Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many potential cyber attacks from other states were intercepted by the National Cyber Security Centre in the six weeks before 4 July 2024.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) continually monitors threats to our national security. The NCSC does not routinely disclose statistics relating to incidents. However, details on key findings and trends will be published in its Annual Review on 3 December 2024.
Ahead of the UK General Election, NCSC engaged with stakeholders across the UK economy and society to ensure they had the necessary tools to keep the election safe.
The Electoral Commission also reported that polling day ran smoothly, and that people were able to cast their ballot securely. Ultimately, because voting takes place with pencil and paper, this significantly reduces the threat of interference.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to his new US counterpart in January 2025 on potential steps to help implement the arrest warrant for President Putin of Russia issued by International Criminal Court judges in March 2023.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We encourage all countries to co-operate with the International Criminal Court (ICC). The UK is fully committed to holding Russia to account for its illegal and barbaric actions in Ukraine, and has provided support to the ICC to assist its work, including the investigation into the situation in Ukraine. The Foreign Secretary looks forward to working with the Trump Administration in the months and years ahead in the spirit of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise. American leadership will remain crucial to the global challenges that all our nations face.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he plans to make representations to the next US President on appointing a US Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to work constructively with Joe Kennedy III, the current US Special Envoy, and look forward to his upcoming visit to Northern Ireland. Economic growth is a key component of our foreign policy agenda and the central mission of this Government. The UK has a thriving trading and investment relationship with the US that encourages mutual growth across the whole of the UK. The Chancellor announced that the Northern Ireland Executive will be provided with a £18.2 billion settlement in 2025/26 - the largest in real terms in the history of devolution.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will raise with the UN the attendance of the UN Secretary General at the BRICS summit in Russia on 24 October 2024.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Foreign Secretary spoke to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres prior to the BRICS Summit in Kazan, where the UNSG reiterated his position that Russia's invasion of Ukraine had violated the United Nations Charter and international law. The meetings that the Secretary-General chooses are a matter for him, not the UK Government. The UK Government continues to bring economic and diplomatic pressure to bear on Russia, including through sanctions.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on how many UK Parliamentarians are subject to sanctions by (a) Russia and (b) China.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
There are currently six (previously seven) UK Parliamentarians who are sanctioned by China. Russia does not always publicly or privately inform HMG of those sanctioned. However, HMG is aware of over 460 UK Parliamentarians having been sanctioned by Russia since 2022 - the vast majority have been named publicly, while a small number have been sanctioned and informed privately.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his Irish counterpart on the recent treaties on extradition between the UAE and the Irish Republic to help ensure suspects are unable to use the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic to avoid extradition proceedings.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK remains committed to upholding the Common Travel Area and we work closely with Ireland to protect the integrity of it, including with Northern Irish and Irish law enforcement agencies on the question of those seeking to evade justice in either jurisdiction. Legislation is in place to enable extraditions between the UK and Ireland.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his UN counterparts on allegations that United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) officials were aware of Hezbollah activity in close proximity to UNIFIL bases in southern Lebanon.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Government supports the essential role played by UNIFIL in southern Lebanon and recognises that the mission is working in difficult circumstances. In a call on 16 October with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, the Foreign Secretary discussed concern at UNIFIL not being able to access all relevant locations north of the de-facto border between Lebanon and Isreal and called for all parties to ensure freedom of movement for UNIFIL personnel. We continue to speak with counterparts from the UN on a range of issues related to the on-going conflict. The Government will continue to underscore the importance of the UN in resolving armed conflict and mitigating the humanitarian impact.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Answer of 18 March 2024 to Question 18399 on Chelsea Football Club, what his planned timetable is to establish a foundation to (a) manage and (b) distribute the money from the sale of Chelsea FC.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Independent experts outside of Government are leading the establishment of the new charitable foundation to manage and distribute the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC. UK officials continue to hold discussions with Mr Abramovich's representatives, experts and international partners, and we are doubling down on our efforts to ensure the money reaches humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will raise the treatment of Alexei Navalny by the Russian authorities at the United Nations.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Alexei Navalny's courage and aspiration for a democratic Russia live on in those brave Russians who continue to speak up. The Government continues to call on the Russian authorities to allow a full and independent investigation into the circumstances of his death. At the UN Security Council on 24 September, the Foreign Secretary condemned Russia's repression of its own people, including courageous individuals such as Alexei Navalny. That day the UK's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva also raised Alexei Navalny's death and the treatment of political prisoners in Russia at the Human Rights Council.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the proceeds of the sale of Chelsea FC will be distributed to humanitarian causes in Ukraine.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We are working hard to ensure the proceeds from the sale of Chelsea FC reach humanitarian causes in Ukraine as quickly as possible, in line with the Government's unilateral declaration made at the time of sale. The proceeds are currently frozen in a UK bank account while a new independent foundation is established to manage and distribute the money; they are not held by the UK government. UK officials continue to hold discussions with Mr Abramovich's representatives, experts and international partners, and we are doubling down on our efforts to reach a resolution.