Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to restart the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We call on the Government of Israel to abide by its international obligations to ensure full, rapid, safe and unhindered provision of humanitarian assistance to the population in Gaza, now. The Foreign Secretary regularly presses his Israeli counterparts on these issues. We are calling on the Government of Israel to allow a full resumption of aid into Gaza, and let the UN and humanitarians save lives. On 13 May the UK, along with European partners, called an urgent session of the UN Security Council to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. I spoke with the Israeli Ambassador on 20 May to make clear that the UK stands firmly against Israel's resumption of military action in Gaza, its wholly inadequate plan for aid delivery and to demand that a full and unhindered resumption in the flow of aid into Gaza takes place immediately.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to ensure that UK international climate finance reaches (a) children and (b) communities most vulnerable to climate change.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
Our international climate finance continues to prioritise support to the most vulnerable communities who are experiencing the worst impacts of climate change, including children. In addition, we are committed to amplifying the voices of the most marginalised, empowering them as decision-makers, advocates and leaders in the climate response, ensuring gender and other factors including age and disability are a key part of our policy and programming. At COP29, I championed gender-responsive and inclusive international climate finance and policy, announcing over £5.8 million to support women's economic empowerment and social norms change and to build the resilience of women's rights organisations against climate threats.
Asked by: Anna Sabine (Liberal Democrat - Frome and East Somerset)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of UK support for a UN convention on the rights of older persons.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government is committed to equality and opportunity for all, with a particular focus on those most likely to be marginalised and discriminated against, including on the grounds of their age. We are open in principle to the idea of a multilateral instrument dedicated to the human rights of older people and will continue to play a constructive role in discussions on this issue at the UN and other relevant fora.