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 discussions he has held with his US counterpart on the appointment of a special economic envoy to Northern Ireland.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland engaged extensively with contacts in the US Administration and Congress on Northern Ireland issues, including during his visit to Washington in March 2025. The role of US Special Envoy is currently unfilled.
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 have discussions at the United Nations with his international counterparts on the potential impact of international sanctions related to the invasion of Ukraine on the Russian economy.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Ministers and officials regularly engage with international counterparts bilaterally and at key multilateral fora, such as at the United Nations, to discuss a range of sanctions issues including the potential impact of sanctions related to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Such discussions cover the effect of our collective sanctions, which have deprived Russia of at least $450 billion since February 2022. They cover the global impact of Russia's war on Ukraine and challenge false and damaging narratives on impact. We use sanctions to deter and disrupt malign behaviour and demonstrate our defence of international norms. Our sanctions are designed to reduce the flow of arms and funding. They are used to support peace processes and to respond to threats to international security.
We will continue to coordinate and cooperate with our international counterparts on sanctions issues at the United Nations and in a range of other fora, particularly the G7.
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, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2025 to Question 54630 on Gaza: Humanitarian Aid, if he will make an estimate of the quantity of aid supplied into Gaza between 19 January 2025 and 18 March 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
After months of limited or no humanitarian aid being delivered, essential supplies are either no longer available or quickly running out. As mentioned in my previous response, due to the complex operating environment and limited real-time data, it is difficult to quantify the volume of aid that has been supplied and aid currently awaiting entry. Israel must urgently allow the UN and other humanitarian partners to do their jobs and deliver aid to those who so desperately need it.
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 discussions he has had with his Chinese counterparts on the case of Mr. Jimmy Lai since November 2024.
Answered by Catherine West
Jimmy Lai's case remains an utmost priority. This Government continues to call on the Hong Kong authorities to end their politically motivated prosecution and release Jimmy Lai.
The Foreign Secretary has raised this case at every opportunity with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, including in February, and April this year. I also remain in regular contact with Mr. Lai's son and last met him on 28 April. I raised Mr. Lai's case most recently with Chief Secretary, Eric Chan, on 30 May 2025.
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 discussions he has had with the World Bank on aligning new financial flows with the timelines of the Paris Agreement.
Answered by Catherine West
The World Bank Group's International Development Association and International Bank of Reconstruction and Development have aligned all their new financial operations with the Paris Agreement since 1 July 2023.
The Foreign Secretary and the Minister for Development met with World Bank Group President Ajay Banga on 4 June 2025 and they discussed the Bank's upcoming energy strategy.
The Group remains committed to align the rest of its institutions, the International Financial Corporation and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, with the Paris agreement in their new financial operations from 1 July 2025.
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 estimate he has made of the quantity of aid supplied into Gaza between 19 January and 18 March 2025.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
During the ceasefire and prior to Israel's aid block on 2 March, the UN and humanitarian Non-Governmental Organisations demonstrated that they can deliver humanitarian aid at scale to those who need it most, due to their logistical capacity, expertise and operational coverage. Israel's recent announcement that it will allow a basic quantity of food into Gaza is wholly inadequate. Due to the complex operating environment and limited real-time data, it is difficult to quantify the volume of aid currently awaiting entry. However, partners provide regular updates. On 19 May, the UK signed a joint donor statement on the humanitarian situation in Gaza calling for a full resumption of aid and for Israel to allow the UN and other aid organisations to operate independently.
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 has made an assessment of the potential impact of the sanctioning of UK parliamentarians by Russia on national security.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
In April, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that a further 21 UK parliamentarians had been added to Russia's 'stop list'. This is the thirteenth round of Russian 'sanctions' targeting over 800 British nationals including Ministers, parliamentarians, and those in the private sector. We have no insight into how or why Russia sanctions specific individuals, although their sanctions often seek to reciprocate UK sanctions against Russian targets - which are imposed by the Government in response to Russia's ongoing illegal invasion of Ukraine.
These sanctions are an unjustified reaction to parliamentarians expressing their views freely. The UK remains undeterred by these measures. The Government will continue its principled support for Ukraine against Russian aggression, and continue tackling the national security threat posed by the Russian state.
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 change funding committed to the International Development Association.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK is strongly committed to the International Development Association and its centrality in development finance. The impacts of the decision to reduce UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 0.5 per cent of gross national income to 0.3 per cent are still being worked through and we will be taking a rigorous approach to ensure all ODA delivers value for money. We will set out our spending plans following the completion of the Spending Review and departmental resource allocation processes.
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 refence to the Answer of 1 May 2024 to Question 23837 on World Bank: Climate Change, whether he expects all new financial flows to be aligned with the Paris Agreement by July 2025.
Answered by Anneliese Dodds
The World Bank Group's International Development Association and International Bank of Reconstruction and Development have aligned all their new financial operations with the Paris Agreement since 1 July 2023. The Group has committed to align the rest of its institutions, the International Financial Corporation and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, with the Paris agreement in their new financial operations from 1 July 2025.
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 funding bodies on the potential implications for their policies of reports of a recently released hostage having been held in UNRWA premises.
Answered by Hamish Falconer - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This Government is relieved about the release of hostages, including that of Ms. Damari, and hope all others will also soon return safely to their families. Reports that hostages have been held in United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) premises are very concerning. We welcome the fact that UNRWA has said that they take all allegations extremely seriously, and there should be independent investigations into any misuse of its facilities by Palestinian armed militants, including Hamas. We also note UNRWA's statement that it was forced to vacate all its installations in the north of Gaza Strip, including Gaza City, on 13 October 2023. Following Catherine Colonna's Independent Review, UNRWA set out an action plan with detailed management reforms. As a result, we are assured that UNRWA is taking action to ensure it maintains the highest standards of neutrality. As the Minister for Development told the House on 28 January, she has 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. A Memorandum of Understanding governs UK financial support to UNRWA. We continue to monitor UNRWA's activity through due diligence and annual assessments.