Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 4 February 2025 to Question 27042 on UNRWA: Finance, what mechanisms are in place to ensure that UK funding to UNRWA is not used (a) directly or (b) indirectly to support Hamas activities; and what assessment he has made of UNRWA's compliance with these safeguards.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
A Memorandum of Understanding governs UK financial support to the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and we monitor UNRWA's activity through due diligence and annual assessments. The UK is also providing £1 million to support implementation of the recommendations in Catherine Colonna's Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality. UNRWA plays a vital role in delivering humanitarian assistance in Gaza and enabling the broader international response through its logistics and distribution network. We reiterated this position in our E3 joint Foreign Ministers' statement of 31 January, alongside France and Germany.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2025 to Question 27041 on Palestinians: Schools, what the timeline is for the full implementation of the recommendations of the Colonna report on the neutrality of educational materials in UNRWA-run schools in (a) Gaza and (b) the West Bank; and whether he has had discussions with UNRWA on replacing the current curriculum.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UN conducts quarterly progress reports on UNRWA's implementation of the recommendations made in the Colonna report, with the latest having issued in January 2025. This includes eight recommendations relating specifically to education. As noted in the answer to PQ 27041, on 28 January, the Minister for Development informed the House that she had discussed the issue of neutrality with UNRWA's leadership, including directly with Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
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 International Committee of the Red Cross on its role in hostage handovers conducted by Hamas.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are in regular contact with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) which is facilitating the handover of hostages and the delivery of aid into Gaza. The UK reaffirms its support for the ICRC as the only humanitarian actor with the experience, capability, independence and mandate to carry out its important responsibilities. We believe it is critical that the ICRC is given regular access to the hostages, to fulfil its independent visiting role, as enshrined within the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what conditions he has placed on the restoration of funding to UNRWA.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Since the Foreign Secretary restored funding to UNRWA in July 2024, the UK has committed £41 million to UNRWA to deliver essential services for civilians in Gaza and the West Bank, and to Palestinian refugees across the region. A Memorandum of Understanding governs UK financial support to UNRWA. We continue to monitor UNRWA's activity through due diligence and annual assessments.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with UNRWA on ensuring that educational materials used in UNRWA-run schools in the West Bank and Gaza do not incite violence and hatred.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Education is an essential component of the humanitarian response in Gaza, and critical to building the foundations for a sustainable and lasting peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people, grounded in a two-state solution. It is therefore essential that partners delivering education services across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs), not least the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), uphold the highest standards of neutrality. £1 million of the UK's funding support for UNRWA has been earmarked to implement the recommendations of Catherine Colonna's Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality. On 28 January, the Minister for Development informed the House that she had discussed the issue of neutrality with UNRWA's leadership, including directly with Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. She also spoke to UNRWA staff members on their work to implement the recommendations of the Colonna report during her visit to the region on 3-5 December. We welcome the initiatives launched by UNRWA to ensure neutrality of its educational material and teaching, in addition to its longstanding work with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Palestinian Authority to reform curricula and educational materials.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled UK and its allies must stay one step ahead in new AI arms race, published on 25 November 2024, which Department will have responsibility for the Laboratory for AI Security Research; and what steps the Government plans to take to ensure the laboratory's work informs the strategies and operations of all relevant departments.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR) concept was developed jointly across HMG and is funded initially by the cross-Government Integrated Security Fund (ISF). LASR is an FCDO-led ISF programme co-designed and governed to inform the strategies and operations of all relevant departments.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled UK and its allies must stay one step ahead in new AI arms race, published on 25 November 2024, how will industry investment play a role in the development of autonomous cyber tooling at the Laboratory for AI Security Research.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR) is at an early stage. We will be working closely with industry and academia to define research priorities. Examples could include the role of AI security on our critical national infrastructure and how we can raise the quality of our cybersecurity to account for AI. Most of LASR's work will be classified and will benefit the UK's AI Security eco-system. The programme is also designed to facilitate industry investment and support the Government's growth agenda.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled UK and its allies must stay one step ahead in new AI arms race, published on 25 November 2024, how will the Laboratory for AI Security Research complement the work of existing cyber defence (a) mechanisms and (b) organisations.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR) was designed to build on the knowledge and experience of addressing cyber security and other national security activities across government, academia and industry. LASR is designed to complement or enhance existing mechanisms and organisations, as well as offer new ways of working where appropriate.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled UK and its allies must stay one step ahead in new AI arms race, published on 25 November 2024, whether the Laboratory for AI Security Research will be operational in time to inform the Strategic Defence Review.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
AI security has clear implications for our national security. The programme to deliver the Laboratory for AI Security Research has only just started its work and will bring together government, academia and industry to share information and work together to enhance AI security and inform many aspects of government's work.
Asked by: David Reed (Conservative - Exmouth and Exeter East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the press release entitled UK and its allies must stay one step ahead in new AI arms race, published on 25 November 2024, where will the headquarters for the Laboratory for AI Security Research be located.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
HMG will lead the Laboratory for AI Security Research. Its research activities will be conducted across the UK and will include a range of UK universities, including the University of Oxford and Queen's University, Belfast.