Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, what steps he is taking to support Israeli military operations against Hamas.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Israel suffered an appalling terrorist attack on 7 October - the deadliest in its history. As we have said from the outset, Israel has the right to defend itself in accordance with international humanitarian law, and Hamas must release the hostages immediately.
We will continue to call for the immediate release of all hostages. Nothing can justify their continued detention. Their families are showing great courage in horrific circumstances. We want to see a deal agreed that would ensure the release of hostages and a pause in the fighting.
We are clear that building momentum towards a lasting peace will require the release of all hostages, the removal of Hamas' capacity to launch attacks against Israel, Hamas no-longer being in charge of Gaza, the formation of a new Palestinian Government for the West Bank and Gaza accompanied by an international support package, and a political horizon to a two-state solution.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, whether he plans to take steps in response to reports of alleged anti-Semitic language used by the Palestinian Authority Minister of Religious Affairs and Endowments Mohammad Mustafa Najem in 2002.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
We are aware of historic allegations of use of anti-semitic language. Antisemitism is abhorrent and has absolutely no place in our or any society, and we are committed to tackling it in all its forms.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of updating his Department's travel advice for British Jewish travellers to South Africa, in the context of recent trends in levels of antisemitism in that country.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Antisemitism has no place in our or any society and we strongly condemn it.
FCDO's travel advice is constantly under review and regularly updated to ensure the safety of British Nationals travelling to and living in South Africa.
The 'safety and security' page of our South Africa travel advice currently includes a section on the conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of his Department's travel advice on the safety of South Africa for British Jews.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Antisemitism has no place in our or any society and we strongly condemn it.
FCDO's travel advice is constantly under review and regularly updated to ensure the safety of British Nationals travelling to and living in South Africa.
The 'safety and security' page of our South Africa travel advice currently includes a section on the conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the International Court of Justice case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) on global trends in antisemitism.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We respect the role and independence of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). However, we have stated that we have considerable concerns about this case, which is not helpful in the goal of achieving a sustainable ceasefire. Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas in line with IHL, as we have said from the outset.
Our view is that Israel's actions in Gaza cannot be described as a genocide, which is why we considered South Africa's decision to bring this case was wrong and provocative.
Antisemitism is evil and has absolutely no place in our - or any - society, and we are committed to tackling it in all its forms.
The UK will take on the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance in March 2024 for one year, which comes ahead of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the 25th anniversary of the Stockholm Declaration on Holocaust remembrance in January 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of third-party countries involvement on the duration of the conflict in Sudan.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK condemns any actions that further fuel the brutal conflict in Sudan. The UK strongly supports an immediate end to the hostilities, both for the sake of Sudan's own people and to avoid the risk of further instability in the wider region. We continue to support the international community's efforts to reach a ceasefire and work towards a civilian political transition.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his counterparts at the Palestinian Authority on condemning Hamas‘s terrorist attack on 7 October 2023.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
On 20 October the Prime Minister met the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, in Cairo. He expressed his deep condolences for the loss of civilian lives in Gaza, including the terrible destruction of the Al Ahli hospital. Both leaders agreed on the need for all parties to take steps to protect civilians, and civilian infrastructure, and minimise the loss of innocent lives. They condemned Hamas' terrorism and stressed that Hamas do not represent the Palestinian people.
The Foreign Secretary and Minister for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, also continue to engage with the Palestinian Authority. We are deeply worried about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in the West Bank and are actively monitoring the situation. The UK Government remains committed to the two-state solution as the best way to bring peace and stability to the region and importantly between Israelis and Palestinians.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many ambulances the Government has supplied to Ukraine since May 2022; and how many of those ambulances were manufactured in (a) the UK and (b) what other country.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
In response to the Government of Ukraine's requests for assistance, the UK has provided 96 non-armoured ambulances (20 NHS and 76 new). The ambulances selected are in line with the priorities and specifications set out by Ukraine's Ministry of Health in their dialogue with officials in the FCDO. The donation of ambulances was coordinated across a number of NHS Trusts, who donated individual vehicles and the country of manufacture of the ambulance was not centrally recorded.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Palestinian Authority on recent attacks on Israel by Palestinian Islamic Jihad.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We closely monitor the security situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs). The UK has proscribed the organisation known as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) as a terrorist entity since March 2001. PIJ and other terrorist groups must cease all actions that are violent or provocative, or that put civilian lives at risk. The Minister for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon last met with Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad Malki on 5 May, before the recent outbreak of violence. As the Foreign Secretary said in his 14 May statement, we welcome the current Egyptian-brokered ceasefire and urge all sides to de-escalate tensions.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of Iran’s reported work on enriching uranium.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has verified that, since April 2021, Iran is producing high enriched uranium (HEU). Iran has no civilian justification for enrichment at this level. In November 2022, Iran announced it would take further steps to expand its nuclear programme, including increasing its production of HEU at its underground facility at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.
Iran's continued escalation of its nuclear activities threatens international peace and security and undermines the global non-proliferation system. We remain determined that Iran must never develop a nuclear weapon and are considering next steps with our international partners.