Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
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 of the impact of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza on the delivery of HIV and TB services.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We have no means of independently assessing the impact of the crisis on medical services however we are aware of World Health Organisation (WHO) reporting on the significant impact the crisis is having on the delivery of medical services and wider aid. The UK continuously assesses needs as part of our humanitarian response in Gaza and there is an urgent requirement for the entry of significantly more aid. At this stage, we are focused on getting more aid through the Rafah crossing and other land routes, which is the most effective way of getting humanitarian support in at scale. We are also urging Israel to open other border crossings, such as Kerem Shalom, to enable more humanitarian aid to reach civilians in need. This is still not enough to meet the immediate needs of the population and we support pauses in hostilities to improve access to humanitarian assistance for all people in need.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Business and Trade during negotiation of accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership; and what recent assessment he has made of the potential preference erosion impact of the UK's accession on exporters to the UK in developing countries not party to that agreement.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK Government must balance our commitment to support developing countries to reduce poverty through trade with the domestic interests of our consumers and producers and our broader strategic interests such a joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Agricultural commodity exports are critical to many developing countries. That is reflected through the market access we offer in our Economic Partnership Agreements and the Developing Countries Trade Scheme, and is something we address in our portfolio of trade-related technical assistance.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he plans to take to support Greece with wildfires on the island of Rhodes.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
We are in regular contact with the Greek authorities and expressed our solidarity with the affected communities in Rhodes. The FCDO continues to monitor the risk of wildfires and impact on British nationals across the region. The Greek authorities did not request specific UK assistance in response to the Rhodes wildfires.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to support an international ban on deep-sea mining.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK recognises the growing pressure to extract deep-sea resources, and is actively monitoring the potential impacts of mining activities on the fragile marine environment. The UK's policy is not to sponsor or support the issuing of any exploitation licences for deep sea mining projects unless and until there is sufficient scientific evidence about the potential impact on deep sea ecosystems, and strong enforceable environmental Regulations, Standards and Guidelines have been developed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) and are in place. The UK's approach is both precautionary and conditional.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps he took to help avoid conflict in Sudan.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
Prior to the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the British Ambassador and Embassy in Khartoum had engaged intensively with the two military leaderships to encourage progress towards a final political agreement and the transfer of power to a civilian administration. We provided expertise to support and inform discussions between the SAF, RSF and civilian parties on mechanisms and timelines for reforming and integrating the two forces. Engagement was conducted through the Quad (UK, US, UAE, KSA), and Troika (UK, US, Norway), in support of the tripartite mechanism's (United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development) facilitation role.
The UK also maintained pressure through its statements on Sudan and through resolutions at the UN Human Rights Council and Security Council. The UK's Special Representative for Sudan, alongside Special Envoys and Representatives from the Troika, EU, France and Germany, met with General Burhan and General Hemedti in February 2023. Two days before the outbreak of hostilities, the UK issued a joint public statement with Troika, EU, France and Germany calling for de-escalation of tensions.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
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 help support those affected by the recent earthquake in (a) Turkey and (b) Syria.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) (Minister for Development)
The UK responded immediately to provide live-saving support to Turkey and Syria. A UK International Search and Rescue team arrived in Gaziantep on 7 February and commenced operations within the critical 72-hour rescue window. From 14 February, we deployed a world-class UK medical team, field clinic and field hospital to Turkey, which continues to treat patients. In Syria, the UK-aid-funded White Helmets mobilised a major search and rescue effort. We have dispatched thousands of vital items including tents and blankets to Turkey and Syria. The Disasters Emergency Committee appeal, now exceeding £93 million, includes £5 million of the UK Aid Match. On 19 February I visited Turkey to witness first-hand the impact of UK aid, helping those affected in Turkey and Syria.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason his Department (a) funded the repatriation of five Britons from Ukraine on 22 September and (b) did not fund the repatriation of the body of Paul Urey.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The FCDO cannot pay for repatriation following the death of a British national overseas. We aim to provide the best support we can to bereaved families who have lost loved ones overseas. Consular staff are available 24/7 to help families understand local processes and options, including for repatriation and emergency financial assistance. Our thoughts remain with Paul Urey's family.
For data protection reasons I cannot share information about individuals without their permission.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he is taking steps to allocate funds generated from the sale of Chelsea Football Club to humanitarian causes in Ukraine.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
The proceeds from the sale are currently frozen in a UK bank account, and they cannot be moved or used without a licence from the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI). An independent foundation is being established by humanitarian experts outside the Government to manage and distribute the funds for humanitarian purposes in Ukraine. A licence application will need to be made to move the funds to the foundation once established. The Government will closely scrutinise the details of any proposal to maintain the integrity of the sanctions regime.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make it his policy to take steps to compel UK based oil and gas companies to make payments to developing countries to compensate them for the impact of climate change.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary has no formal jurisdiction over UK based oil and gas companies, which is held by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The UK recognises that more needs to be done to help countries avert, minimise and address the loss and damage they are facing. On 7 November the UK announced £5 million in funding to support the set up and development of the Santiago Network for Loss and Damage, a platform for providing technical assistance for action on loss and damage for developing countries.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Government plans to pay loss and damage reparations to developing countries due to the impact of climate change on those countries.
Answered by Anne-Marie Trevelyan - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
At COP26, the UK strongly supported the establishment of a 'Glasgow Dialogue on Loss and Damage' to discuss the arrangements for the funding of activities to avert, minimise and address loss and damage, in which we participate actively. The Santiago Network (a platform for catalysing technical assistance on loss and damage for developing countries) was also progressed at COP26 through agreement on functions and funding. The UK is actively engaging on Loss and Damage at COP27 and on 7 November announced £5 million for the Santiago Network to fund its set up and development.