Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to page 14 of the UK Science and Technology Framework, updated on 9 February 2024, whether his Department has developed (a) an outline and (b) a full business case for a UK Technology Centre of Expertise to support developing countries to transform their economies.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
As part of the International Technology Strategy, the Technology Centre of Expertise will provide support to lower and middle income countries to navigate the complex set of challenges presented by technological advancement. The business case has been developed and the inception phase is underway. Four pilot projects have been selected in Africa and Asia. The FCDO is in the final stages of procurement for an implementing partner for the initial phase which will include design of the programme, review of the pilot projects and mapping of the UK technology expertise ecosystem before the full programme launches in 2025.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to page 14 of the UK Science and Technology Framework, updated on 9 February 2024, what progress his Department has made on developing a UK Technology Centre of Expertise to support developing countries to transform their economies.
Answered by Nusrat Ghani
As part of the International Technology Strategy, the Technology Centre of Expertise will provide support to lower and middle income countries to navigate the complex set of challenges presented by technological advancement. The business case has been developed and the inception phase is underway. Four pilot projects have been selected in Africa and Asia. The FCDO is in the final stages of procurement for an implementing partner for the initial phase which will include design of the programme, review of the pilot projects and mapping of the UK technology expertise ecosystem before the full programme launches in 2025.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, when he plans to respond to Question 22306 tabled by the hon. Member for Newcastle upon Tyne Central on 17 April 2024 for answer on 22 April.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
I responded to Question 22306 on 25/04/2024.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Deputy Foreign Secretary, with reference to the oral statement of 17 April 2024 on the Humanitarian situation in Gaza by the Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how his Department called for a wholly independent review of the killing of the World Central Kitchen aid workers; and what (a) guarantees of independence and (b) investigatory powers he has sought.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
As the Prime Minister said in his call with Prime Minister Netanyahu on 2 April, the UK was appalled by the killing of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including three British nationals, in an Israeli airstrike on 1 April. The Prime Minister called for a thorough and transparent investigation into what happened. Both the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary have stressed the importance of effective deconfliction.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the reasons for applicants for research places at Newcastle University waiting longer than five months for an Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificate.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK takes seriously its responsibility towards countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and advanced conventional military technology. The Academic Technology Approval Scheme is a thorough, necessary and proportionate tool to protect UK research from misappropriation and divergence to military programmes of concern. As reflected in our guidance, processing takes at least 30 working days. While the majority of cases are processed within this time, more complex cases can take longer, in order to ensure that a thorough assessment can be carried out.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the reasons for changes in the time taken to respond to applications for Academic Technology Approval Scheme certificates.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The UK takes seriously its responsibility towards countering the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and advanced conventional military technology. The Academic Technology Approval Scheme is a thorough, necessary and proportionate tool to protect UK research from misappropriation and divergence to military programmes of concern. As reflected in our guidance, processing takes at least 30 working days. While the majority of cases are processed within this time, more complex cases can take longer, in order to ensure that a thorough assessment can be carried out.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in Kenya on potential human rights violations on the Ogiek people of Mau.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
The British High Commission in Nairobi is closely monitoring events in the Mau Forest. I have not raised this issue with the Kenyan authorities.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 12 September to Question 197866 on Saudi Arabia: Migrants, what the response was of the (a) Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and (b) President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission to the representations made by the Minister for the Middle East and Human Rights.
Answered by David Rutley
The UK Government discussed the allegations in private and will continue to do so using a range of diplomatic channels. No aspect of our relationship prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to his counterpart in Saudi Arabia on the reports by the Human Rights Watch of 21 August 2023 of lethal force used against Ethiopian migrants at the Saudi-Yemen border.
Answered by David Rutley
We are aware of NGO and media reports about the deaths of migrants at the Saudi-Yemen border. The UK Government has raised the matter with the Saudi authorities, including at Ministerial level. The Minister for the Middle East and Human Rights, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, raised the issue with the Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in August, and most recently with the President of the Saudi Human Rights Commission. The UK's relationship with Saudi Arabia covers a broad range of interests, however no aspect of our relationship prevents us from speaking frankly about human rights. We regularly discuss human rights with the Saudi authorities through a range of diplomatic channels including Ministers, our Ambassador, and the British Embassy in Riyadh.
Asked by: Chi Onwurah (Labour - Newcastle upon Tyne Central and West)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what progress his Department has made on the development of the SCALE programme; and which countries will be included in that programme.
Answered by Andrew Mitchell
Scaling Access and Learning in Education (SCALE) will increase the delivery of cost-effective education interventions in low and lower middle-income countries (LICs and LMICs).
SCALE will provide technical support to adapt evidence-based approaches to new contexts and implement rigorous test-learn-adapt pilots to prepare these for scaling in national systems.
SCALE is in its inception phase. Progress is underway to mobilise technical expertise and scope high-potential pilots. Technical assistance will be available to all ODA-eligible countries. Pilots will focus on LICs and LMICs and will be selected against a set of rigorous criteria (found in the SCALE business case on DevTracker).