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Written Question
Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Poland and Ukraine
Thursday 24th March 2022

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many UK officials are present on the Poland-Ukraine border.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

The UK has over 360 HMG staff working on the response to the crisis in the region, including in Ukraine and Poland. Our Rapid Deployment Team (RDT) has maintained a presence at the Poland-Ukraine border since 15 February. Humanitarian experts are currently based in Poland and we work closely with, and fund, trusted NGO partners and UN agencies that provide coordinated, largescale humanitarian response. There are Home Office staff at a Visa Support Centre in Rzeszow who are focused on helping Ukrainian refugees complete their visa application process, in addition to our enhanced visa operation in Warsaw. Finally, Consular officials at our Embassy in Warsaw are supporting the RDT in providing help to British nationals in need of assistance.


Written Question
British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies: Sanctions
Thursday 24th March 2022

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps has she taken to ensure that UK Government sanctions are being applied in the crown dependencies and overseas territories.

Answered by Amanda Milling - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

UK sanctions apply in all Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies either by Orders in Council or through each jurisdiction's own legislation (Guernsey, Jersey, Gibraltar and Bermuda legislate for themselves). The UK Government is in regular contact with the Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies to help improve implementation and discuss the impact of sanctions, and will continue to provide guidance and support where appropriate. The UK's Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, which sits within HMT, engages regularly with Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies on compliance, enforcement and licensing. This engagement has assisted these jurisdictions in improving the implementation of financial sanctions across the wider British Family.


Written Question
Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid
Wednesday 23rd March 2022

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what quantity of medical supplies the Government has delivered to Ukraine since 24 February 2022; and what supplies those deliveries included.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

Since 24 February more than 1.8 million items of medicine, medical equipment and consumables have been delivered via Poland on 9 flights and handed over to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health. 9,468 items (blankets and hygiene kits) were delivered and handed over to the Moldovan Ministry of Labour and Social Protection on 12 March. The equipment for six Internally Displaced People reception centres in Lviv has been flown to Poland and handed over to the International Organisation for Migration. A further consignment of relief items to the UN Refugee Agency is planned for Ukraine and the region which will include blankets, kitchen sets, solar lanterns, hygiene kits and shelter supplies.


Written Question
Ukraine: Humanitarian Aid
Wednesday 16th March 2022

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she will set out further details on the £120 million humanitarian aid package the UK government has committed to Ukraine.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

The UK has now pledged £220 million of humanitarian assistance to support a well-coordinated and well-funded response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and the region. We have already disbursed funding to humanitarian agencies in Ukraine this financial year as well as enabled the delivery of life-saving UK medical supplies; committed £25 million to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Appeal, which has now raised over £130 million; and enabled the deployment of a 13-person field team of humanitarian experts to the region to provide logistics advice and analysis of the evolving refugee situation and needs. This analysis will inform further funding disbursements both within this financial year and next.


Written Question
Anton Hammerl
Wednesday 9th March 2022

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) locate and (b) repatriate the remains of Anton Hammerl to his family in London.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

I am saddened by the tragic circumstances in which Mr Hammerl lost his life whilst in Libya and send my sincere condolences to his family and friends. The UK condemns, and is committed to raising, violations of media freedom across the world at all levels. Journalists should be able to do their jobs without fear of retaliation or harm. We believe that those who seek to harm journalists or restrict their ability to work should be held to account.

The FCDO is only able to provide consular assistance to British nationals so cannot provide it to Mr Hammerl, as he was a dual national of Austria and South Africa. It would be incumbent on those countries to raise Mr Hammerl's case with the Libyan government.


Written Question
Anton Hammerl
Wednesday 9th March 2022

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations her has made to the Libyan authorities on the killing of photojournalist Anton Hammerl in that country in April 2011.

Answered by James Cleverly - Home Secretary

I am saddened by the tragic circumstances in which Mr Hammerl lost his life whilst in Libya and send my sincere condolences to his family and friends. The UK condemns, and is committed to raising, violations of media freedom across the world at all levels. Journalists should be able to do their jobs without fear of retaliation or harm. We believe that those who seek to harm journalists or restrict their ability to work should be held to account.

The FCDO is only able to provide consular assistance to British nationals so cannot provide it to Mr Hammerl, as he was a dual national of Austria and South Africa. It would be incumbent on those countries to raise Mr Hammerl's case with the Libyan government.


Written Question
Afghanistan: Chevening Scholarships Programme
Monday 13th September 2021

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what estimate he has made of the (a) number of Afghans offered Chevening Scholar places for the 2021-22 academic year, (b) number of those scholars who were evacuated from Afghanistan and (c) number who remain in Afghanistan.

Answered by Nigel Adams

We cannot provide details on the number and location of Chevening scholars from Afghanistan in order to ensure their and their families' safety. Between 15 and 29 August, the UK evacuated over 15,000 people from Afghanistan. This includes around 500 special cases of particularly vulnerable Afghans, including Chevening scholars, journalists, human rights defenders, campaigners for women's rights, judges and many others.


Written Question
Sri Lanka: Conflict, Stability and Security Fund
Tuesday 8th June 2021

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans he has to continue Conflict, Stability and Security Fund programmes in Sri Lanka after the end of 2021-22.

Answered by Nigel Adams

Information on the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) budget for 2020/21 will be published in the CSSF programme summary, which will be made publicly available before parliament rises for summer. Any future CSSF allocations will be subject to the outcome of the spending review.


Written Question
Sri Lanka: Conflict, Stability and Security Fund
Tuesday 8th June 2021

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what amount of the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund budget for programmes in Sri Lanka (a) was unspent in 2020-21, (b) is allocated for 2021-22; how the underspend was allocated from the 2020-21 budget; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Nigel Adams

Information on the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) budget for 2020/21 will be published in the CSSF programme summary, which will be made publicly available before parliament rises for summer. Any future CSSF allocations will be subject to the outcome of the spending review.


Written Question
Sri Lanka: Human Rights
Monday 7th June 2021

Asked by: Ed Davey (Liberal Democrat - Kingston and Surbiton)

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when he plans to respond to the International Truth and Justice Project’s submission to the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime.

Answered by Nigel Adams

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is grateful for the submission from the International Truth and Justice Project in relation to Sri Lanka. The UK's Global Human Rights sanctions regime offers a powerful tool to hold to account those involved in serious human rights violations or abuses. We will keep all evidence, including the submission from the International Truth and Justice Project, and potential listings under review. However, it is not appropriate to speculate who may be designated in the future, as to do so could reduce the impact of the designation.