Asked by: Chris Ward (Labour - Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department plans to take to restore Official Development Assistance allocations in this Parliament; and if he will set out a path to do so.
Answered by Kirsty McNeill - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government is committed to returning to spending 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA) as soon as fiscal circumstances allow.
Asked by: Chris Ward (Labour - Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven)
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 Pakistani authorities concerning the detention and wellbeing of former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
While Pakistan's judicial processes are a domestic matter, we are clear that the Pakistani authorities need to respect fundamental freedoms, including the right to a fair trial, due process, humane detention and access to appropriate medical treatment. This applies to Imran Khan as it does to all Pakistan's citizens. I met Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar on 27 August to discuss a range of issues, including matters relating to Imran Khan.
Asked by: Chris Ward (Labour - Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven)
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 bring peace and stability to the Democratic Republic of Congo; and what steps he is taking to help ensure the conflict doesn't spread to other countries.
Answered by Catherine West
The Foreign Secretary met with President Tshisekedi in Kinshasa and President Kagame in Kigali on 21 and 22 February, where he was clear that there can be no military solution to the conflict. There must be an immediate cessation of hostilities.
The Foreign Secretary urged both leaders to engage meaningfully with African led peace processes to find a lasting political solution and avoid regional escalation. The UK will continue to discuss with partners, including in the region, what more it can do to support these efforts.
On 25 February the Foreign Secretary announced a package of measures which aim to bring about a ceasefire, avoid regional escalation and bring Rwanda back to the negotiating table.