process for recovery and reconstruction in Gaza and a strong role for civil society. This is crucial to lay the groundwork for inclusive governance, accountability, and transparency so that the needs, desires, rights and freedoms and voices of all Gazans are protected. The UK remains strongly committed to freedom of religious belief for all abroad. No one should live in fear because of what they do or do not believe in.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assistance they will provide for the reconstruction of Gaza.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK will continue engaging, at the highest levels, to enable early recovery and reconstruction. A step change will be needed to get goods and materials in at the required pace and scale and allow civil society and international organisations to work. Early recovery is crucial to lay the groundwork for inclusive Palestinian governance in Gaza. Civil society-led recovery will support re-establishment of local order and preserve the space for future Palestinian Authority (PA) governance.
We are funding two roles in the PA's Recovery, Reconstruction and Development team. We have already begun convening partners on the financing and coordination of recovery and reconstruction, to promote coherent and effective donor support. Given the immense scale of needs, we are exploring how to scale up financing mechanisms for reconstruction. A sustainable recovery needs sustainable financial flows.
Asked by: Lord Weir of Ballyholme (Democratic Unionist Party - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to increase humanitarian aid to the Middle East.
Answered by Lord Collins of Highbury - Lord in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The UK Government's future bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) funding strategy and country level allocations will be determined through the forthcoming Spending Review. Parliament will be informed of the bilateral country budget allocations in the normal way when the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) Annual Report and accounts are laid before Parliament. The Minister for the Middle East is determined that all allocations within the Middle East will support the Foreign Secretary's priorities to prevent conflict, support stability, and lift vulnerable people out of crisis. The UK continues to do all we can to address humanitarian need, ensuring we mobilise sufficient support to respond to crises. This financial year we are providing over 70 per cent of our bilateral aid budget for the Middle East and North Africa on humanitarian aid to support the most vulnerable across the Middle East, and most recently on 20 January The Minister for the Middle East announced a £5 million uplift in humanitarian aid to Yemen, supporting nearly 900,000 people to buy food and provide vital supplies for 700 health facilities. We continue to work closely with the UN and other partners to increase the amount of humanitarian aid going into Gaza, under the terms of the ceasefire agreement, and in Syria, following the fall of the Assad regime, to push for an immediate surge of humanitarian assistance.