Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support his Department has provided for the global distribution of covid-19 vaccines.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The UK has championed since the beginning of the pandemic the importance of rapid, equitable access to safe and effective vaccines. We are among the largest donors to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC), committing £548 million which leveraged through match funding $1 billion from other donors in 2020. This support to COVAX has been critical to it distributing COVID-19 vaccines to over 130 countries and economies, with its aim to provide up to 1.8 billion doses low- and middle-income countries by early 2022. The UK has also committed to share 100 million vaccine doses within the next year, with the majority to go to COVAX.
The UK's investment in the research and development of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has been a key contribution to the global vaccination effort. So far over 500 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed worldwide at non-profit prices, with two-thirds going to lower- and middle- income countries.
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many repatriation flights his Department has arranged during the covid-19 pandemic; and how many people have been repatriated on those flights.
Answered by Nigel Adams
British travellers who need and want to return to the UK is one of the Government's highest priorities. Since the outbreak in Wuhan, we estimate that over 1.3 million people have returned to the UK via commercial routes - the majority supported by our work to keep vital routes open. Since the Foreign Secretary announced £75m to support repatriation efforts on 30 March, the Government has as of 9 June delivered a programme of 183 charter flights from places where commercial options are no longer viable. These flights have brought?over 37,700 people from 52 countries and territories, back to UK airports in the East Midlands, London and Manchester.
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to repatriate British citizens from (a) Australia and (b) New Zealand affected by the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nigel Adams
As Parliament rose earlier than planned and the first day for answer of this PQ was after the Easter recess, due to the pace of developments during the COVID-19 crisis, I submitted a response by email on 2 April, with the following response. The Table Office have agreed this approach.
We are proactively engaging commercial airlines and governments worldwide, including for Australia and New Zealand, on keeping flight routes and transit hubs open to enable British Nationals to return home. Our High Commissioner in Canberra has written to the Australian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister on this issue. We are signposting British nationals to commercial flight options and continuing to explore new routes by which they can travel home. We have also set up an online registration tool for any British Nationals in Australia who require our support. Found at: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/australia/return-to-the-uk
In New Zealand, the British High Commission in Wellington is fully staffed and doing all it can to support British Nationals at this time, including finding routes home. Our High Commission remains open to issue emergency travel documents. However, given the New Zealand Government's directive on social distancing, we are asking people not to visit our High Commission in Wellington or our Consulate in Auckland in person, and instead reach out via our online webform. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/new-zealand/coronavirus
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with countries listed in the Open Doors 2019 World Watch List of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution.
Answered by Mark Field
The Foreign Secretary, myself, and and other British Government Ministers regularly raise our concerns about the persecution of religious minorities, including Christians, where this occurs. The Foreign Secretary recently asked the Bishop of Truro to conduct an independent review of the persecution of Christians around the world to help inform this important area of our work and ensure it is targeted and effective. Over recent months, ministers and diplomats have raised religious freedom issues in many countries.
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Government of Zimbabwe since the recent elections in that country.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
I released statements on 4 and 9 August highlighting our concern with the violence and human rights violations which took place after the elections of 30 July, particularly regarding the deaths of at least six people on 1 August. I released a further statement on 25 August on the overall conduct of the election. I spoke to Foreign Minister Moyo and Movement for Democratic Change Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa on 10 August to urge calm, and for all sides uphold the rule of law and the Constitution. In addition, our Ambassador met President Mnangagwa as events were unfolding on 1 August to raise our serious concern and press for the military to be immediately removed from the streets.
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 26 April 2018 to Question 136506 on Zimbabwe: visits abroad, whether a date has now been set for his visit to Zimbabwe.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
No date has been set, but the Foreign Secretary still hopes to visit Zimbabwe in 2018.
Asked by: David Evennett (Conservative - Bexleyheath and Crayford)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he next plans to visit Zimbabwe.
Answered by Harriett Baldwin
The Foreign Secretary plans to visit Zimbabwe, but a date is not yet confirmed. There have been two Ministerial visits to Zimbabwe in the last six months, most recently my own visit in February.