Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the Great Britain-China Centre spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The table below sets out the indicative amount spent by each of the specified Arms Length Bodies (ALB) on equality and diversity training in 2022-23.
ALB | Amount (£) |
British Council | 3,674 |
Commonwealth Scholarships Commission | 3,579 |
FCDO Services | 836 |
Great Britain-China Centre | 750 |
Independent Commission for Aid Impact | 0 |
Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission | 396 |
Westminster Foundation for Democracy | 2,000 |
Wilton Park | 505 |
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much FCDO Services spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The table below sets out the indicative amount spent by each of the specified Arms Length Bodies (ALB) on equality and diversity training in 2022-23.
ALB | Amount (£) |
British Council | 3,674 |
Commonwealth Scholarships Commission | 3,579 |
FCDO Services | 836 |
Great Britain-China Centre | 750 |
Independent Commission for Aid Impact | 0 |
Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission | 396 |
Westminster Foundation for Democracy | 2,000 |
Wilton Park | 505 |
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the British Council spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The table below sets out the indicative amount spent by each of the specified Arms Length Bodies (ALB) on equality and diversity training in 2022-23.
ALB | Amount (£) |
British Council | 3,674 |
Commonwealth Scholarships Commission | 3,579 |
FCDO Services | 836 |
Great Britain-China Centre | 750 |
Independent Commission for Aid Impact | 0 |
Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission | 396 |
Westminster Foundation for Democracy | 2,000 |
Wilton Park | 505 |
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The table below sets out the indicative amount spent by each of the specified Arms Length Bodies (ALB) on equality and diversity training in 2022-23.
ALB | Amount (£) |
British Council | 3,674 |
Commonwealth Scholarships Commission | 3,579 |
FCDO Services | 836 |
Great Britain-China Centre | 750 |
Independent Commission for Aid Impact | 0 |
Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission | 396 |
Westminster Foundation for Democracy | 2,000 |
Wilton Park | 505 |
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with airlines on the potential merits of direct flights between the UK and Saint Helena.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The Secretary of State has not had any recent discussions with airlines on the merits of direct flights to St Helena. Discussions on air services are led by the St Helena Government. A weekly air service currently operates from South Africa to St Helena and will increase to twice weekly in the forthcoming peak tourism season. St Helena has an "open skies" policy and there is no limit on the St Helena Government's ability to procure additional air services.
The UK Government has regular discussions with St Helena Government on maximising the benefits of St Helena Airport.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much the Westminster Foundation for Democracy spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The table below sets out the indicative amount spent by each of the specified Arms Length Bodies (ALB) on equality and diversity training in 2022-23.
ALB | Amount (£) |
British Council | 3,674 |
Commonwealth Scholarships Commission | 3,579 |
FCDO Services | 836 |
Great Britain-China Centre | 750 |
Independent Commission for Aid Impact | 0 |
Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission | 396 |
Westminster Foundation for Democracy | 2,000 |
Wilton Park | 505 |
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much Wilton Park spent on equality and diversity training in the 2022-23 financial year.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The table below sets out the indicative amount spent by each of the specified Arms Length Bodies (ALB) on equality and diversity training in 2022-23.
ALB | Amount (£) |
British Council | 3,674 |
Commonwealth Scholarships Commission | 3,579 |
FCDO Services | 836 |
Great Britain-China Centre | 750 |
Independent Commission for Aid Impact | 0 |
Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission | 396 |
Westminster Foundation for Democracy | 2,000 |
Wilton Park | 505 |
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to (a) enhance cybersecurity and (b) protect personal data.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
It has been the long-standing practice of successive Governments not to comment on security related matters.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the implications for his Department's polices of (a) the decision of the Taliban to prevent women from accessing the Band-e-Amir national park and (b) women's rights in Afghanistan.
Answered by Leo Docherty - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for the Armed Forces)
Our Mission to Afghanistan has raised with the Taliban the issue of women being prevented from visiting Band-e-Amir national park. More broadly, we have repeatedly condemned the Taliban's decisions to restrict the rights of women and girls, including through UN Security Council and Human Rights Council resolutions and public statements. Without the full respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls, Afghanistan will not achieve sustainable economic and political development.
On 27 June, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister for South Asia hosted a meeting of Afghan women leaders to discuss the impact of the Taliban's restrictions on Afghan women as well as the inclusion of Afghan women in the future political process.
Asked by: Julian Knight (Independent - Solihull)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what data their Department holds on the average response time to written parliamentary questions in the last six months; and what assessment they have made of the adequacy of that response time.
Answered by David Rutley - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We do not hold central records on average response times and this could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.
However, the Procedure Committee publishes a report on departmental performances using Table Office data at the end of each session. The latest report can be found here [https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/126/procedure-committee/publications/reports-responses/]. The FCDO responded to 4,550 Commons PQs in the 2020 - 2021 session, answering 94 per cent of Ordinary questions on time and 89 per cent of Named Day questions on time.