Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether she has had discussions with stakeholders on the potential merits of in-sourcing court language services.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
Through the language services stakeholder forum, the Ministry of Justice has regular conversations with stakeholders and was made aware of their view of outsourcing from these conversations. This view was used to clarify the options explored within the delivery model assessment and resulted in the consideration of insourcing, and hybrid options of insource and outsource.
Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) briefings, (b) reports and (c) representations he has received from (i) Palestinian and (ii) Israeli human rights organisations.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK trebled its aid commitment to the OPTs in the last financial year. This Government has now committed £99 million to the OPTs this financial year to provide vital services to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank delivered through partner agencies and NGOs. Through our aid programmes, we support human rights organisations in Israel and the OPTs on a range of issues, whose work is invaluable in providing us with relevant contextual analysis, in informing our engagements with relevant political authorities as well as in shaping our policy.
Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what financial support his Department has provided to (a) Palestinian and (b) Israeli human rights organisations in the last three years.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK trebled its aid commitment to the OPTs in the last financial year. This Government has now committed £99 million to the OPTs this financial year to provide vital services to civilians in Gaza and the West Bank delivered through partner agencies and NGOs. Through our aid programmes, we support human rights organisations in Israel and the OPTs on a range of issues, whose work is invaluable in providing us with relevant contextual analysis, in informing our engagements with relevant political authorities as well as in shaping our policy.
Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2024 to Question 10864 on Israel: Palestinians, whether the planned support from the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative will include assistance in evidence-gathering in relation to (a) proceedings and (b) prosecutions being undertaken by (i) national and (ii) international courts.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have consistently called for all alleged violations and abuses, including sexual violence, to be fully investigated to ensure justice for victims and survivors. Our Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Team of Experts deployment will scope options for future support. In the first instance, states themselves must investigate alleged criminal offences committed within their jurisdiction or by their nationals. We have been clear that the International Committee of the Red Cross must be given regular access to detainees.
Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 November 2024 to Question 10864 on Israel: Palestinians, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of commissioning a delegation of (a) judges, (b) lawyers and (c) experts from the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative to (i) visit Israeli (A) detention facilities and (B) sites and (ii) produce a full investigatory report on their findings.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have consistently called for all alleged violations and abuses, including sexual violence, to be fully investigated to ensure justice for victims and survivors. Our Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Team of Experts deployment will scope options for future support. In the first instance, states themselves must investigate alleged criminal offences committed within their jurisdiction or by their nationals. We have been clear that the International Committee of the Red Cross must be given regular access to detainees.
Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made representations to his Israeli counterpart on the case of Dr Mohammed Hamouda.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by the reports that Dr. Mohammed Hamouda was detained by the Israeli authorities on 6 November. I raised his case with the Israeli Ambassador in November and FCDO officials have been following up the case since then. Israel must allow medical staff to carry out their work unimpeded, and to travel around Gaza as needed.
Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking diplomatic steps to secure the release of Dr Mohammed Hamouda in Israel.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are concerned by the reports that Dr. Mohammed Hamouda was detained by the Israeli authorities on 6 November. I raised his case with the Israeli Ambassador in November and FCDO officials have been following up the case since then. Israel must allow medical staff to carry out their work unimpeded, and to travel around Gaza as needed.
Asked by: Abtisam Mohamed (Labour - Sheffield Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure the protection of healthcare workers in Gaza under international humanitarian law.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are deeply concerned by the reports that Israeli airstrikes have hit health facilities and killed and injured medical personnel. Medical workers and facilities, including ambulances, and rescue personnel must be protected in accordance with International Humanitarian Law and allowed to provide life-saving services. It is unacceptable that North Gaza now has no functioning hospitals after strikes on Kamal Adwan hospital. On 5 November, I raised the UK's grave concerns that Kamal Adwan continues to come under fire with the Israeli Ambassador. This Government has been clear that Israel must do much more to protect civilians, civilian infrastructure and humanitarian workers, including the medics Gaza so desperately needs.